We have advanced to round 2 of the Best TCU Moments Bracket! Yes, it’s a few days later than anticipated. My apologies.
Before we jump into the teams that advanced from the Patterson Region, let’s have a moment of silence for the moments that were eliminated in the first round:
[in the arms of the angels starts playing]
#4 Jamie Dixon Hired
#7 Basil Mitchell’s 60-yard TD run in Sun Bowl
#9 Tyler Luttrell’s big forced fumble vs. Utah in 2009
#11 Helmetless Brock Block
#12 Evan Skoug HR vs. Missouri State
#14 “Speed Baby”
#15 Josh Parrish dunk seals NIT Title
#16 No More Fireworks
All great moments, but all are ‘going home.’
Now, to the bracket:
#1 Immaculate Deflection vs. #8 Schultz’s Home Run vs. Texas
The No. 1 overall seed moves into its second round matchup after obliterating No More Fireworks. Can the Immaculate Deflection maintain all its momentum?
Immaculate Deflection
TCU entered the Rose Bowl as an underdog to a Wisconsin team that had been absolutely railing opponents with a dominant ground game. Most national pundits thought TCU would get run all over because of their undersized defense. But for the majority of the game TCU and Gary Patterson, led by Tank Carder, kept the Badgers at bay.
A late 4th quarter touchdown drive put Wisconsin to within two at 21-19. Bret Bielema’s team opted to go for two, and after a drive that featured gashing runs, pretty much everyone in the universe expected a run play from the Badgers.
Instead, we got this:
Schultz’s HR vs. Texas
TCU travelled to Austin for the second straight year, set up to face off against Texas in a Super Regional. The Frogs were on the losing end of things in 2009, but 2010 was a different story. Having never made the College World Series to this point, TCU was absolutely the underdog against the Auggie Garrido-led juggernaut Texas.
TCU took game one while Texas took game two. Knotted up at 1-1 in the series, and with TCU leading 1-0 late into game 3, things were still very up in the air.
Then, with two outs and one on in the seventh, Aaron Schultz stepped up to the plate. Coming into the season Schultz was expected to be a role player, but he had earned the trust of Schlossnalge as the season progressed, seeing more and more opportunities come his way.
He proved Schloss right in this moment, blasting a two-run home run to left field, extending TCU’s lead to 3-0.
Bryan Holaday would add another run in the eighth, and Tyler Lockwood closed things out in the ninth to send the Horned Frogs to the College World Series for the first time in program history.
A Frogpile ensued, and the rest is history.
Poll
Who Advances?
This poll is closed
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44%
#1 Immaculate Deflection
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55%
#8 Schultz’s HR vs. Texas
#5 Peach Bowl Double Pass vs. #13 Boykin Juke + Holgo High-Five
This is one of the more intriguing Round of 32 matchups. The double pass that kicked off an absolute drubbing of Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl facing off against a play that forced an opposing coach to be resigned to the fact they could do nothing to stop Trevone Boykin.
Peach Bowl Double Pass
We don’t need to talk about the things that led to TCU being left out of the College Football Playoff in 2014. But we do need to acknowledge the high level of rage the team felt in being shunted sideways into the Peach Bowl.
It spawned one of the most glorious beatings in TCU football history, with the Frogs absolutely demolishing Ole Miss 42-3.
TCU wasted no time in turning the Rebels into paste, with this double pass touchdown from Trevone Boykin to Kolby Listenbee to Aaron Green.
The cherry on top is color commentator Tim Tebow recognizing the play and calling it as it happens.
Boykin Juke + Holgo High-Five
The decline of Trevone Boykin has been tragic to watch, but before all of that he was one of the best players in college football in 2014 and 2015. One of his most iconic plays is absolutely this one from 2015.
Ranked 5th in the nation, TCU was a machine looking to win their eighth straight game to open the season. Meanwhile, West Virginia had lost three straight and was looking to right the ship.
That....didn’t happen. But this juke of multiple defenders led to Dana Holgorsen’s resigned amusement and complete lack of any idea how to stop Boykin from being Boykin.
So he just high fived him instead.
Poll
Who Advances?
This poll is closed
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50%
#5 Peach Bowl Double Pass TD
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49%
#13 Boykin Juke + Holgo High-Five
#3 Luken Baker CWS HR vs. Tech vs. #6 Jamie Dixon Buzzer Beater vs. Texas
Two iconic moments, one recent and one throwback. Both last-second/late-inning heroics. Both helping TCU beat a rival. Both extending TCU’s opportunity to earn some hardware. What a great matchup.
Jamie Dixon Miracle
Jamie Dixon’s shot is great even out of context, but when you understand that this helped TCU to a share of the Southwest Conference title it makes it even sweeter.
Trailing Texas 54-53 with just a few seconds left, Dixon hit a half court shot dubbed “The Miracle.” Adding to the moment is the fact that a Texas player had been named Player of the Game just before the ball was inbounded to Dixon.
Luken Baker College World Series Home Run vs. Tech
Watching Luken Baker hit monster dingers was a great source of joy for TCU fans during his time as a Frog. Watching him a monster dinger against Texas Tech in the College World Series elevated him to legend status.
Top of the 9th. Frogs down 3-2. Two on. One out.
Poll
Who Advances?
This poll is closed
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73%
#3 Luken Baker CWS HR
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26%
#6 Jamie Dixon Buzzer Beater
#2 Summers’ Stop vs. Baylor vs. #10 Josh Boyce 2-point conversion vs. Boise St.
Two incredible regular season football moments that helped TCU beat a rival. Both featured TCU as an underdog. One play made by a freshman, the other by a junior.
Ty Summers’ Stop vs. Baylor (2015) (Written by Deanna Rust)
Great battles are never forgotten, especially against your greatest enemy. On Black Friday in 2015, some of TCU’s greatest football names faced some of Baylor’s most annoying. We saw names like Boykin, Oberkrom, Green, Turpin, Orr, and Summers square up against Coleman, Linwood, Oakman, Cannon, and Callahan. The scene was perfect for a fight: 39 degrees, pouring rain, 14 mile per hour winds, and a 45 minute lightning delay. There were great plays by both sides in the first half, along with some crazy slips, slides, hits, and drops. Watching the game highlights, you’re reminded just how accurate Boykin was in terrible weather. By the end of the first half, the teams were tied 14-14.
The defensive battle was there in the first half, but the second half is when the real fun began. Punters Drew Galitz (Baylor) and Ethan Perry (TCU) punted a total of 22 times in the game—17 of them in the second half alone (Galitz 8, Perry 9). There were perfect punts, blocked punts, punts that that caused scuffles…and the weather just kept getting worse through it all.
Then regulation ended. Nobody moved. We went into overtime. Baylor scored first on 8 tries. We answered in 4, even after Turp skated past the pylon and it was called back. We re-grouped and went again. This time, it took 5 plays. It was 28-21. Baylor’s Devin Chafin ran for 2 yards. 2nd down. Chafin runs again. 2 more yards. 3rd down. Chris Johnson runs for 5. Now it’s 4th and 1. The handoff goes to
Chafin as Ty Summers breaks through their offensive line. He sets his sights on Chafin, as Julius Lewis comes from the outside to force Chafin to try to squeeze between defenders.
Josh Boyce 2-point conversion to upset Boise State
TCU was living in a post Rose Bowl reality when they traveled to Boise, Idaho in 2011. They were leaving the Mountain West for the Big 12 the next season, and Casey Pachall was finding his way in the big shadow of Andy Dalton.
Boise State was ranked #5 in the nation and seemed primed to get back to a BCS game. QB Kellen Moore was the leader of an insane offense, and the Broncos defense was criminally underrated.
TCU held their own throughout the game, and trailed Boise State 35-27 with just 1:13 left in the game. Pachall hit Brandon Carter for an acrobatic touchdown, and the Frogs decided to go for two instead of trying it. After all, Ross Evans had missed an extra point earlier in the game.
That led to this:
Poll
Who Advances?
This poll is closed
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69%
#2 Summers’ Stop vs. Baylor
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30%
#10 Boyce 2-point conversion