Football Scoop: Sonny Dykes lays bare college football's problems

[Frognosticator]

This year the Horned Frogs finished alone at 9th of 10 among last year’s Big XII schools. Only Baylor was worse, the other eight were better. Those eight all finished at 5-4 or better, taking advantage of being in a conference with four bad newbies along with Baylor and TCU. That is worse than GP’s worst. It was 2013, only the 2nd year in the Big 12, that TCU finished 4-8 and 2-7 in the conference, but that 2-7 was tied for 7th in the conference with two others.

And I think most would agree that this year there is a good chance TCU would have lost one or both versus 7-2 Oky State and 5-4 Kansas if playing them in the old round-robin instead of 2-7 BYU and 2-7 Houston.

While I understand your feelings about this past season, and it was brutal, I have to disagree with you on this point.

The records were the same: 5-7.

But in 2021, we actually went 3-1 in one score games, the sole loss to UT at home. But the losses were way worse, 63-14 to Okie St., 31-12 to KSU, 48-14 to ISU. There were at least 5 games where we were completely outmatched and they felt over by halftime.

And lets not forget that we actually lost to SMU that year.

This year we were 0-4 in one score games. Yes, we got destroyed by KSU and OU, and struggled with ISU, but we shoulda, coulda, woulda beat Colorado, West Virginia, Tech and UT.

Further, this year we plastered Houston, BYU and Baylor. In 2021, 3 of our wins were by three points or less, the only blowouts being over Tech and Duquesne.

Lets hope next year we do better in one-score games.

 

[Cfrog1985]

While I understand your feelings about this past season, and it was brutal, I have to disagree with you on this point.

The records were the same: 5-7.

But in 2021, we actually went 3-1 in one score games, the sole loss to UT at home. But the losses were way worse, 63-14 to Okie St., 31-12 to KSU, 48-14 to ISU. There were at least 5 games where we were completely outmatched and they felt over by halftime.

And lets not forget that we actually lost to SMU that year.

This year we were 0-4 in one score games. Yes, we got destroyed by KSU and OU, and struggled with ISU, but we shoulda, coulda, woulda beat Colorado, West Virginia, Tech and UT.

Further, this year we plastered Houston, BYU and Baylor. In 2021, 3 of our wins were by three points or less, the only blowouts being over Tech and Duquesne.

Lets hope next year we do better in one-score games.

With a dumpster fire horrible DC and a coach that refuses to accept responsibility there is no hope. There is only more pain and then eventual firing.

 

[Frognosticator]

With a dumpster fire horrible DC and a coach that refuses to accept responsibility there is no hope. There is only more pain and then eventual firing.

The same coaches who took us to the CFP.

 

[Land Frog]

The same coaches who took us to the CFP.

In another thread, a poster showed a scatter plot of QJ relative to other receivers. I'd be curious to see some year over year scatter plots for Dykes relative to other active D1 coaches. Great visualization.

 

[Wexahu]

In another thread, a poster showed a scatter plot of QJ relative to other receivers. I'd be curious to see some year over year scatter plots for Dykes relative to other active D1 coaches. Great visualization.

Considering he was more successful than almost all his predecessors at his previous stops and he took us to the NCG last year, it would probably look pretty favorable to him.

 

[bp4tcu]

The same coaches who took us to the CFP.

The same coaches who went 5-7 in a conference much weaker than it was last year.

 

[Wexahu]

The same coaches who went 5-7 in a conference much weaker than it was last year.

OK. It was a bad year. And the conference wasn't "much" weaker, that's a myth.

The prior coach went 21-22 over a 4-year period. If Sonny comes close to that I'm sure you'll get your wish and he'll be fired.

 

[Frognosticator]

The same coaches who went 5-7 in a conference much weaker than it was last year.

Yeah, but they still took us to the CFP. So there is "hope", contrary to what the poster I was replying to said.

 

[BrewingFrog]

The same coaches who took us to the CFP.

More and more, that is looking like the Perfect Storm.

Question: There was a guy on the sideline last year with Sonny who was like his sounding board. I missed him this year. Is this person gone? Retired? Moved? Kidnapped by Space Aliens?

The reason I ask is that Patterson's glory years happened with Dick Bumpas at his side. Once Bumpas shuffled off to Little Rock, things just weren't the same. Could this be a similar situation?

 

[bp4tcu]

OK. It was a bad year. And the conference wasn't "much" weaker, that's a myth.

The prior coach went 21-22 over a 4-year period. If Sonny comes close to that I'm sure you'll get your wish and he'll be fired.

College football is very what have you done for me lately. And lately he went 5-7. Is that the norm? We'll see. His power 5, or whatever we call it now, suggests it is.

 

[Wexahu]

LOL, you 'liked' his original "show me a picture of your wife or girlfriend" post, and you follow up with this!

View attachment 15331

She was the one that “disliked” it. All the others liked it.

 

[Frogs1983]

The same coaches who took us to the CFP.

Only because they inherited an Offense that could outscore what their Defense gave up most games. Not so much this year. D had been pretty bad for 2 seasons with Gillespie, outside of TU in 2022 and BYU in 2023. Of course the 2 body bag games each season as well.

 

[Frognosticator]

Only because they inherited an Offense that could outscore what their Defense gave up most games. Not so much this year. D had been pretty bad for 2 seasons with Gillespie, outside of TU in 2022 and BYU in 2023. Of course the 2 body bag games each season as well.

But they inherited an offense that had done pretty poorly the past couple years.

 

[Frogs1983]

But they inherited an offense that had done pretty poorly the past couple years.

That's true.

 

[06DallasFrog]

Legitimate question @Wexahu, is there any ranking system by half? Last year we had the talent to overcome first half ineptitude. This year, not so much. I have to imagine our rankings in almost every category drop dramatically if it’s an analysis of the first halves of games.

 

[SwissArmyFrog]

She was the one that “disliked” it. All the others liked it.

Ah, check. Post deleted.

 

[The TCU Football Jerk]

You make the comment "You can accept mediocrity. I won't" and I'm the one being an asshat?

I stand by my statement, I'd pretty much guarantee you accept a whole lot of mediocrity in your life.

One can't live in mediocrity and demand excellence out of the team they live vicariously through? If not then I guess this board needs to go away.

 

[Land Frog]

One can't live in mediocrity and demand excellence out of the team they live vicariously through? If not then I guess this board needs to go away.

He was trying to belittle me. Yet he doesn't even know me. I'm on my second career. In my first career, I excelled. Even got an award for heroic action. In my second career, I work with high caliber colleagues and have a highly competitive performance evaluations. I get high marks. I'll say it again, I don't settle for mediocrity. Neither should TCU.

 

[The TCU Football Jerk]

He was trying to belittle me. Yet he doesn't even know me. I'm on my second career. In my first career, I excelled. Even got an award for heroic action. In my second career, I work with high caliber colleagues and have a highly competitive performance evaluations. I get high marks. I'll say it again, I don't settle for mediocrity. Neither should TCU.

I'm not jabbing at you. Just pointing out that if those that lead mediocre lives can't cry about excellence from their football team, this board would go away.

 

[Land Frog]

I'm not jabbing at you. Just pointing out that if those that lead mediocre lives can't cry about excellence from their football team, this board would go away.

Haha no worries. I didn't take it that way.