Postgame Analysis: Texas Tech 56, TCU 53 (3OT)

HawkeyedFrog: So many little things went wrong. There were bad calls and no calls aplenty (one of Tech's receivers seems to be a walking Offensive Pass Interference machine), but that's not the whole reason TCU lost. Tech went for and got a gutsy/fluky onside kick and turned it into a touchdown, but that's not the whole reason TCU lost. Boykin threw two interceptions which were the only turnovers of the game, but that's not really the reason TCU lost either. Boykin played on a twisted ankle after a Tech player rolled all the way through on a play, but his lack of mobility the rest of the game wasn't really why we lost.

The reason TCU lost this game is because of missed opportunities. I counted three times that a TCU cornerback/Safety got both hands on the ball and didn't hang onto it, and two of those drives turned into Tech touchdowns. TCU drove into Tech territory again and again with consistency throughout the game, but when the field got short the Frogs got conservative (understandable given our red zone turnover issues) and ended up kicking field goals. Tech on the other hand was feast or famine on offense, either going down the field and putting up touchdowns or going three and out with very little in between. The secondary blew chances to get the Tech offense off the field and ended up getting burned when the pressure on Doege dried up late.

If any one of those plays goes the other way- Pass interference is called, Tech doesn't get the onside kick, TCU doesn't lose the turnover battle, the secondary hangs on to the picks, Boykin can run at the end of the game the Frogs would have won this game. None of them did, though, and as a result we had our hearts ripped out in OT #3. Damn. This is a really young team, and there will be plenty of other opportunities for the Frogs to pick up that sixth win they need for bowl eligibility and the precious extra practices it affords, but this team could have, and probably should have, had bigger things on its mind going into Stillwater next week. There are a thousand disclaimers why TCU will be a world's better team in 2013, and I believe all of them. Still, I think TCU was a better team today and they still lost.

As per usual, check this post throughout the rest of the day as the rest of the Frogs O' War crew checks in with their thoughts. Personally... I'm done with football for at least the rest of the day. Time to take a long walk. Go Frogs.

Purple Wimple: so Texas Tech is a top-half team in the Big 12, and TCU took 'em to three overtimes, playing sixteen true freshmen. This is good news for 2013. Imagine how this game would have gone if Nykiren Wellington or Ty Horn or Tanner Brock or Matt Anderson or Travoskey Garrett or D.J. Yendrey or Waymon James had been playing...

If TCU is a bottom-half Big12 team in its current ultra-young condition, we have every reason to believe TCU will be a top-half Big 12 team next year.

And it'd be nice if Trey Boykin could find other receivers than Skye Dawson open once in awhile.