• The KillerFrogs

Why TCU loses nearly every recruiting battle vs UT, OU, A$M, LSU, BAMA, GEORGIA, etc

flyfishingfrog

Active Member
One of the most glorious trips I ever took was to fish the Snake near Jackson in late September. Only downside was because it was low season there weren't flights from SLC so we had to drive. Stayed in a cabin in Driggs, which I would highly recommend from both a chill and cost standpoint. Prices in Jackson were absurd for the quality of accommodations. Driggs is about an hour over the Teton pass, and our cabin had a huge picture window framing the Tetons.
We fished out of a drift boat with a guide, was super-impressed with that style of craft, had never been on one before. We fished about 5 hours, lots of hungry trout, and only saw 4 humans. A pair of kayakers came by on the river, and a pair of hunters on the mountain.
Would love to find a place up there to wait out the summers away from Texas when I'm done with work.

Driggs is a poor mans Jackson basically - Grand Targhee is more blue collar than Jackson Hole but has great powder and easier to ski overall

it has restaurants but not as many or as fancy as Jackson by any means

And the overall Teton valley is a lot more rural than Jackson Hole

Plus you see the back of the Tetons, so it is kind of like the "wrong" side of the hill

However it is very nice over there if quiet and simple is important to you.

If the Teton river were more consistent in fishing, Idaho Falls were a little closer and the land in Teton river were less available - the valley would be more of a hot spot. I don't like that most lots are just 5 acres in the middle of a 200 acre field that was converted to a housing development but that is just me. But it does keep the prices down. Driggs even has a neighborhood with side walks if that is your thing.
 

BankerFrog

Active Member
May through October in Wyoming
Holidays with my grandkids - changes every year in location, sometimes Texas, sometimes Wyoming, sometimes where they live
Jan through April in Texas

I do trips here and there back to the Rockies to fish in March and April when the temp finally gets to be 40 degrees and come home to Texas during other times for golf tournaments but that is generally the plan
Was just in Wyoming/Montana in June, was unreal. High 60s-Mid 70s first 5 days, then got chilly and even snowed on the last 2 days of the trip. Cannot wait to get back out there
 

Billy Clyde

Active Member
Driggs is a poor mans Jackson basically - Grand Targhee is more blue collar than Jackson Hole but has great powder and easier to ski overall

it has restaurants but not as many or as fancy as Jackson by any means

And the overall Teton valley is a lot more rural than Jackson Hole

Plus you see the back of the Tetons, so it is kind of like the "wrong" side of the hill

However it is very nice over there if quiet and simple is important to you.

If the Teton river were more consistent in fishing, Idaho Falls were a little closer and the land in Teton river were less available - the valley would be more of a hot spot. I don't like that most lots are just 5 acres in the middle of a 200 acre field that was converted to a housing development but that is just me. But it does keep the prices down. Driggs even has a neighborhood with side walks if that is your thing.

The place we stayed was a cabin about 8-10 minutes out of town. IDK the specific acreage, but no other homes in sight and walked on the road in the evening with no cars coming by.
Jackson just strikes me as another semi-tacky tourist town that was nice before it got overrun, like Eureka Springs or Santa Fe. The accommodations I saw resembled a run-down boardinghouse for absurd prices. I think they get away with that because people are so focused on the recreation opportunities they don't care as much about getting a nice place to stay for a reasonable price.
Driggs had little in the way of a proper downtown, but a large grocery store that was on par with Central Market, or even better. There were only a couple nice restaurants in town, but that's not a priority for me, as I like to cook. There were hike and bike trails that extended several miles out from town, a nice ski shop/outfitter, a ski mountain about 20 minutes from town and a national park about 15 minutes from town where we hiked all day in spectacular scenery and only saw a group of Elk hunters on horseback.
The "cabin" where we stayed was nearly new, had a kitchen and bathrooms that were on par with what you'd find in a $500k house in Fort Worth, and cost $100 per night, compared with$300+ per night for a one-room dump in Jackson. As for the view, we were unaware it was the "wrong" side of the Tetons, we just thought it was beautiful.
 

flyfishingfrog

Active Member
The place we stayed was a cabin about 8-10 minutes out of town. IDK the specific acreage, but no other homes in sight and walked on the road in the evening with no cars coming by.
Jackson just strikes me as another semi-tacky tourist town that was nice before it got overrun, like Eureka Springs or Santa Fe. The accommodations I saw resembled a run-down boardinghouse for absurd prices. I think they get away with that because people are so focused on the recreation opportunities they don't care as much about getting a nice place to stay for a reasonable price.
Driggs had little in the way of a proper downtown, but a large grocery store that was on par with Central Market, or even better. There were only a couple nice restaurants in town, but that's not a priority for me, as I like to cook. There were hike and bike trails that extended several miles out from town, a nice ski shop/outfitter, a ski mountain about 20 minutes from town and a national park about 15 minutes from town where we hiked all day in spectacular scenery and only saw a group of Elk hunters on horseback.
The "cabin" where we stayed was nearly new, had a kitchen and bathrooms that were on par with what you'd find in a $500k house in Fort Worth, and cost $100 per night, compared with$300+ per night for a one-room dump in Jackson. As for the view, we were unaware it was the "wrong" side of the Tetons, we just thought it was beautiful.
you should go back - depending on how long ago you went, you would probably like Driggs more now - it has closed up some of the things it needed regarding actually living there vs visiting. You can live without lots of stuff for a week or two, not so much when you are there for 6 months. and they extended the Tetonia/Ashton trail now all the way from Driggs to Ashton.

There is a lot of national forest in west side of the Tetons - guessing you were in the west edge of Teton National Park. You can also go way up by Ashton and visitthe southwest entrance to Yellowstone - the one that doesn't connect to anything else but takes you to Cave Falls and Bechler Meadow trail. That is one of the best parts of the park for sure since it is barely used due to remoteness.

But yes, the Brommins store is really nice in Driggs. They are a IGA based chain of stores owned by a Mormon family that now has 5-6 stores in small towns like Driggs, Alpine, etc and even one in Idaho Falls. But that is why they are not open on Sundays also so you have to plan.

But Driggs has Teton Thai, Royal Wulff and Victor down the road has The Brakeman. Spoons and Knotty Pine so there are better choices now than ever.

However it has a lot more houses than it did 10 years ago - even some developments like Huntsman Springs. So that is the trade off - you get more people, you get more amenities.

Tetonia is probably more like the Driggs of old and only 15 miles away north in the valley. Trust me, I don't see being on the wrong side of the mountain as a bad thing - that is just what keeps prices down and tourists away. That and driving over Teton pass in the winter scares a lot of people evidently.
 

AroundWorldFrog

Full Member
As for the view, we were unaware it was the "wrong" side of the Tetons, we just thought it was beautiful.
Lots of people think the views from the west are just as good, if not better. Have a friend in Idaho Falls and he swears by the "wrong" side. Some of that may just be the isolation aspect.

Damn, was planning on going up to Cody and Red Lodge the weekend after Labor Day, all this talk makes me want to go now!
 

AroundWorldFrog

Full Member
Supposedly one of the most photographed and painted barns anywhere.

Grand-Teton-National-Park-Tour.jpg
 

BABYFACE

Full Member
So I am working on my brisket smoking game before the season begins.

Mesquite or oak?
Typically regional wood choices for smoking are DFW thru east Texas is Hickory. Central Texas is oak. West Texas is mesquite.

I say, why stay with one type of wood. Each brings something to the table. I blend the wood for smoking. I use 50% oak because it is a good burning wood with mild flavor. 25% mesquite for that peppery tang and 25% hickory for that deep smoky flavor.
 

Brog

Full Member
Does anyone else remember a place called Jedediah's in downtown Jackson, Wyoming? It had the absolute best sourdough pancakes of any place in the universe. Unfortunately, closed down, so can only remember it now.
 

Dutch

T C U Froooogs
Lets get real here. Frogs just lost a very highly ranked Safety recruit Jerrin) to UT and is about to lose a WR recruit to UT also (Quinton). Both were thought to be leaning TCU at one time.
When up against UT and other big schools TCU very rarely wins. Even when discussing DEs whereby TCU just put 2 of them into the NFL. You will immediately scream “WHAT ABOUT SYLVESTER YOU DOPE”. You may be interested to know that Sylvester is seriously considering his options - I’ll leave it at that.

Why would a DE not come to TCU ? Why would a Safety not pick TCU ? Why would a OLINEMAN not be standing in line to get into TCU with all the recent OLINEMEN TCU has sent to the League ?

HERE IS THE ANSWER FOLKS :

1) when recruits visit UT, OU, LSU, A$M, etc and ten visit tiny little TCU the Frog program appears very small time in comparison. Small stadium, small campus, small student body. Everything at TCU screams “small time”. You can’t fool Mother Nature and you can’t fool recruits. TCU is small and everything about TCU is small. And it is OBVIOUS to recruits !! The difference is stunning to recruits who have already visited big time programs. Going 50/50 vs UT innfootball wins will never change that perception.

