ESPN Big 12 Blog - Draft losses tilt TCU's Big 12 title road uphill

[SeniorFrog]

Draft losses tilt TCU's Big 12 title road uphill


...We'll see about Casey Pachall, but TCU lost two players who are certainly far above average for their positions in receiver Josh Boyce and defensive end Stansly Maponga, a preseason All-Big 12 talent a year ago who had a disappointing season but was still a big talent with a chance for a huge 2013. Boyce wasn't a Biletnikoff Award-level talent, but he was likely a 1,000-yard receiver next season and the leader of a talented group that included Brandon Carter and LaDarius Brown.

TCU still has the talent to win a Big 12 title, but there's no doubt that without Boyce and Maponga, the road got a good bit harder. Devonte Fields and Pachall are the team's two most promising players, but a shutdown corner like Jason Verrett electing to return will be huge in helping TCU slow down the offensive juggernauts you'll find in the Big 12. That's the other big thing the last two Big 12 champions had in common:

 

[Portland Frog]

The road may or may not have become a good bit harder. Fields wasn't even a starter going into 2012. Another stud or at least another solid contributor or two could emerge on Maponga's side in 2013.

 

[MavAlbert]

We're gonna be salty as [Craig James]. Maponga/Cain/Boyce were all super good, but I still believe we will be an improved team in all phases next year despite our minimal (though significant) losses.

Our WRs are as deep as any other team.
We only play 1 or 2 LBs and will be able to find somebody who can do the job.
And we have recently become a DE factory. I trust we have at least 1 other guy who can take advantage of consistent one-on-one blocking opposite Fields next year.

 

[FBallFan123]

Lowered expectations, whether or not they're justified at this time, seem good.

Wasn't Ubben recently talking about TCU as the Big 12's best chance at a BCS Champ?

No need for that kind of hype yet.

 

[SnoopFrogs11]

The Frogs always do better when there's less hype surrounding the team. I think we'll be able to find some more DE's to fill out the 2013 recruiting class.

 

[frognutz]

Looking back at the season, had we had Casey we would have been 10-3 at the very worst. No way we lose to Tech or Iowa State or Michigan State. Who knows about OU, KState, and OSU.

If we can get past LSU (and I think we will with catching them early with so many new faces) I see 3 losses as worst case scenario in 2013 with a healthy Pachall.

 

[jake102]

The Frogs always do better when there's less hype surrounding the team.

Pretty sure the expectations in 2010 were pretty high.

 

[frognutz]

My Take 10-2

Aug. 31 LSU# WIN - Catching LSU Early while they are re-loading
Sept. 7 Southeastern Louisiana WIN
Sept. 14 at Texas Tech* WIN (payback game)
Sept. 21 Bye (watch out for curbs)
Sept. 28 SMU WIN
Oct. 5 at Oklahoma* Loss (undefeated team trips up)
Oct. 12 Kansas* WIN
Oct. 19 at Oklahoma State* Loss
Oct. 26 Texas* WIN
Nov. 2 West Virginia* WIN
Nov. 9 at Iowa State* WIN
Nov. 16 at Kansas State* WIN
Nov. 23 Bye The "Gee thanks" Bye
Nov. 30 Baylor* WIN

Read more here: http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/colleges/2012/11/tcus-2013-football-schedule-released.html#storylink=cpy​

 

[Tom Brown's BIL]

Looking back at the season, had we had Casey we would have been 10-3 at the very worst. No way we lose to Tech or Iowa State or Michigan State. Who knows about OU, KState, and OSU.

If we can get past LSU (and I think we will with catching them early with so many new faces) I see 3 losses as worst case scenario in 2013 with a healthy Pachall.

If TCU lost the year prior, with Pachall, to SMU----how exactly are those games "sure wins" with him in the mix?

 

[frognutz]

[quote name='Tom Brown's BIL' timestamp='1359103515' post='1353180']
If TCU lost the year prior, with Pachall, to SMU----how exactly are those games "sure wins" with him in the mix?
[/quote]

My speculation on what would have been is just to predict with some historical data what "might be" for next season. I think you can point to a very easily 8-3 pre bowl game record last year to support an argument for a 9-2 or better team in 2013.

 

[cdsfrog]

[quote name='Tom Brown's BIL' timestamp='1359103515' post='1353180']
If TCU lost the year prior, with Pachall, to SMU----how exactly are those games "sure wins" with him in the mix?
[/quote]

Defense won't play like dogcrap. That was the worse defense in 7 years for TCU.

2013 defense should be very good.

 

[Tom Brown's BIL]

Defense won't play like dogcrap. That was the worse defense in 7 years for TCU.

2013 defense should be very good.

Are you serious? Do you think it might have had something to do with playing high caliber offenses every week instead of MWC competition?
For the record I thought TCU's defense was fairly impressive in their first season of B12 play.

But the whole, "if we had player x or y last year we would have been tons better" thing is weak sauce. Especially if you get to the level of specifying teams that "there's no way we lose to them if our circumstances were different."

 

[cdsfrog]

what? I'm talking about 2011's defense that sucked when we lost to SMU.

We beat smu last year and our defense was awesome last year.

 

[frognutz]

[quote name='Tom Brown's BIL' timestamp='1359145256' post='1353530']


But the whole, "if we had player x or y last year we would have been tons better" thing is weak sauce. Especially if you get to the level of specifying teams that "there's no way we lose to them if our circumstances were different."
[/quote]

TCU has played one season in the BIG 12., This article was speculating what TCU would do in year 2 of the BIG 12.

