TCU Horned Frogs Are Championship Bound
With the NFL preseason finally getting underway, the majority of the focus around the DFW has switched to the Dallas Cowboys and their upcoming season. That’s all fine and dandy but lets not forget about the upcoming College Football season.
After all, this is actually a season the TCU Horned Frogs have a better chance at bringing a championship to the DFW area than the Cowboys do. TCU could even run the table for an undefeated season, with the team they have ready to take the field for the 2015 season. To make that happen, the Horned Frogs offense will have to be as potent as they were last season.
This season the Horned Frogs are starting off in a lot better situation than they did last season. This time last year head coach Gary Patterson really did not even know who his starting quarterback was going to be. This season Patterson has 11 of 12 starters from last season returning, including their Heisman hopeful quarterback, Trevone Boykin.
Last season Boykin amazed many around the country when he claimed the starting job during a 48-14 beat down on Samford to begin the season and never let go of the job. By the end of the season, Boykin completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,901 yards and 33 touchdowns through the air. Boykin also finished second on the team in rushing, with 152 carries for 707 yards and eight touchdowns.
Boykin proved to be the total package during his junior season at TCU. If Boykin has anywhere close to the type of season he had last year, he will easily become the next top draft pick in the NFL.
Oct 11, 2014; Waco, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Josh Doctson (9) cannot make a catch during the fourth quarter against the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Along with Boykin returning for his senior season, wide receivers Josh Doctson and Kolby Listenbee also offer senior leadership in the passing attack. Both Doctson and Listenbee are two of the top receivers in the Big 12 Conference. Last season Listenbee and Doctson combined for 106 receptions for 1,771 yards and 15 touchdowns. Even if defenses mange to shut one down, they have to deal with the other.
On top of a solid passing attack, TCU also has the guys it takes to move the ball down the field on the ground. Senior running back Aaron Green is hungry and looking to break the 1,000 yard mark after finishing last season with 922 yards and nine touchdowns on 129 carries.
Green also turned out to be a solid receiver out of the backfield when Boykin didn’t have anywhere else to go with the ball. Green had 19 receptions for 166 yards and two touchdowns including one score that went for 54 yards.
This will be a season, sophomore Trevorris Johnson will need to step his game up, since B.J.Catalon is no longer with the team. Last season, Johnson finished fourth on the team in rushing with 53 carries for 302 yards and four touchdowns.
As long as all these guys step up to lead the team at their respected positions, TCU will have one of the more potent offenses in College Football. The biggest problem TCU faces in 2015, is with their defense.
This is a team that struggled at times last year on defense, but their explosive offense managed to stay one step ahead of other teams they faced. That is, other teams besides Baylor.
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Last season TCU managed to run the score up on Baylor during their fifth game of the season only to see the Bears score 24 unanswered points late in the fourth quarter to steal a 61-58 win. That loss by TCU was the difference in making the playoffs to play for a National Championship, and playing in the Peach Bowl.
This season, to add twice the excitement to the TCU schedule, the Horned Frogs will face Baylor at home for their final game of the season. Beating Baylor at home to complete a perfect season would be the ultimate way to avenge a 2014 season the Horned Frogs were overlooked for a chance to play in the playoffs.
This is a team that saw their defense step up huge late last season, after a very rocky start. Last season, TCU only allowed 16 points during their last three games including the three points they gave up to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl. As long as the TCU defense can carry over the momentum they had to end the season, they should be one of the better defenses in College Football.
We will know soon enough how good this years TCU team is. Patterson will lead his team onto the field on September 13 to face Minnesota to open their season. The Gophers are the toughest non conference team on this years schedule. After that, the toughest road trips for TCU will be when they head north to face Oklahoma in Norman, and Oklahoma City in Stillwater.
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