Heartland College Sports: Phil Steele: No Big 12 Team Has It Tougher Than TCU

[TopFrog]

Phil Steele: No Big 12 Team Has It Tougher Than TCU​

By Joe Tillery

Phil Steele recently released his preview of 2025 college football schedules, ranking TCU’s slate as the toughest in the Big 12 and the 11th hardest in the nation.

TCU’s non-conference lineup includes a road trip to North Carolina and a marquee home matchup with SMU. Their Big 12 slate features all four teams that went 7–2 in conference play last season.

Read the rest at https://www.heartlandcollegesports....e-phil-steele-big-12-ranking/#google_vignette

 

[Paint It Purple]

Well then, "it will just mean more."

 

[froginmn]

Phil Steele: No Big 12 Team Has It Tougher Than TCU​

By Joe Tillery

Phil Steele recently released his preview of 2025 college football schedules, ranking TCU’s slate as the toughest in the Big 12 and the 11th hardest in the nation.

TCU’s non-conference lineup includes a road trip to North Carolina and a marquee home matchup with SMU. Their Big 12 slate features all four teams that went 7–2 in conference play last season.

Read the rest at https://www.heartlandcollegesports....e-phil-steele-big-12-ranking/#google_vignette

Anyone have this phrase on their bingo card?

"marquee home matchup with SMU."

 

[Opintel]

 

[Mean Purple]

Anyone have this phrase on their bingo card?

"marquee home matchup with SMU."

I would like to take this opportunistic moment to remind folks that there were some folks around here who said keeping the SMU game had no value.

 

[FroggleRock]

GO. BACK. TO. DIVISIONS.

Absolutely ridiculous we have to play literally all the teams that finished in the top half of the conference last year. Two of the top 3 on the road, including the league champs. Meanwhile, for example, Tech only has to play 4 of the top 8. This type of scheduling just makes so much unnecessary parity. Last year is a perfect example.

If HCSD finishes above 8-4 with this schedule, give that man and his staff a raise.

 

[gohornedfrogs]

GO. BACK. TO. DIVISIONS.

Absolutely ridiculous we have to play literally all the teams that finished in the top half of the conference last year. Two of the top 3 on the road. Meanwhile, for example, Tech only has to play 4 of the top 8. This type of scheduling just makes so much unnecessary parity. Last year is a perfect example.

If HCSD finishes above 8-4 with this schedule, give that man and his staff a raise.

We used to think we were on a level with OU and UT, but now we’re afraid of THIS schedule?

 

[Limey Frog]

Last year's schedule looked tough until it didn't. If we're better than these teams, we should beat them. If we're not, we're doing it wrong.

We are TCU. Line up and beat them.

 

[FroggleRock]

We used to think we were on a level with OU and UT, but now we’re afraid of THIS schedule?

Who said “afraid”? I’m simply pointing out that we have the 11th toughest schedule in college football. I think that deserves consideration for being the hardest schedule we’ve ever had in the Big 12.

 

[TopFrog]

We used to think we were on a level with OU and UT, but now we’re afraid of THIS schedule?

Play and beat the best.

 

[Wexahu]

Who said “afraid”? I’m simply pointing out that we have the 11th toughest schedule in college football. I think that deserves consideration for being the hardest schedule we’ve ever had in the Big 12.

I don’t think we have the 11th hardest schedule in college football. Who is the best team we play?

 

[FroggleRock]

I don’t think we have the 11th hardest schedule in college football. Who is the best team we play?

“TCU faces the league’s toughest schedule (11th nationally), including trips to North Carolina and matchups with all four Big 12 teams that finished 7-2 last year.”

Phil Steele Ranks Big 12 Schedules: Where Does WVU Land?

The Big 12 is set to be chaos in 2025, and Phil Steele’s strength of schedule rankings show how uneven the road for teams in the conference.

www.on3.com

 

[Spike]

Anyone have this phrase on their bingo card?

"marquee home matchup with SMU."

No, ditching them seemed like a good idea at the time. For a long time the best thing about that series was the makeable road trip. Especially when you have an off number of conference games.

 

[Wexahu]

“TCU faces the league’s toughest schedule (11th nationally), including trips to North Carolina and matchups with all four Big 12 teams that finished 7-2 last year.”

Phil Steele Ranks Big 12 Schedules: Where Does WVU Land?

The Big 12 is set to be chaos in 2025, and Phil Steele’s strength of schedule rankings show how uneven the road for teams in the conference.

www.on3.com

Regardless of what Phil Steele says, I don’t think we have the 11th hardest schedule in college football.

 

[Paint It Purple]

Last year's schedule looked tough until it didn't. If we're better than these teams, we should beat them. If we're not, we're doing it wrong.

We are TCU. Line up and beat them.

That would be a great new stadium tradition.

WE ARE!......TCU!

 

[Big Frog II]

Last year's schedule looked tough until it didn't. If we're better than these teams, we should beat them. If we're not, we're doing it wrong.

We are TCU. Line up and beat them.

Absolutely, I thought Utah and OSU were going to be really tough games and both teams really had off years. Who knows what this year holds?

 

[NewFrogFan]

Who said “afraid”? I’m simply pointing out that we have the 11th toughest schedule in college football. I think that deserves consideration for being the hardest schedule we’ve ever had in the Big 12.

I am willing to bet right now that the preseason SOS, and end of year SOS numbers are vastly different across the country. YMMV

 

[tcudoc]

Predicting the toughest schedule ~2 months before the season starts likely has about the same accuracy as the preseason polls that come out in March.

 

[westoverhillbilly]

I would like to take this opportunistic moment to remind folks that there were some folks around here who said keeping the SMU game had no value.

I was in that camp of campaigners wanting to eliminate SMU from our schedule. Then the Ponies all of a sudden got good. The difference between their hosting us in '22 and '24 was vastly different.

In '22 in Dallas, their concessions ran out of water early in near 100-degree heat and lines took an hour. One could tell that they were only prepared for hosting their usual 2-5,000 fans when TCU itself brought 10-15,000.

In '24, SMU filled it up with more fans than TCU for the first time I've ever seen (as they should for a home game). They're still way behind us in gameday experience but they've evened up things with donor money and applying that to transfer portal opportunities.

Sadly, in the 100+ year series this game has only had significant national attention fewer than a handful of times. When one program has been on top, the other one has been suffering. Perhaps there's just not enough room for two sherriffs in town.

 

[Big Frog II]

I was in that camp of campaigners wanting to eliminate SMU from our schedule. Then the Ponies all of a sudden got good. The difference between their hosting us in '22 and '24 was vastly different.

In '22, their concessions ran out of water early in near 100 degree heat and lines took an hour. One could tell that they were only prepared for hosting their usual 2,000 fans when TCU itself brought 10-15,000.

In '24, SMU filled it up with more fans than TCU for the first time I've ever seen (as they should for a home game). They're still way behind us in gameday experience but they've evened it up with donor money and applying that to transfer portal opportunities.

Sadly, in the 100+ year series this game has only had significant national attention fewer than a handful of times. When one program has been on top, the other one has been suffering. Perhaps not enough room for two sherriffs in town.

After 2022 I never wanted to play them again in anything. That may have been the deciding point for us to have "suspended" the series. Everyone who went to the game and survived never wanted to go back to that two-bit stadium. Out administration seemed to have listened to us. Last year, we were one of just a few teams in the country to play 11 P4 schools. Now that they have bought their way into the ACC, wining or losing to them is seen in a different light across the nation.