FORT WORTH, Texas — One-score losses riddled the Horned Frogs' hopes last season, leading them to a disappointing 5-7 record just one year after from their miraculous 2022 National Championship Game run.
And with even more teams being added to the equation this year in the Big 12, it's pretty clear: Things aren't getting any easier.
As the conference welcomes newcomers Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah into the fold, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes is hoping to correct his program's attitude by emphasizing the importance of all the little things. He says he plans to do so with the help of his staff, as he feels they didn't have the correct formula to get the Horned Frogs where they needed to be last season.
The fourth-year coach said the program lost many of its key leaders to the NFL Draft following the Horned Frogs 2022 run at the national championship. And, because of this, the locker room was left without those necessary leadership voices. But Dykes said those voices need to be coming from his staff, not just the player, year in and year out, regardless of who is in the locker room.
"We have to make sure that we don't rely on our players to teach that and to pass that tradition on," Dykes said during Big 12 Media Days. "That's got to be something that we teach as coaches. So we've taken a much more active approach in trying to create relationships with our players."
Now, changing the culture of a team takes time. And no one is expecting 2023's 5-7 team to suddenly contend for a playoff spot with a ton of new pieces. But Dykes feels as though the Frogs are making great strides in getting back to where they need to be.
Dykes said it's a great feeling knowing that this 2024 squad has the same hunger and determination seen in successful teams. He believes this determination could act as the Frogs' guiding light as they head into a season of uncertainty.
"I think we've come a long way," Dykes said. "I just think our attitude, the standard that these players set for each other and hold themselves to is different than last year's team. I just like the leadership of this group."
Locker room morale and strong leadership are all integral parts of a successful program. But so is winning, which TCU didn't do a whole lot of in 2023.
Can the team do more of that in 2024? Maybe.
The Horned Frogs' head coach said this new Big 12 is going to be the most competitive league from top to bottom in college football this season, and that it's going to be critical for his team to focus on the little things and execute when those close games come down to the final minutes.
"Look at our team last year: We were 0-4 in one-score games," Dykes said. "That really determines your success in the Big 12, and it comes down to very minute details. It comes down to your players playing very disciplined, playing good football, playing with precision, playing with confidence and making good decisions."
TCU will have to stand tall during these moments behind the arm of redshirt sophomore quarterback Josh Hoover, who started the final six games for the Horned Frogs in the 2023 season and threw for over 400 yards in multiple instances.
Dykes believes Hoover shows a lot of promise and is confident that any bad moments his field general may have had last year are only going to help him when it comes to improving this season.
Admittedly, Dykes said he didn't always put Hoover in the best position for success.
"Josh has an opportunity to be one of the elite quarterbacks in the league this season," Dykes said of his sophomore QB. "Expect him to play at a high level. I don't know that I've been around too many guys that are more dedicated, mature and more proficient in the way that he handles his business."
Dykes said that he's most proud of how his team rallies behind Hoover. He said he thinks the whole team will give their all for the QB every game.
In the end, Dykes said he feels "fired up" about the upcoming season.
"You're going to look around and see some teams that are really good one year and maybe struggle a little bit the next," Dykes said. "That was certainly us last year. Now, we're ready to get back to playing TCU football."
Full TCU 2024 Football Schedule
- Aug. 30 | TCU at Stanford - 9:30 p.m. CT on ESPN
- Sept. 7 | LIU vs. TCU - 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+
- Sept. 14 | UCF vs TCU - 6:30 p.m. CT on FOX *
- Sept. 21 | TCU at SMU - 4:00 p.m. CT on The CW
- Sept. 28 | TCU at Kansas - TBD *
- Oct. 4 | Houston vs. TCU - 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN *
- Oct. 19 | TCU at Utah - TBD *
- Oct. 26 | Texas Tech vs. TCU - TBD *
- Nov. 2 | TCU at Baylor - TBD *
- Nov. 9 | Oklahoma State vs. TCU - TBD *
- Nov. 23 | Arizona vs. TCU - TBD *
- Nov. 30 | TCU at Cincinnati - TBD *
Games in bold denote home games. Asterisks mark Big 12 conference games.
