TCU was doubted every step of the way this season. They were unranked to start the season. They opened up with a three quarterback system against Colorado. And they were projected to finish 7th in the Big 12 after a 5-7 record in 2021.
I know the memes are harsh, and rightfully so. Even in the era of blowout playoff and national championship games, 65-7 is particularly brutal. The Horned Frogs did not show up for the national championship game and were clearly outclassed by a better, more athletic, more explosive, more experienced team in the Georgia Bulldogs. But that should not erase the season that TCU had. Georgia is now the standard in college football. They became the first repeat champions in the playoff era and I would argue would have whooped Michigan just as badly. So let’s not disregard what TCU just did because of the way it ended. Sonny Dykes and company did something that would have been seen as impossible before the season started.
Historically Great
TCU entered Monday night with the chance to become the biggest long shot to win a championship in American sports HISTORY. I’m talking NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, you name it. The Frogs were 200-1 to win the national championship preseason, which would beat out the 150-1 1999 Rams. The AP Poll didn’t even bother ranking the Frogs before the season began. In fact, it took a 4-0 start and a blowout win over then-ranked Oklahoma for TCU to slide into the rankings at No. 17. It took a 9-0 start to finally be ranked in the top four with a chance to make the playoff. The AP Poll and every other voting body was PRAYING the Frogs would lose in the regular season and they never did.
Max Duggan and the lovable Frogs Offense
The storybook season for TCU starts and ends with Max Duggan. Duggan was not even the opening day starter for the Frogs but jumped into the role after injuries plagued the QB room early. Not only did Duggan shine, his 3,698 yards and 32 TD’s earned him runner-up at the Heisman ceremony. And it wasn’t just Duggan who led this fun Frogs offense. It was also stud WR Quentin Johnson who played himself into the first round of the NFL Draft with 1,069 yards receiving and six touchdowns. RB Kendre Miller was unfortunately hurt for the national championship game, but his 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground were another catalyst for the improbable TCU run. All in all, this TCU offense was loaded with fire power and led them on an insane run.
America’s Darlings
TCU would not be properly represented without talking about Hypnotoad, which has been tradition in Fort Worth since 2015. The legend took off this year, especially in crazy wins over the likes of Baylor and Oklahoma State, then in the playoffs against Michigan. So, shoutout Hypnotoad.
But even beyond Hypnotoad, TCU captured America’s hearts. In a loss in the Big 12 Championship game, you could see the toll taken on Max Duggan, both on his body and emotionally. This loss is what made me buy in even more. You can see how much that game meant to the players, even when they knew they would most likely get another chance in the College Football Playoff.
When that chance finally came, the Horned Frogs rose to the occasion. People tried to lump them in with the Washington’s and Michigan State’s of the worlds, or Cincy last year. Teams that were just happy to be there but would be no contest to the “real teams”. Instead, TCU beat Michigan 51-45 in one of the most memorable college football games of all time. When everyone doubts the Frogs, they step up to the occasion.
When we remember the 2022 TCU Horned Frogs, it may be with that final national championship game where they fell 65-7 to Georgia. But if you paid any attention to college football before then, you’d realize what a fun ride it was. This was a GREAT team and one of the best stories in the history of college football. Although they may have fell short in the end, I’ll always remember this season as one of the great underdog, or underTOAD, stories in all of sports.