2) Patterson and Kelsey do a spectacular job recruiting, which allows TCU to get about 1 out of 50 highly ranked recruits. Without Gary and Kelsey TCU would totally whiff.

3) only a National Championship would change the recruiting landscape for TCU. A mere league title won’t do it. Kansas won a League title in football a while back and what good did that do ? Kansas St has won one before too. Doesn’t mean a thing. Kids just consider a League title to be a fluke if a small school wins it. National Championship is totally different though. League title would not change TCUs recruiting.

4) Heres the rub - you cannot hope to win a National Championship with a #45 recruiting class in the nation. Never gonna happen. The system is rigged in favor of the big blue blood schools and it’s obvious to recruits.

Please honestly tell me what chance P5 schools like Purdue, Wake, Duke, Tcu, Indiana, Northwestern, Illinois, BC, Rutgers, Wvu, Vandy, Ore St, etc have to win a National Championship when they can’t recruit even a Top 20
in the country recruit class. ANSWER -
ZERO CHANCE !!

Which is why every single year the title favorites are only the Top 10 recruiting class schools (BAMA, OSU, CLEM, OU, LSU, GEORGIA, PED ST, MICH, FLORIDA, AUBURN, USC, etc)


And now start looking for A$M to be in that blue blood discussion since thEIR SEC membership has skyrocketed their recruiting - which has also unfortunately pushed TCUs in state recruiting to an even worse level (though TCUs out of state recruiting has saved Frog recruiting from total disaster).

BOTTOM LINE:
TCU appears very small time to recruits when they compare to UT, BAMA, Ohio St, OU, LSU, A$M facilities. And it doesn’t matter how many players TCU puts into the NFL. And it Doesn’t matter if TCU gets lucky one year out of the past 30 yrs and happens to win one League title. Only 4 stars who come to TCU are kids who like small time things which is a tiny minority.

Would take a cataclysmic event (National Champ) to change that.

You also believe in the Easter Bunny if you think a #45 in the country recruit class = National Championship.

No team in past 20 yrs (maybe ONE exception) has won a NC without a Top 10 recruit class.
Every school in the conference except OU wishes they had TCU’s record over the last 10 years.
 

flyfishingfrog

Active Member
Lots of people think the views from the west are just as good, if not better. Have a friend in Idaho Falls and he swears by the "wrong" side. Some of that may just be the isolation aspect.

Damn, was planning on going up to Cody and Red Lodge the weekend after Labor Day, all this talk makes me want to go now!
I think that is a little like people who say the Tetons are not pretty they are just distinct.

I like the west side - I have about 300 acres on the Fall River north of Tetonia and have thought a lot about moving over there permanently. You almost couldn't find two places only 50 miles apart more different than Jackson, Wyoming and Tetonia, Idaho. The things you worry about in Tetonia are a lot different than Jackson for sure.
 

AroundWorldFrog

Full Member
I e


I believe it - always a group of people out there

Those Mormons knew how to build things to last
I didn't know that Mormons settled that entire area until this spring. Including hand dug irrigation canals for miles and miles. Interesting story.

Last spiel about the area. I first stayed in Victor in 1993. A buddy and I rode motorcycles from Ft. Worth to Bozeman and had planned on staying in Jackson on the way up. Don't go with no hotel reserved in July. So we got directed over the pass to sleepy little Victor. And it was a sleepy little town in 1993. So we discovered the Gallatin River Valley instead. Beautiful area.
 

AroundWorldFrog

Full Member
I think that is a little like people who say the Tetons are not pretty they are just distinct.

I like the west side - I have about 300 acres on the Fall River north of Tetonia and have thought a lot about moving over there permanently. You almost couldn't find two places only 50 miles apart more different than Jackson, Wyoming and Tetonia, Idaho. The things you worry about in Tetonia are a lot different than Jackson for sure.
Damn you! :D
 

flyfishingfrog

Active Member
I didn't know that Mormons settled that entire area until this spring. Including hand dug irrigation canals for miles and miles. Interesting story.

Last spiel about the area. I first stayed in Victor in 1993. A buddy and I rode motorcycles from Ft. Worth to Bozeman and had planned on staying in Jackson on the way up. Don't go with no hotel reserved in July. So we got directed over the pass to sleepy little Victor. And it was a sleepy little town in 1993. So we discovered the Gallatin River Valley instead. Beautiful area.
Mormons and criminals - the original settlers of Jackson Hole...
 
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