I'm Embarrassed

[JimSwinkLives!]

2nd place in the MWC would be awesome this year. That would mean at least 8 more likely 9 wins. I would be ecstatic to see that.

Definitely attainable too, 1-0 in conference. Lets make it 2-0 with a win against SDSU!

I'd do cartwheels on the capitol lawn in my purple underwear if we finished 9-3. Call me crazy, but I actually like our chances this week against SDSU, provided we have a good week of practice and the kids aren't too mentally fragile to regroup from Saturday.

One of my father's best friends had dinner with Bart Johnson early this summer while Bart was waiting on the NFL labor dispute to resolve. When asked how TCU would do this year, Bart immediately replied, "Seven and five." When that prediction was relayed to me, I disagreed and thought that was too pessimistic of an assessment. I initially thought 9-3, with losses to Baylor, SDSU, and Boise. But I think the loss of so many talented seniors and the leadership element they brought with them to both practice and competition just cannot be replaced overnight. It takes time, even an entire season, to fill those voids, and it can be ugly to watch at times. What UT experienced last year is illustrative of this point, altough there were other issues that contribbuted to their losing season as well. I think most fans can appreciate this, understand it, and accept it even though our standards and expectations have been raised here because of all that we have accomplished during the Patterson era. Where I think some of us struggle is the manner in which we have lost, the unexpected areas where the team has struggled, and the opponents we have lost to. Those three elements have combined, I think, to bring out a level of frustration and disillusionment from our fans that none of us expected prior to the start of the season.

 

[camfrogg]

Yeah, and last year, two conference losses still would have landed us in the conference championship game with the possibility of a BCS bowl. It would have been a FAR easier road.

+1 !!!!!!

 

[cdsfrog]

I'd do cartwheels on the capitol lawn in my purple underwear if we finished 9-3. Call me crazy, but I actually like our chances this week against SDSU, provided we have a good week of practice and the kids aren't too mentally fragile to regroup from Saturday.

One of my father's best friends had dinner with Bart Johnson early this summer while Bart was waiting on the NFL labor dispute to resolve. When asked how TCU would do this year, Bart immediately replied, "Seven and five." When that prediction was relayed to me, I disagreed and thought that was too pessimistic of an assessment. I initially thought 9-3, with losses to Baylor, SDSU, and Boise. But I think the loss of so many talented seniors and the leadership element they brought with them to both practice and competition just cannot be replaced overnight. It takes time, even an entire season, to fill those voids, and it can be ugly to watch at times. What UT experienced last year is illustrative of this point, altough there were other issues that contribbuted to their losing season as well. I think most fans can appreciate this, understand it, and accept it even though our standards and expectations have been raised here because of all that we have accomplished during the Patterson era. Where I think some of us struggle is the manner in which we have lost, the unexpected areas where the team has struggled, and the opponents we have lost to. Those three elements have combined, I think, to bring out a level of frustration and disillusionment from our fans that none of us expected prior to the start of the season.

100% agree on all of that. Great post and I think we can win @ SDSU. I wouldn't have booked a flight to get there on Saturday and leave on sunday if i didnt

 

[Mr. Big]

I think a lot of the complaints, at least my complaints, are with the coaches and not the players.

Pachall can't win us very many games if they don't let him. Skye Dawson is going to have a hard time breaking tackles if the defense knows what the play is before it happens because we run it every other play.

The players seem to be giving it their all, it just looks like we seriously missed on two recruiting classes. There's two positions, one in particular, that are a joke. The starters would have a hard time playing for Texas State... but I have no doubt they are busting as hard as they can, I just don't think the talent is there.

And FWIW, talking about an off-season for Auburn or Texas is kind of silly. I can't think of a team in the SEC we would beat this year. Maybe Kentucky and possibly Vanderbilt but everybody else would cream us. Likewise, we wouldn't beat Texas aTm, Texas, Oky State, Oklahoma, Kansas St, or Missouri this year.

I think our defense has dropped off from re-loading down to re-building and now needing a complete overhaul.

Offense is fine, just need our OCs to stop getting in the way of us scoring points.



