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Predictions: TCU Football at Iowa State

Can the Frogs get bowl eligible in the final game of the regular season?

NCAA Football: Kansas at Texas Christian Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

TCU Football will (maybe!) finish this tortured 2021 campaign in Ames later this afternoon, with a chance to earn one more game this season and send their seniors off with just the second bowl game of their four year tenure.

The Frogs O’ War staff chimes in on how the expect Black Friday’s finale to go.

TCU Football at Iowa State

Timestamp Name Max Duggan returned to the field last week and announced he plans to return for his senior season in Fort Worth, despite the coaching change. Who do you think starts for TCU in 2022? Speaking of the coaching change, it seems that ADJD has zeroed in on Sonny Dykes. What are your initial thoughts and can you talk yourself into this as anything but a disappointment? The Frogs will take on Iowa State at the tail end of disappointing seasons for both squads. The Cyclones were a preseason top ten and are now trying to avoid being .500. What went wrong for ISU? Breece Hall might be the most under appreciated star in the conference. Where do you rank him among B12 RBs? Matt Campbell has been linked to just about every open job the last couple of years. Where is he in 2022? Do you want the Frogs to make a bowl this year? What are the pros and cons of playing and extra game in your opinion? TCU has been oddly one of the best offenses in the conference this year despite having a losing record. Against the third elite defense they’ve seen in the last four games, they will perform more like they did against What is your score prediction for the game and how do we get there?
Timestamp Name Max Duggan returned to the field last week and announced he plans to return for his senior season in Fort Worth, despite the coaching change. Who do you think starts for TCU in 2022? Speaking of the coaching change, it seems that ADJD has zeroed in on Sonny Dykes. What are your initial thoughts and can you talk yourself into this as anything but a disappointment? The Frogs will take on Iowa State at the tail end of disappointing seasons for both squads. The Cyclones were a preseason top ten and are now trying to avoid being .500. What went wrong for ISU? Breece Hall might be the most under appreciated star in the conference. Where do you rank him among B12 RBs? Matt Campbell has been linked to just about every open job the last couple of years. Where is he in 2022? Do you want the Frogs to make a bowl this year? What are the pros and cons of playing and extra game in your opinion? TCU has been oddly one of the best offenses in the conference this year despite having a losing record. Against the third elite defense they’ve seen in the last four games, they will perform more like they did against What is your score prediction for the game and how do we get there?
11/24/2021 6:41:19 Garrett Podell Chandler Morris I think it's where the search was going the entire time. I think it's a win because Sonny Dykes has shown the ability to develop quarterbacks in his time at SMU from Ben Hicks to Shane Buchele and now Tanner Mordecai. The Horned Frogs could use a coach like him since TCU hasn't had a genuinely scary aerial attack since Kenny Hill's senior year. Dykes has also tapped the transfer portal to great success. Plus, forcing SMU to start over is an added bonus for TCU. Their defense hasn't been good enough. Brock Purdy and Breece Hall have produced this season, but the Cyclones allowing 38 to West Virginia and 41 to Texas Tech just won't cut it. Their defense hasn't held up their end of the bargain in 2021. Behind guys like Bijan and Zach but it’s close Ames, IA Yes, I do. The pros are it helps for recruiting as it gives TCU extra exposure on a national stage. It allows for players looking to head to the draft an extra showcase game, and it allows for the Horned Frogs to end the year on a high note. The cons are really only potential injuries to players, but with how beat up TCU has been this year it doesn't really seem like the injury front can get much worse. Baylor TCU 38, Iowa State 35. Max Duggan and Brock Purdy go score for score, but a breakaway run from Kendre Miller gets the Horned Frogs in field goal range for a Griffin Kell game winner.
