TCU News: “Everyone calm down and take a step back”

Football:

TCU’s Patterson tells fans to ‘calm down’ amid team’s QB situation | The Star-Telegram

So, we are a little on edge. Can you blame us?

The QB update had a number of fans expressing concerns on social media and Patterson attempted to bring a calmness to the situation with his own post.

“Everyone calm down and take a step back,” Patterson posted on his Twitter account. “We have been in camp since the middle of July getting ready. The day we need to be ready is September 26th! Go Frogs!”

Outside of the QB questions, Patterson sounded optimistic about the state of his program. He is hoping to be close to full strength when the Frogs take on the Cyclones later this month.

Other than the COVID-19 issues and players battling a stomach flu early in training camp, Patterson said the team has stayed relatively healthy in regards to normal football injuries such as concussions, hamstrings and groins.

Five defensive players that have impressed in TCU fall practices | Horned Frog Blitz

With the offense in some turmoil, the D will have to dominate. Sound familiar?

Terrell Cooper | DT | Junior

No Ross Blacklock, no problem. Cooper has been in this situation before when he was asked to step up. He did so in 2018 when Blacklock was lost for the season due to injury. In fall camp, sources have told HFB that Cooper has looked the best among the defensive tackles. Patterson himself said Cooper has had a great camp. The Frogs need to be able to stop the run once again in 2020 and if Cooper is playing anywhere close to what some are saying, the Frogs will be in good shape.

Marcel Brooks | DE/LB | Sophomore

Everyone knows Brooks is an athletic freak and will make big plays in his TCU career. Although things haven’t been exactly great at linebacker, where he’s still learning the defense, Brooks has done very well at defensive end. Although he’s not your prototypical defensive end, Brooks’ speed and quickness has helped him win battle after battle since joining the team. That is the role TCU fans should expect to see this season, especially in the early part…him going after the quarterback.

Around the Big 12:

Tramel: Big 12 football power rankings after a miserable Saturday | The Oklahoman.com

Moving up by not playing. A-okay by me.

5. TCU 0-0: Funny. Remember a couple of weeks ago, when we thought TCU-SMU was the Big 12’s best chance for opening-week embarrassment?

6. West Virginia 1-0: The Mountaineers did to Eastern Kentucky (56-10) what cross-state Marshall did to the Eastern (59-0). So no reason for excitement yet.

7. Kansas State 0-1: K-State has a history of losing games it shouldn’t lose. Navy in the Liberty Bowl last season. At Vanderbilt in 2017. North Dakota State 2013. Now Arkansas State.

8. Iowa State 0-1: I pointed out last week that the Cyclones have routinely started slow under Matt Campbell, but their lack of offense Saturday was ridiculous.

Around College Football:

Analysis: College football is back — as both a spectacular and a science experiment | kwtx.com

It really is fascinating from the outside.

They’re just the most public players in the state’s reopenings of educational institutions, a fraught statewide foray into in-person education, live arena events, and the kinds of young adult interactions that have made coronavirus hot spots of campuses and college towns across the country.

Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University were supposed to play Friday but canceled when some TCU players and staff tested positive for COVID-19. SMU played last Saturday against Texas State University, but the TCU-SMU game would have been the first involving a Big 12 school. This weekend, two Texas schools in that conference will take the field: the University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University. A third was supposed to play, but Baylor University postponed its weekend game after several Louisiana Tech players tested positive. Texas State will play again, this time against UT-San Antonio.

Returning to school is a test for the students, the schools and the state. Returning to football, with its wider audience and high visibility, raises the stakes.