By my making the statement that had we had our starting quarterback we would have probably been closer to a 3 loss team than a 6 loss team this year in order to establish that TCU being a 2 loss team in 2013 is not unreasonable offends you, you're either an overlysensitive Tech troll or nuts.

 

[frogbyproxy]

My Take 10-2

Aug. 31 LSU# WIN - Catching LSU Early while they are re-loading
Sept. 7 Southeastern Louisiana WIN
Sept. 14 at Texas Tech* WIN (payback game)
Sept. 21 Bye (watch out for curbs)
Sept. 28 SMU WIN
Oct. 5 at Oklahoma* Loss (undefeated team trips up)
Oct. 12 Kansas* WIN
Oct. 19 at Oklahoma State* Loss
Oct. 26 Texas* WIN
Nov. 2 West Virginia* WIN
Nov. 9 at Iowa State* WIN
Nov. 16 at Kansas State* WIN
Nov. 23 Bye The "Gee thanks" Bye
Nov. 30 Baylor* WIN

Read more here: http://sportsblogs.s...l#storylink=cpy

Sorry don't agree with the Oklahoma loss! In the game this year the team and ref's did everything it could to lose the game. This year we have a number of players coming back from injuries and well self inflicted medical rehab. Sure we lose Boyce but we are reloaded in his spot. Mapango? He should never have gone to the draft but we have a couple that will step in his place. With the players we have coming back we will be deeper so not giving up on the OSU game either. IMO
Will say I have purple glasses on and drink plenty of purple drinks (blueberry and grape) :tongue:

Go Frogs!

 

[frognutz]

Sorry don't agree with the Oklahoma loss! In the game this year the team and ref's did everything it could to lose the game. This year we have a number of players coming back from injuries and well self inflicted medical rehab. Sure we lose Boyce but we are reloaded in his spot. Mapango? He should never have gone to the draft but we have a couple that will step in his place. With the players we have coming back we will be deeper so not giving up on the OSU game either. IMO
Will say I have purple glasses on and drink plenty of purple drinks (blueberry and grape) :tongue:

Go Frogs!

I hope you are right. The fact that it's in Norman has me leaning that way but maybe we should be playing all our games on the road. That play OSU at their place 2 years in a row may turn out to be big. What a crock.

 

[MavAlbert]

Sorry don't agree with the Oklahoma loss! In the game this year the team and ref's did everything it could to lose the game. This year we have a number of players coming back from injuries and well self inflicted medical rehab. Sure we lose Boyce but we are reloaded in his spot. Mapango? He should never have gone to the draft but we have a couple that will step in his place. With the players we have coming back we will be deeper so not giving up on the OSU game either. IMO
Will say I have purple glasses on and drink plenty of purple drinks (blueberry and grape) :tongue:

Go Frogs!

Is that how you say it? That's Mapango?

 

[Tom Brown's BIL]

TCU has played one season in the BIG 12., This article was speculating what TCU would do in year 2 of the BIG 12.

By my making the statement that had we had our starting quarterback we would have probably been closer to a 3 loss team than a 6 loss team this year in order to establish that TCU being a 2 loss team in 2013 is not unreasonable offends you, you're either an overlysensitive Tech troll or nuts.

I wouldn't say it offends me, I'd just say it makes you a bit of a homer if you believe you would have definitely been three wins better with Pachall. That was what was stated in a prior post, the one I quoted. You can read it for yourself.
I guess that's what off season and message boards are for but it sounds a bit ridiculous to me. As I recall TCU was still favored by a big margin against ISU even after the Pachall story broke and everyone knew he wouldn't play.
It would be equally as ridiculous for Tech fans to say, "if we only had Amaro, Marquez, Douglas, and Javon Bell all season there's no way we would have lost to Baylor or UT." Those were winnable games that we lost. But I can promise you there are no threads on the Tech board making statements like that.
It's weak sauce and ridiculous.

 

[frognutz]

[quote name='Tom Brown's BIL' timestamp='1359152910' post='1353694']
I wouldn't say it offends me, I'd just say it makes you a bit of a homer if you believe you would have definitely been three wins better with Pachall. That was what was stated in a prior post, the one I quoted. You can read it for yourself.
I guess that's what off season and message boards are for but it sounds a bit ridiculous to me. As I recall TCU was still favored by a big margin against ISU even after the Pachall story broke and everyone knew he wouldn't play.
It would be equally as ridiculous for Tech fans to say, "if we only had Amaro, Marquez, Douglas, and Javon Bell all season there's no way we would have lost to Baylor or UT." Those were winnable games that we lost. But I can promise you there are no threads on the Tech board making statements like that.
It's weak sauce and ridiculous.
[/quote]

Go be butthurt somewhere else at the fact that you don't think you are getting your just reward. I wouldn't give 2 craps if you said you should have beat Baylor if you had any of those spares. The fact that you take exception to my analogy is due to an unmitigated dislike for TCU. Either that or you are brainless.

 

[frogbyproxy]

I hope you are right. The fact that it's in Norman has me leaning that way but maybe we should be playing all our games on the road. That play OSU at their place 2 years in a row may turn out to be big. What a crock.

Crock is a nice word about playing OSU twice at their home! But TCU can make a statement on that game if we keep people healthy. CGP and company has the game marked as a must win I bet so lets see what happens. OU on the other hand is a game CGP can plan around their home field like he did a few years back. It's mainly mindset of players on both games and I think we go into Norman with a chip on our shoulders! IMO Could be out in left field but I like it out there. :tongue:

Is that how you say it? That's Mapango?

Hey everyone types too fast every now and then! :tongue: