The TCU Horned Frogs will be moving to the Big 12 conference from the Mountain West in 2012. Coach Gary Patterson has this team in great shape, having been a bowl contender for the last several years. A nail-biting 36-35 win against Boise State won them the Mountain West last year.
Some momentum is clearly going their way as they had an 11-2 record last year and beat Louisiana Tech 31-24 in the Poinsettia Bowl. 2011 was a good year for them as they exceeded expectations, but 2012 may be entirely different as they return only 11 starters in 2012, plus make the move to a more talented conference. Here is the team preview and the predictions on the Horned Frogs for the upcoming season.
Nfl 2012
Offense
Quarterback Casey Pachall made it a mission to prove doubters wrong when he was written off after Dalton left last season. He had an explosive year statistically and will look to improve on his junior campaign.
The Horned Frogs return a trio of running backs who combined for 2,303 yards, 6.3 per carry, and 24 touchdowns last year, making this one of the deepest RB corps in the country. Junior Waymon James, senior Ed Wesley and senior Matthew Tucker are all set to be back.
With TCU set to return its top three receivers from 2011, this makes them loaded at the skill positions. Junior Josh Boyce and senior Skye Dawson both return to starting roles. Sophomore Brandon Carter will likely be replaced by talented redshirt freshman LaDarius Brown, who has 4.47 speed.
The one big question mark for TCU is at the offensive line heading into 2012. This unit loses three starters, including a pair of All-MWC performers in left guard Kyle Dooley and left tackle Jeff Olson. Two starters are back this season, headed by first team All-MWC right guard Blaize Folts.
Defense
TCU has been one of the best defensive teams in the country over the last decade. With only five returning starters last season, however, this unit took a big step back. After giving up just 12.0 points and 228 total yards per game in 2010, the Horned Frogs yielded 21.5 points and 347 yards in 2011. With them going to a conference where they will face a lot of the top offenses, they may have another decline statistically.
The defensive line will be the strength of this unit with six of their top eight returning. That includes first-team All-MWC defensive end Stansly Maponga, who had 55 tackles and a team-high nine sacks a year ago. Also back is sophomore defensive tackle David Johnson and senior defensive end Ross Forrest.
The Frogs have had six linebackers move on the NFL in the last few years. Their lone starter coming back at linebacker is senior Kenny Cain. Cain has emerged as the leader, and he'll have some help from sophomore Deryck Goldon in their 4-2-5 scheme.
TCU's biggest loss comes in the secondary, as they part ways with corner Greg McCoy, safety Tekerrein Cuba, and free safety Johnny Fobbs. Their only returnee is junior corner Jason Verret. Inexperience could do them in as they enter the pass-happy Big 12.
Big 12 Prediction - 5th Place
The Horned Frogs definitely have talent at quarterback and skill positions to match nearly every other team in the Big 12. Their offensive line may be a bit troubling, but it's clear that their problem lies on the defensive end. Their front four can hold their own, but the secondary could be annihilated in this conference. A very soft schedule early on could have this team win big, but they can easily lose four of their last five. They'll face tough opponents with Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Texas all on the road. Plus they'll face Big 12 favorite Oklahoma at home. A predicted 4 losses will have them finish in the middle of the pack in the Big 12.
2012 TCU Horned Frogs Season Preview
Jack Jones posts his football picks at Betfirms.com as well as FootballFreePicks.com.
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