TCU’s run to the College Football Playoff National Championship wasn’t supposed to happen. Whether by accident or design, when it comes to determining a national champion, college football has always been a sport great at separating the wheat from the chaff. It’s a sport where Cinderella doesn’t even have to make it to 9pm, let alone midnight.
Despite exceeding expectations in reaching the game, TCU’s 65-7 loss to Georgia was a stark reminder of the gulf that remains in the sport between the elite and the upstarts. While TCU’s run will likely never happen again before playoff expansion, if we look past what the Horned Frogs have been historically and instead focus on how they pulled off the impossible, we see that there is a way.
While it’s impossible to boil everything TCU did down to one episode, let’s try! First of all, the Frogs brought in a new coach, Sonny Dykes, who helped establish a new culture within the program. Next, the Frogs had a quarterback in Max Duggan — who wasn’t the Week 1 starter, mind you — performing to the best of his ability in an offense designed to take advantage of what he and his teammates had to offer . Finally, there was a bit of luck involved. It’s always there, even for elite teams. Going 6-1 in one score games with a +29 overall scoring margin (4.14 per game) means a few coin flip situations went TCU’s way far more often than not.. To be clear, is it’s nothing to be ashamed of. When you combine being good with being lucky, great things happen.
So can it happen again? Although it is not the recommended path to success, we have seen that it is possible. With that in mind, I went through all the Power Five teams to miss a bowl game in 2022 to see if I could find anyone who might be able to leave home for the holidays to play on New Year’s Eve. While there aren’t many TCU types (use that as bulletin board material, Vanderbilt), there are five Power Five programs that can pull it off. These are the best candidates (although none are coached by Prime).
Auburn
OK, let’s check some boxes here. This is a team coming off a 5-7 season with a first year head coach. To see also : An anonymous donation of $30,000 will benefit the Clay County Youth Food Delivery Program. Sure, it’s Auburn and it’s won a national title this century, so it’s not a true “TCU” program, but it meets enough criteria to make the list. Auburn has proven time and time again that if everyone involved in the program pulls in the same direction, it is capable of great things.
The problem is that they rarely pull in the same direction on The Plains. More often than not, Auburn figures out a way to pull a rope in four different directions. It’s an incredible feat of engineering, but it doesn’t correlate strongly with winning football games. Anyway, it’s a talented team with a coach (Hugh Freeze) who has had success in the league before. Throw in a little luck and it’s not too crazy.
Miami
I already regret writing this story. Well, we are in too deep now and I have no one to blame but myself. I was one of the many who bought a little too much into Miami ahead of the 2022 season. I didn’t consider how much of a roster rebuild coach Mario Cristobal had in mind. That said, while it was a bridge too far to think Miami could have won the ACC, it should have been a more likely outcome than 5-7.
There’s no excuse for the Hurricanes going 5-7 with losses to teams like Middle Tennessee, Duke and Pitt (all by at least two scores, mind you). Still, there’s reason to believe that if enough things go right, and with another offseason of work and more players that fit what Miami wants to be, it’s possible the Hurricanes could take a huge leap forward this year 2 under Cristobal. See the article : Asia’s new agricultural revolution: planting a high-tech future. While I have high hopes for Florida State and I don’t think Clemson is ready to fall off the face of the earth, there is still plenty of wiggle room in an ACC that lacks a clear elite team heading into 2023.
Michigan State
In a sense, Michigan State was the original TCU. The Spartans went 2-5 in Mel Tucker’s first season in East Lansing, which was a step back from 7-6 in 2019, but one that wasn’t that unexpected. See the article : Meet the 2021-22 Boone County Sports Awards Athletes of the Year. Tucker was hired in the late offseason following Mark Dantonio’s unexpected retirement, and right after Tucker moved into his new office, a once-in-a-century global pandemic hit. All of this was slightly less expected than Michigan State exploding to an 11-2 mark and Peach Bowl appearance in 2021.
That season, Tucker and the Spartans hit a lot of home runs on the transfer portal, none bigger than Heisman finalist Kenneth Walker. This year the Spartans weren’t so lucky, suffering some regression and falling to 5-7. However, the level of talent on this list is better than that record. Yes, it’s much harder for the Spartans to break through in a Big Ten East with Michigan coming off two conference titles, Ohio State being Ohio State and Penn State getting back together, but we’ve seen Sparty do it before.
Nebraska
Like Auburn, Nebraska has a first-year coach taking over and Matt Rhule returns to the college game. Unlike Auburn and TCU, Nebraska did not go 5-7 this season; it was 4-8, so there is even more ground to make up in the standings. Like Miami, the road to Nebraska may not be as difficult as it is for others. While the Big 12 was one of the best conferences in college football this season, there’s no question that neither Texas nor Oklahoma living up to their potential helped TCU.