11/24/2021 12:41:12 Deanna Rust Max Duggan I think it will be an interesting change for TCU with an offensive-focused HC, versus defensive. I’m hopeful that he can bring in a good DC, because I’m concerned that our already-struggling defense will continue to go downhill. But it could be fun to have a consistently strong offense for once. #brightside??? I feel like ISU has been played somewhat emotional, even more so than TCU. They lose to an opponent one week, then slaughter their opponent the following week. Then they feel a little overconfident and lose the next week. I don’t think their schedule has necessarily done them any favors, either, because they volley back and forth between playing really strong teams and playing weaker teams. And like TCU, I think the unexpected losses have hit them especially hard. They just can’t put all the pieces together at the same time week after week. Behind guys like Bijan and Zach but it’s close Taking over for the first B10 coach to leave I always want the Frogs to make a bowl, but I’m not holding my breath this season. And I won’t be upset if the season ends without one. With so much transition and change coming, I’m kind of ready to move on at this point. But it would be nice if the Seniors could get one more bowl game before the ending to a weird and terrible season. Baylor 38-35 TCU. Screw it. I’ll be the optimist. Let’s go, Frogs. I put ISU as the winner here and then decided that maybe, just maybe, this team has a little fight left in them this year. I think Duggan and Friends goes in there with their newfound mojo and gets some yards through the air for a closer game than the Cyclones expected. Our defense tackles, our kicker kicks, and our punter pins them at the 1 a couple times and has time to take a nap most of the time. The Frogs come out on top and get bowl eligible. Let’s do this.
11/24/2021 19:40:37 Anthony North Max Duggan Look, it’s not the end of the world, and maybe whomever we would have settled on would’ve felt inadequate regardless, but to get rid of Gary MF Patterson for this guy feels like a flop. The hope is he brings recruiting prowess, offensive firepower, and a top flight staff to develop and deploy the roster talent in a way that maximizes their skills. With all the hype and the eyes of the nation focused on Ames, they wore the eye-melting white-black-white uniform combo vs. their rival whose primary color is black. It was all in the hands of the Football Gods after that. How else can one explain losing in Lubbock on a walk off 62-yard FG? He’s healthy so he elevates to the top Taking over for the first B10 coach to leave Of course. Firstly, it means winning this week in Ames. Secondly, going to a bowl when the Longhorns won’t is delicious, even though UT beat TCU this year. But for the bowl itself, it’s extra weeks of practice and more game experience for a team needing every moment of help to grow. If anything, it’s something to think about that isn’t the transfer portal or coaching search or early signing day. The con, aside of added injury risk, would be if making a bowl for some reason slows AD Donati’s efforts to bring in the new Head Coach. Oklahoma State ISU wins 41-20. Breece Hall breaks the record for most consecutive games with a rushing TD, Brock Purdy looks like the NFL QB people once thought he was, and all of ISU’s walk-ons get to play on Senior Night, allowing a late TD to narrow the deficit to 3 TDs.
11/26/2021 10:14:44 Melissa Sam Jackson I am warming up to the idea. If Dykes can round out his staff with some high level guys (hello Ra'Shaad Samples and Graham Harrell) and keep some of the current guys, then all of a sudden I am a little more excited about things. Plus, hey, fun offense? Good recruiting? NIL deals galore? Dykes was safe so less exciting, but I think he can win in Fort Worth -- and will value the community much in the same way GP does. It's way different to be the target instead of the arrow. I think the Iowa State was (obviously) a little overhyped headed into the season; sure the Fiesta Bowl was huge for their program but they beat an Oregon team that only played for the Pac 12 title because of COVID knocking out the actual north champ. Brock Purdy is likely the greatest QB in ISU history, but he is flawed and limited and teams benefited from making him try and win games with his arm. And the defense wasn't sharp early in games, allowing teams to build big leads and hang on. Plus, my god, Matt Campbell -- HIRE A SPECIAL TEAMS COACH. He’s healthy so he elevates to the top Taking over for the first B10 coach to leave I know I should say yes, but... no. This is a banged up team that needs to rest and recover, and bringing in a new staff with just two weeks until the early signing period is brutal. I want them to be able to get on the road and rebuild this class, and would rather the program's energy be spent there. Baylor 38-24 Iowa State. The Frogs get some big plays early and hang tough with the Cyclones through the first half. But under the emotion of senior day, ISU pulls away late in the third quarter while the defense shuts TCU down.