ARLINGTON, Texas — One of the big questions for the upcoming college football season in North Texas: Can TCU football mimic last year’s success?
The Horned Frogs earned a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2022 – the first Texas team to do so – before being blown out in the national title to the Georgia Bulldogs.
But no one can deny their Cinderella run.
And, in his first year of coaching in Fort Worth, Sonny Dykes earned eight separate Coach of the Year honors.
During the Big 12 Media Days press conference Wednesday, July 12, Dykes said the challenge coming into a new season would be to not worry about those high expectations and to find the right formula to continue winning football games.
Dykes said last year was fun, and that the team’s slogan was “all steak and no sizzle” -- meaning they didn’t look at the standings, rankings or buy into the chatter.
He said he was proud of his team’s ability to focus on the things they couldn’t control. That’s what made them special, he said.
“We were better collectively than we were individually,” said Dykes.
And, this year, Dykes hopes his team buys into that same mentality and level of commitment.
When asked how losing quarterback Max Duggan and running back Kendre Miller to the 2023 NFL Draft will affect the team this upcoming season, Dykes expressed that there’s now a need for leadership on the Horned Frogs.
Dykes said that if his squad finds players who are able to step up and have the drive to lead, they’ll find success, and it would “be a great year.”
He also said his staff is full of tremendous leadership, too.
“I think we share a vision of what we want TCU football to look like and they certainly provide the resources that we need…” Dykes said. “[I’m] blessed and fortunate to be here and excited about this season.”
Another part of Dykes’ game plan is to concentrate on their defense. He said the Frogs addressed it in their transfer portal selections.
Plus, some are calling the incoming freshman class at TCU the best new recruits in the Big 12.
But, at the end of the day, Dykes said the team is just going to concentrate on winning football games, and it'll play out on the field on how well they’ll execute that goal.
As long as they stay willing to adjust and adapt, and be creative and innovative in the now-expanded Big 12 Conference, Dykes said TCU will be above the curve.