While the Big Ten has Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, they all play in the East. Look at the rest of the Big Ten West and tell me who the clear favorite is. Wisconsin has a new coach and a new offense. Iowa is Iowa – which is good for Iowa, but nothing scary. Purdue won the division, its coach left for Louisville, and now it has its own first-year coach. Illinois was a surprise in 2021, finishing 8-5 but losing four of its last five games. Northwestern is not in the best shape at the moment. Again, I’m not saying any of these teams are likely to make the jump, but Nebraska could at least get an audition for the role.
Texas A&M
What have I done? First Miami, then Nebraska and now Texas A&M. If only Texas had gone 5-7, I could include it and complete the Hypebeast Superfecta. Look, it’s hard to trust the Aggies. I don’t, but you can’t deny that this is a talented roster that underperformed in 2022. I was never into “Texas A&M is a playoff contender,” but 5-7? It should have been impossible with the talent at hand.
Most of that talent is back, and coach Jimbo Fisher may have finally admitted he needs some help by bringing in Bobby Petrino as his offensive coordinator. Yes, there’s a risk of spectacular blowouts, but there’s also a chance of everything clicking and the Aggies finally breaking through.
What GPA does TCU require?
A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is necessary for consideration, although a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher in transferable academic courses is generally required for admission. Each application will be reviewed individually.
Is TCU a good college? U.S. News & World Report ranked Texas Christian University a top 100 national university for the 13th year in a row, and came in at No. 89 for 2022’s Best National Universities. TCU’s engineering, business and nursing programs each ranked in the top 100, as did the university as a top college for veterans.
What SAT score do you need for TCU?
TCU has no minimum GPA or test score requirements to be considered for admission. TCU is test optional for applicants through 2024. (See our testing policy.) For the class entering TCU in fall 2021, the middle 50 percent scored between 1200 and 1380 on the SAT or between 28 and 32 on the ACT.
What is TCU acceptance rate 2022?
Texas Christian University admissions is more selective with an acceptance rate of 54% and an early acceptance rate of 70.7%.
How hard is it to get into TCU? The acceptance rate at TCU is 47.1%. For every 100 applicants, 47 are accepted. This means that the school is moderately selective. The school expects you to meet their GPA and SAT/ACT score requirements, but they are more flexible than other schools.
Is it harder to get into TCU or SMU?
Which school is easier to get into? If you look at acceptance rate alone, Texas Christian University (TCU) is harder to get into. However, each college seeks to fill its incoming class with a variety of students with different strengths, backgrounds, etc.
Is TCU or Baylor better?
In the Big 12, Baylor was ranked behind only UT (No. 48). Other Big 12 institutions ranked: TCU (97), Iowa State (121), Kansas (130), Oklahoma (132), Kansas State (162), Oklahoma State (192), Texas Tech (218) and West Virginia (228 ).
Why is TCU so popular?
Undergrads at Texas Christian University certainly feel their college offers it all “strong academics, driven students, great opportunities [and] valuable connections.” It also combines a small school atmosphere with the resources of a large university.
Who is TCU biggest rival?
| First meeting | 27 October 1899 Draw, 0–0 |
| Last meeting | November 19, 2022 TCU, 29-28 |
| Next meeting | 2023 |
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Meetings in total | 118 |
Who is Ole Miss’ biggest rival? Ole Miss’ major athletic rivals are the Mississippi State Bulldogs (MSU) and the Louisiana State Tigers (LSU). In football, Ole Miss and MSU close each season with the Egg Bowl, with the winner receiving the Golden Egg Trophy. Ole Miss leads the series 64â46â6.
Who is Texas Tech biggest rival?
The BaylorâTexas Tech football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Baylor Bears and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Each school is a member of the Big 12 Conference. The rivalry began in 1929.
Why are Baylor and TCU rivals?
Many people don’t know that both TCU and Baylor used to call Waco home. TCU, then AddRan Christian University, moved to Waco in 1895, just ten years after Baylor’s arrival from Independence, Texas. And so began the competition between these crosstown rivals.
What GPA do I need to get into TCU?
There are separate academic requirements for: If you have not taken biology and chemistry, you must have a cumulative 3.7 GPA. Requires minimum 3.5 GPA in chemistry courses from a 2-year college and minimum 3.2 GPA in chemistry courses from a 4-year college.
How hard is it to get into TCU 2022? Texas Christian University admissions is more selective with an acceptance rate of 54% and an early acceptance rate of 70.7%. Half of the applicants admitted to TCU have an SAT score between 1130 and 1350 or an ACT score between 26 and 31.
Is TCU hard to get in to?
The acceptance rate at TCU is 47.1%. This means that the school is moderately selective. The school expects you to meet their GPA and SAT/ACT score requirements, but they are more flexible than other schools. If you exceed their requirements, you have an excellent chance of getting in.
Does TCU require SAT or ACT?
What test results must you submit with your application? TCU is test-optional through 2024. If you are applying as a freshman to TCU, you must submit the scores of at least one ACT or SAT. We have no preference which test you take; each test is considered with equal importance.
