Why TCU is in prime position to rule the Big 12

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Who will run the Large 12 when Oklahoma and Texas soar ship — probably as quickly as 2024 — for the greener pastures of the SEC?

That simply is perhaps Texas Christian College, a faculty whose complete alumni base seemingly may match inside Texas’ 100,000-seat Darrell Ok. Royal Stadium.

After the Horned Frogs beat Michigan 51-45 within the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday to seal a berth within the nationwide championship sport, that appears downright probably.

The win makes TCU the primary program from Texas to play for a nationwide title because the Longhorns misplaced to Alabama within the BCS Championship sport on Jan. 7, 2010. On that day, present TCU quarterback Max Duggan was a few months shy of turning 9 years outdated and the Horned Frogs performed within the Mountain West Convention. You possibly can guess the recruiting impression will probably be felt throughout the talent-rich state, the place youngsters who grew up eager to be Colt McCoy will now fake to be Duggan, who battled again in opposition to Michigan throughout a wildly entertaining second half.

“I believe it’s a game-changer fairly frankly,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes stated earlier than the sport was performed. “I believe that’s all people’s message. … There’s already a excessive stage of curiosity from some actually good gamers throughout Texas and throughout the nation, and I believe that is going to do nothing however improve our means to go and recruit among the finest soccer gamers within the nation.

“Clearly, when you can too promote the face that, look we’re going to have a possibility to play for a nationwide championship, that’s actually all you possibly can ask for. I believe that’s going to be an enormous feather in our cap.”

With the CFP set to broaden after another four-team run subsequent 12 months, the premium on spots will now not be restricted to the SEC and Large Ten, each of which have gotten a number of groups in in the course of the four-team mannequin on the expense of the Pac-12 and Large 12. Abruptly, being a faculty that may recruit the talent-rich Dallas Fort-Value space, can constantly win in a weakened Large 12 and simply had the very best season in program historical past appears a gorgeous proposition.

That’s an unlikely place for a program that drifted within the wilderness after the Southwest Convention’s dissolution. Twenty-five years in the past, TCU had a 1-10 report within the Western Athletic Convention, with losses to New Mexico, Texas-El Paso and Rice. Three conferences later, the Horned Frogs are in place to turn out to be a nationwide energy.

“I believe in quite a lot of methods, TCU — clearly earlier than I used to be there, actually earlier than any of those gamers have been there — it’s at all times been a combat for credibility,” Dykes stated earlier than the sport.

After this victory, that combat is completed and dusted.