The TCU Horned Frogs moved from the Mountain West Conference to the Big-12 last year and everyone wondered how they would fair now that they were in a "big boy" conference. Well, their first season in the Big-12 didn't quite go as they had hoped. TCU went 7-6 which included a bowl game loss to Michigan State. They started the season 4-0 and then starting quarterback Casey Pachall got suspended for the season. After that they went 3-6 the rest of the way. However, all is not lost for the Horned Frogs and their faithful, 2013 is the year that TCU should be back in the national spotlight.
Lets start with the most important position on the field, quarterback. Casey Pachall will be returning to be the Horned Frogs starting QB. He is the nations active leader of career passing efficiency with a 163.1 rating. He has a career 15-2 record and was 4-0 last year before his season long suspension. The Horned Frogs also have Trevone Boykin who played the last part of the season to backup Pachall. He is more of a running quarterback, which will compliment Pachalls skill set very well. TCU has the best quarterback duo in the Big-12.
Speaking of talented duos for TCU, they have a talented duo of running backs that should be able to carry the load this year. B.J. Catalone and Waymon James will carry the ball for the Horned Frogs. Catalone led the team in rushing last year as a true freshman. He was the first true freshman to lead TCU in rushing since 2002. The reason Catalone was the lead back last year was because James, who was the lead back in 2011 with 875 yards, had a season ending injury week two against Kansas. TCU also has Aaron Green who was a five-star recruit for Nebraska in 2011. He decided to transfer to TCU and sat out the 2012 season.
One position on offense that is a big question mark is wide receiver. The Horned Frogs lost two of their three leading receivers from last year in Josh Boyce and Skye Dawson. Boyce was the leader of their receiver core so his loss will hurt the most. Dawson was a burner who could take the top off of defenses. However, they do return the other four of their top six receivers, which should give them some familiarity in the offense and with the quarterbacks. Brandon Carter is their leading receiver who is returning. He has 36 receptions for 590 yards and six touchdowns.
The other group on offense that needs to be watched is the offensive line. TCU lost two All Big-12 blockers in guard Blaize Foltz and center James Fry. The Horned Frogs will have to sure up the interior of their offensive line if they want to compete at the highest level. Foltz was the best blocker on the team last year and will be hard to replace. If teams are getting pressure straight up the middle, shutting down the run game and getting in Pachall and Boykins face, it'll be a long year for them.
The real strength of this team however is the defense. They return nine starters from last years team including senior corner back Jason Verrett, who is one of the top corner backs in the country. Also returning is Devonte Fields who had ten sacks and 18.5 tackles for a loss as a true freshman. TCU returned all five starters in their secondary which also includes safety Sam Carter who is on the Jim Thorpe award watch list. TCU had the 16th best defense in the nation in total yards and the number one ranked defense in the Big-12. They had the 30th ranked scoring defense in the nation and second in the Big-12, just behind Kansas State. With nine returning starters the defense should be even better this year.
The linebacker core is something to watch for them. All Big-12 linebacker Kenny Cain graduated and outside of Joel Hasley, no returning linebacker had more than 18 tackles last year. The bright side for TCU is that they run a 4-2-5 so they only have two linebackers on the field at a time. Hasley will take one of those spots, and Marcus Mallett looks to be the early favorite to take the other spot. TCU plays with three safeties on the field who and all three are returning from last year. That should help take pressure on whoever is the new starter at linebacker.
Looking at their schedule, things are set up for them to be in the National Championship picture if they can win their games. They open up the season at LSU who just lost nine players to the NFL. The first game of the season is the best time to catch them, before all of their new starters get acclimated. They get Texas Tech the third game of the season. Tech has a new head coach and should still be getting used to him, giving TCU an edge. Their next big game is in Oklahoma and will probably be their toughest game of the year. Oklahoma has a new QB and their season will depend on him and the run game. If TCU can shut down the run, they should win. They have to play at Oklahoma State and at Kansas State both. They are more talented than both of those teams, but playing on the road is always hard. They get Texas and Baylor at home. Baylor is the final game of the season for them and could decide a lot for both teams. It's not an easy schedule by any means, but they have the talent to get through with minimal losses.
The Horned Frogs have a chance to be back on top and in the national spotlight this season. They have talent at quarterback and running back positions on offense and their defense is loaded. If they can replace the guys at receiver and on the offensive line, they will have one of the most dynamic offenses in college football. They have a tough schedule, but should be able to make it through with minimal losses thanks to the talent on the field and the talent at head coach. Gary Patterson is one of the best head coached in the Big-12 and in the country. With him at the helm, 2013 should be the year we see TCU back in the national spotlight.