Throughout my time at TCU college football has played a huge part in the school’s identity. I entered the university during an exciting time. We had just been moved to the Big 12 conference and were two years removed from winning the Rose Bowl. With Casey Pachall as our quarterback and blowing out the first 4 teams we played I had extremely high hopes for the season (as did everyone else). This, however, was not the case. With off the field troubles Casey Pachall got kicked off the team for the season and put into rehab. The backup quarterback was no where near as good as Pachall and our season did not do well. To say the least this was a disappointment. The following season Pachall was back (and sober) and we were looking good once again. This, however, once again did not last long. Pachall ended up breaking his arm and was out for the season once again. Enter Trevone Boykin. Playing in a position that he was not comfortable in Trevone did his best to take the place of Pachall but struggled throughout the season. Looking frazzled in the pocket Boykin would often run for short gains or losses on almost every play. Once again TCU football ended close to last in the Big 12 and was no where near where they used to be just a few years ago. After my sophomore year season I had lost most hope within TCU football. I was not expecting to be anything more than a 4 or 5 win team. This perspective quickly changed, however. After the first few games of blowing away opponents our team looked strong. Boykin looked like a completely different person. He was playing with confidence, swagger, and this sense that he belonged at the QB position. He was also throwing the ball, which he rarely did successfully last year. Not only was he throwing the ball, but they were long balls down the field. This was unheard of last season. After each of our wins piled up our confidence began to build. Then came the Baylor game. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was not able to watch the full game because I was at a music festival but I watched the first half. After watching the first half I was confident I could leave the viewing area and go wait for one of my favorite artists to perform. As I waiting in the crowd I continued to check my phone for updates. Right before the show began I checked one more time and saw that we were still up. I was confident that we would win and put my phone back in my pocket and prepared myself for Eminem. After an incredible show I had completely forgotten about the game. It was not until I got back to our hotel until I realized that I had not checked. So, I quickly pulled out my phone and checked the score. I was in shock. I had remembered us being up by a significant amount when I checked earlier. How could this be? How did we blow our massive lead? I started reading play by plays and got more upset as I did. 
With the Baylor game in the books TCU football was mad. When the horned frogs are mad they don’t lose. We went on to win out the rest of our season and finish the season ranked number #3 in the pre FBS football rankings the day before the actual seedings were released. With an undefeated Florida State below us and two “locked teams” above us in Alabama and Oregon we were pretty comfortable that we would stay in the top four and play in the playoffs. As me and my friends waited sunday morning for the real playoff rankings to be released we all had the Rose Bowl in our eyes. As numbers one and two were announced no one was really surprised. Alabama and Oregon both played fairly well and did not deserve to be moved at all. Next was number three. As the commentators waited to see the team we all leaned forward thinking “Rose Bowl”, “Rose Bowl,” “Rose Bowl”… “and Florida State is number three” the commentator says. We all sat back in awe. We were surprised that we did not stay at number three but were still confident that we would only fall to number four. The same process happened before they called the number four team…. “and Ohio State is number four”. When these words were spoken the room erupted in anger.
We were all furious that we had fallen out of the playoffs. How did we get jumped by two teams. To put the icing on the cake not only did we fall out of the top four we fell to number 6 below Baylor. This ranking could not have angered every TCU fan and player more. This entire season we had been ranked high, however, somehow within the last day of rankings we did something that deserved for us to drop 3 spots. In my personal opinion I think that the drop was due to marketability. If we were a UT Austin or an Ohio State type name we would still be ranked as number three in the country. The little school that could was no more. The tiny university from Fort Worth that had proved itself all season was now ranked a measly number 6. All I know is that Ole Miss better be ready for a game because not only are they getting a number 3 caliber team they are getting a pissed off number 3 team. Garry Paterson said it best “there are no guarantees. To ensure that you are in the playoffs you just have to win all of your games so there is no debate.” I would be afraid if I were Ole Miss. In addition Baylor should also be afraid because our final home game next season will have one of the best atmospheres in all of college football.
Great post Will! At the beginning of the season, I also did not have high hopes for the football team. I didn't have much confidence in Boykin as our quarterback and expected another average or below average season. As the season went on, I began to see how wrong my predictions were, and realized our football team is literally one of the best in the country. Not only that, but Boykin was a Heisman contender for quite some time. Along with every other TCU student, I was livid when we dropped from being the third ranked team to the sixth, as we really didn't do anything to deserve to drop that far, but I am still proud of all that our team was able to accomplish. I am lucky to go to a small school that is still able to compete on the national level, and I can't wait to see what next season has in store for us.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. I wanted so badly to go the Rose Bowl. I had my whole new years plan already coming together in my head. I really thought that we would at least make it to the Sugar Bowl, and I really never thought we would drop to 6th. I am still so proud of our team, especially as we never expected any of this to happen this season. So funny that people joked "Boykin for Heisman" at the beginning of the season, and by the end it was an actual possibility (the fact that he was robbed a finalist spot still makes me furious). It is so sad that a large reason we didn't make the playoffs was because we don't have the big football "name". Hopefully we can blow out Ole Miss this new years eve and then come back next season to prove to the committee that TCU football is back and here to stay.
ReplyDeleteReading this post made me experience, yet again, every emotion I felt throughout this season. The beginning felt too good to be true, going from last year's 4-8 season to winning game after game this year, I was almost waiting for us to make a mistake. But we kept winning and the whole country was soon watching us, waiting to see how the Horned Frogs would do at our next game. Our little private school became "the top college football program in the state of Texas" and we had the respect from everyone. As we climbed the rankings you could feel the excitement in Fort Worth and on campus as everyone began to "smell the roses." Our fall to number 6, after Baylor, in the final rankings was an insult to our team after the season they played. I agree with you that if we were a big name, public university, we would have stayed in the top four and would playing in the Rose or Sugar Bowl. I also think that the Committee put themselves in a really hard position. Ranking TCU above Baylor week after week, despite our loss to them, combined with making our two teams co-champions of the Big 12 forced them to make a decision that would not necessarily make everyone happy, but would save face for themselves. Keeping both teams out of the playoffs and putting TCU below Baylor limited controversy regarding TCU's loss to Baylor and eliminated the possibility of only one of the teams being in the playoffs. I think the Committee royally messed up but at the end of the day, we are the better team and I am confident that we will come back next year and show them just how wrong they were.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we definitely got screwed by the committee. How we beat a team by 52 and drop three spots is beyond me. Comparing the resumes, there is absolutely no reason Ohio State should have jumped into the top 4, and I do believe money had a big thing to do with that. I read an article about the financial implications of having a small private school in the inaugural College Football Playoff versus a brand name school like Ohio State or UT, and the logic there is undeniable. It stings even more after being called "the team of destiny." However, it does feel so good to have stuck it out through the struggles of last season as a fan to be rewarded with the excitement and electricity the football team brought to our campus every week. This whole season I looked forward to the games like never before. Hopefully we begin to blossom into a perennial contending team in the Big 12 and force ourselves to become a brand name.
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