I agree with you Jake. If this staff is going to accept all of the coach of the year accolades, then they are going to have to take the criticism. This staff is too loyal to certain positions and it's hurting us. I'm sorry but Greg McCoy is a Sr. and having a terrible year defensively. You can't tell me we don't have talent on the bench that can upgrade from his current level of play. He got burned once again in the OT period this week. Yes we are not getting the pressure on the QB from the DLine as we are accustomed to but that we will just have to live with that as they mature. I don't see the level of passion or tenacity that we've had in the past 2-3 years on the D in general. We sadly miss Tanner Brock. Cain is working hard but not providing the chemistry with Tank that Coach P enjoyed with that combo. Tanner's loss has taken pressure off the QB from our Linebacker position. Too many times I have witnessed the plays coming in late from the sideline. That is coaching. Coach P and staff have enjoyed a talented, seasoned squad the past couple of years. They haven't had to coach them up much and I said eariler this year that they are not going to have that luxury this year.
I know the expectations of this year weren't as high because of a "young" team. That's BS. The problems haven't been just with our younger guys.
It's time to quit living in the past and get to work.

If we're not going to make personnel changes when they aren't working, then we will have to accept losses. Shame on us. There's nothing more demoralizing to a backup or a recruit than to see someone continually not gettting the job and us unwilling to make a change. We were killing LA Monroe by late in the third period but the first string defense remained in the game to the end. What a wasted opportunity to see what 2 and 3 deep talent we had on D.

 

[frog9999]

OK, well for me losing to a SMU team with very little talent was frustrating for many reasons. Their line is awful (giving up more sacks than 80% of the FBS) yet we only get 2 sacks....
That was just one of the many reasons we lost. Juvenile comments were present but some of the comments were warranted.

Hope we bounce back like we did after the Baylor game.

We wil1 win by 21.

Also I am ashamed of a number of posters. I have been a frog fan since I was a freshman in 1969 and had suffered for oh so many years and now I'm just as spoiled as the next guy, however I'm not quitting on them. A 2 point loss and an overtime loss for a young team is not a shocker. An older team would probably have made the couple of plays necessary to turn those games into victories, but a young team is more than likely to screw up.

 

[gofrogs152]

I've read this board for a while and have never posted until now. I need to qualify my remarks with the fact that I live in Maryland, watch as much TCU football as I can, but I am obviously not as informed as those of you who attend all the games and see the team up close and personal.

The down side of seasons like last year is that there is no place to go but down. While intellectually we all knew it was going to be a down year for the team, it's much harder to accept when you witness it first hand. I'm good friends with a lifelong LSU fan and she says she dreads years after a National Championship because she knows the season is almost certainly going to be a disappointment. That's how I feel this year...there was no way to recreate that high we had last year, and it's disappointing, no matter how expected.

Further complicating things this year is the conference uncertainty. Every game feels like an audition, which is not good when you are in an obvious rebuilding year. I think this would be much easier to take if we were comfortable in where we are landing next year, but the conference instability just adds another layer of unrealistic pressure to the program.

I keep reminding myself of 2004, when we were getting ready to join the MWC. We had a down year then, and I know some MWC folks were questioning the wisdom of adding TCU. We started 2005 by beating Oklahoma the opening game and that started an unbelievable run. I have faith in our coaches to teach and coach these young men. I love what I see of Pachall early on, and I believe our defense will improve over time.

I do hope that we as a fan base can be realistic about this year and recognize it for what it is. No, I don't believe we will be Boise this year (would love to be wrong). Yes, I hate losing to SMU but this game is their superbowl every year and it honestly means little to us. I see it as a trap game every year.

One thing I love about being a Frog fan is that I believe most of us love our team and are not those crazy lunatics in the SEC who are ready to slit their wrists the minute they lose a game. I would hate to see our success take us down that path. I have faith in CGP that we will continue to grow and improve, but it's not something that happens overnight.

 

[mrnicefrog]

Auburn plays in the SEC. They don't play SMU and Baylor or Portland State.

Did you watch the Auburn-Utah State game???

I'm so effing sick of you.