(Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
The College Football Playoff Preview Continues–TCU. I will be previewing all four CFP teams this week. Next up, the TCU Horned Frogs.
#3 TCU Horned Frogs (12-1)
Despite losing the Big 12 Championship Game in overtime to Kansas State, the Horned Frogs stayed at 3 in the rankings and made the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
TCU reached the Playoff despite being outside the AP Top-25 entering the season. They are the 2nd team to accomplish this feat in the CFP era, joining Michigan from last season.
The Horned Frogs are used to being long shots at this point. TCU had 200-1 odds to win the title entering the season per Caesars Sportsbook, the longest such odds by a team to reach the College Football Playoff.
Sonny Dykes is the 3rd coach to reach the Playoff in his first full season at a school. Ryan Day (2019 Ohio State) and Lincoln Riley (2017 Oklahoma) both lost in the semifinal.
For the 2nd time in school history, TCU will compete in an AP Top-4 matchup. The Horned Frogs are 1-0 in these games, winning the 2011 Rose Bowl against No. 4 Wisconsin. TCU is 1 of 5 teams with a perfect record in AP Top-4 matchups. All 5 schools are 1-0: TCU, Missouri, California, Duke, Syracuse.
TCU Fun Facts
If the Horned Frogs win the national title, they would have gone 83 years between championships. That would be by far the longest span between titles in the AP Poll Era (since 1936).
Longest Span Between National Titles – AP Poll Era (Since 1936)
1958-2009 Auburn 52
1949-1996 Michigan 48
1952-1997 Tennessee 46
1959-2002 LSU 44
1981-2020 Georgia 40
TCU: last won a national title in 1938
TCU will face off in an AP Top-3 matchup for the first time in school history. Michigan, its opponent, is 1-10 in AP Top-3 matchups all-time with the lone win coming this season against Ohio State. Those 10 losses are tied with Oklahoma for the most in AP Top-3 matchups all-time.
The Wolverines will have to watch Max Duggan through the air and on the ground. He is 1 of 4 players in Big 12 history with 70 pass TD and 25 rush TD in a career, along with Trevone Boykin, Sam Ehlinger and Robert Griffin III.
Duggan has 30 passing touchdowns this season, 3rd-most in a season in TCU history. He also has 71 career passing touchdowns, tied with Andy Dalton for 2nd-most in school history. Trevone Boykin has the most with 86. He is not afraid to air the ball out either, recording 13 completions of 50+ yards this season, the most in FBS.
On Friday I will be previewing Ohio State. Don’t forget to check out Chris’ piece on if a college football were in place for this year. It’s very interesting. Sorry Craig!
