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It's Friday, Friday, gotta waste time on Friiiidaaaayyyy.
1. What one NFL Frog would you like to have for the Baylor game.
I'd like to see the 2010 offensive line back, but if I could only have one person, it'd be David Hawthorne. Why? Because he'd be able to almost single handedly stop the Baylor running game, which would allow the safeties to help out the corners in coverage without worry.
Also, because David Hawthorne once murdered two Wyoming quarterbacks in about a 10 minute span.
2. For people like me who wanted to see change starting the moment we were no longer bowl eligible, how soon after the BU game do we start to see changes?
Major changes to the coaching staff tends to affect recruiting, so I wouldn't be surprised to see changes made quickly, if changes are made. Honestly, we should see a new OC, new QB coach and a new ST coach, and one could argue that Williamson might need to step down as O-Line coach.
3. What’s it like after a week at the FOW helm? Is being the top dog truly as lonely as they say?
Incredibly lonely. This is my life now.
4. WTF with the NHL having a Metropolitan Division? Atlantic, Pacific, Central, ok I get all that, though I’m still a fan of the Campbell, Wales, Adams, Norris, Smythe etc. days.
I was actually looking at this the other day, and when I saw Metropolitan I did a double take.
However, I'm hearing that it was a struggle to name that division, because it spans from Canada to Florida, and apparently "Big Non-Sensical Division" was inappropriate.
5. Given what you have seen so far, any estimate on how many (er, how few?) games the basketball team wins.
It's always hard to win games for TCU basketball. It becomes much harder when the team only has seven scholarship players currently healthy and playing. With that in mind, I wouldn't be shocked if the team ended up around the 5-6 win mark , with all but one of those coming out of conference.
TCU has some tough OOC competition, including Washington State this Sunday, and Tulsa (possibly twice), and Mississippi State. I'd be shocked if the Frogs win more than one, maybe two conference games this season, especially with the amount of big injuries this team has already suffered.
6. What was the most memorable TCU game you attended as a student and why (interested to hear what everyone has to say about this one.)
There are several that come to mind immediately. First is the win against Oklahoma in 2005. That was my first football game as a TCU student, and while I didn't go, I remember sitting watching the game with my dad thinking, "damn, my football team is AWESOME." Then we lost to SMU that next week and I felt like walking out into traffic.
Second, it's the TCU/Utah game from 2008. Several friends and I flew to Salt Lake City for the game, and had a great time wandering around the city, and visiting the LSD Temple (we aren't Mormon, but we wanted to see the temple, and it was really, really cool). The loss on Thursday night, and having to spend the next full day wandering around devastated, not to mention the rumors that Patterson was leaving for Kansas State that started coming out, made that a rollercoaster weekend.
Lastly, while it was technically right after I graduated, the Rose Bowl was the single greatest game I've ever been to (Including Game 4 of the Mavs/Heat finals in 2011 and Game 6 of Rangers/Yankees in 2010). Watching us finally win a BCS game, do it against Wisconsin, at the freaking ROSE BOWL, that was the happiest my sports heart has ever been.
7. Is Gary Patterson really dyslexic? Or does he just pretend to talk like one?
8. Can you convince me Baylor will lose a game this season?
Probably not. But Oklahoma State is the best chance they have of losing a game. OSU's defense is the best Baylor has seen to this point in the season, and is the most capable of slowing them down. That's going to be one heck of a game.
9. Will TCU/Coach P turnover the offensive coaching staff in the offseason? If so, does that then open the door for a true freshman to potentially start from day one as all the QB’s will be learning the new system at the same time?
I have to say yes, simply because there's no way an offensive coordinator should survive a season like this, at any school. TCU is dead last, 107th, in the FBS in rushing. That should never be the case for a TCU team, especially one that has running backs like this one.
With a guy like Tyler Matthews in the wings, I find it hard to believe that a true freshman would come in and win the starting role. That being said, TCU has two stud QBs committed for 2014, and if one of them shows out, they'll probably get the nod.
10. Along those lines, who have all the true freshman starting QB’s been throughout Patterson’s run as TCU head coach and what was the average # of wins when the freshman QB’s were at the helm per season (or W-L record)?
No true freshman has ever been the main QB in a season under Patterson, even Andy Dalton was a redshirt when he saw his first season as a starter. Casey Printers started as a true freshman in 1999, but that was Franchione's last season as head coach.
So, Dalton is the only one who started as a true or redshirt freshman since Patterson took over as head coach, and he went 8-5 with a 17-16 Poinsettia Bowl win over Boise State. That season Dalton threw for 2,459 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
11. What do we have to do to get Braden Smith or any other 5 star recruit (Speedy Noil please) to sign with TCU (other than saying "start winning more games than we lose")?
Throw buckets of cash at them?
I don't know. Every recruit is different, but really, winning is the cure all. Also, when a program has a lot of hype around a big change (like A&M moving to the SEC) that tends to attract recruits.
I trust that Patterson will get the right guys into school that can help us compete. Recruiting is a long-term deal, and with only one full recruiting season for TCU to recruit for the Big 12, I think it went pretty well. We won't start seeing that impact overnight, but give it a season or two and we'll see those guys beginning to contribute.
We're never going to be Texas or Oklahoma in the amount of 5 star guys we get, it just isn't going to happen, but what we can do is get a bunch of 3 star guys that have a chip on their shoulder. That's the Patterson way, and I trust that it will continue to work.
12. Speaking of recruiting – are Cross and Luper going to have a significant impact on recruiting as it is expected and we sign more than 10 guys with more than 2 4 stars?
Cross and Luper both have great track records, and yes, I expect them to have a significant impact. However, see above, we probably won't get a ton of 5 star guys, we aren't Texas and Oklahoma. That's OK.
The guys that Patterson, Cross, Luper and the rest of the staff bring in will be talented and ready to compete.
13. Who do we think the leading receiver will be on the team next season (Carter, LBrown, Porter, Doctson, Story, Slanina, Listenbee, etc)?
I'm going to go out on a limb and say either Doctson or Porter. Those guys have come in this season and been great contributors despite our inability (and sometimes refusal) to throw a deep ball. I'm not putting any eggs in the Brandon Carter basket after this season. He's going to have to start from scratch to earn his playing time.
14. Will our RB’s see more than 10 touches a game?
I sure as hell hope so. TCU is last in the FBS in rushing this season. That's ridiculous. I bet we see Catalon and Green tear it up in 2014 though.
15. Is BJ Catalon again going to lead the team in rushing?
I don't see any reason why he wouldn't, unless he gets hurt or Aaron Green just blows him away in the spring.