Austin paper's early Top 25

[StangEsq]

Does TCU play any "real" teams next year? Or are they looking at another host of 3-point wins against Tulane, Houston, Arizona, Army, etc... They shouldn't have been a top 25 team this year. Take away Brown and they lose or tie several games against bad teams. Unless they're going to be a lot better next year, they shouldn't get the #17 spot.

[Hal]

How in the world is LSU ranked #5? They won half of the national championship and they have most of their team back (minus the QB, who's leaving early for the draft). And supposedly they included some stud JUCOs in their recruiting class, which means there are guys coming in who can play now.

Putting them behind OU is insane. First of all, they just beat OU, and it wasn't as close as the score might have suggested. Plus, who's OU losing? I haven't heard if Jason White has been granted his sixth year yet, but even if he stays, they lose Tommie Harris, Teddy Lehman, Brandon Everage, at least one more DL, at least one more LB and at least 2 (I think) OLs. That's not to suggest they're going to fall off the edge of the football earth, but to put them ahead of LSU seems a bit foolish, in my opinion.

Maybe the Austin paper just wants OU to be ranked as high as possible to reduce the sting a bit when the Sooners spank the Horns again in Dallas next year.

[ReedFrawg]

You are correct - I'm sure it was posted because TCU is in the top 20. However, I actually expect us to be better than last year given our depth, especially at the skill positions. I think last year's team greatly overachieved and we should (repeat should) be more talented next year. Will that translate into another 10 win season??? That remains to be seen.

Originally posted by Vitale:
At the risk of sounding like a flame, which is not my intent, would a TCU fan have posted this if the Frogs weren't mentioned? In my opinion, Texas and Florida are grossly overrated. And with all due respect to the accomplishments those purple folks in Fort Worth have had in recent years, they're losing way too much talent and should not crack the preseason top 25. If they roll through another season with a gaudy record, throw them back in there, but that team's going to have a totally different look next year, and the initial reports are that they'll take a step back.

On the other end of the spectrum, Maryland is very underrated on that list. The Terps lose their starting QB (McBrien, I think his name is), but I read where the two guys who will compete for the job might turn out to be even better. And they have great depth all over their offense, which coupled with Coach Friedgen's offensive creativity might mean a frightengly explosive offense in College Park. Likewise, Boise State is losing Dinwiddie, but most early projections I've seen have the Broncos even better than they were the last couple of years .... which is a little frightening for those teams on BSU's schedule.

[giacfsp]

Originally posted by ReedFrawg:
You are correct - I'm sure it was posted because TCU is in the top 20. However, I actually expect us to be better than last year given our depth, especially at the skill positions. I think last year's team greatly overachieved and we should (repeat should) be more talented next year. Will that translate into another 10 win season??? That remains to be seen....

I dunno, ReedF. As much as I love to root against your Frogs (you'd expect nothing less, right?), I thought your senior class this last season was the best I've ever seen at TCU, and by a wide margin. Replacing Schobel, Pugh, Browne, Glud, etc., will be no easy task (I hope). Maybe your guys will prove you right and prove me wrong, but that's a stout bunch of seniors walking away this year.

[ReedFrawg]

Originally posted by giacfsp:

Originally posted by ReedFrawg:
[b] You are correct - I'm sure it was posted because TCU is in the top 20. However, I actually expect us to be better than last year given our depth, especially at the skill positions. I think last year's team greatly overachieved and we should (repeat should) be more talented next year. Will that translate into another 10 win season??? That remains to be seen....

I dunno, ReedF. As much as I love to root against your Frogs (you'd expect nothing less, right?), I thought your senior class this last season was the best I've ever seen at TCU, and by a wide margin. Replacing Schobel, Pugh, Browne, Glud, etc., will be no easy task (I hope). Maybe your guys will prove you right and prove me wrong, but that's a stout bunch of seniors walking away this year. [/b]

This senior class was nowhere near as talented as the senior class we had in 2000 - 4 drafted in the first 4 rounds and over 10 making it into NFL camps. We only lose Glud on the OL and DL is really the only position where we lose anything noteworthy. We have basically everyone back at the skill positions on offense and our secondary should be much, much better than last year just by having Godbolt back and healthy - plus we supposedly signed one the best JUCO CBs in the country. We will need someone to step up on the DL, but other than that, I really believe we will be better next year. Like I said, though, that might not show up in the win column.

[Otto]

For your sake (since you sound like a very decent frog), I hope you're right -- except when you play us, of course.

You're right, TCU did really well in the draft that year: LT to the Chargers, Aaron Schobel to the Bills, George Layne to the Chiefs, Curtis Fuller to the Seahawks, Shawn Worthen to the Vikings and Cedric James to the Vikings. Not to mention the four Frogs who signed free-agent deals after the draft.

However, I still think this year's class is better. There's not a Tomlinson in the group, of course -- thankfully, TCU only has had one of him -- but this year's class, frankly, was terrific (ARGH! I can't believe I just wrote that about anything related to TCU....) Anyway, consider the departing Froggies:

CB Tyrone Sanders: a track All-America who was valuable, if not great, on the football field

PK Nick Browne: I hate this guy, because he might be the best college kicker I've ever seen. He's like Kris Brown used to be at Nebraska -- money. (Although Kris Brown was a lot bigger and stronger, this guy's leg is comparable, which is a little scary)

FB Kenny Hayter: not what he was supposed to be at UT, but still a big, solid blocker

SS Brandon Williams: big safety who played big. Faster than he looks, and he hit like all safeties want to hit. Very underrated

DE Bo Schobel: better than Aaron (and TE Matt). Thank god this guy's gone, and thank god there's no more of these guys headed to FW. This dude turned into a total freak

RB Ricky Madison: did I read that he was trying to get another year because of an injury or something?

LB Devon Davis: didn't become the all-World LB that some predicted he would, but holy smokes the guy is fast. He's another I'll be glad to see out of FW

LB Josh Goolsby: TCU's version of Craig Swann or Jason Simonton .... too small or too slow for some people's taste, but around the ball on every damn play and makes too many tackles to ignore.

OT John Glud: the biggest building in FW just left town, thankfully

OT Jon Morgan: a depth guy, but a big one -- let's move 'em all out of there

DT Chad Pugh: I thought this guy would never graduate - seems like he's been there forever

DE Robert Pollard: Ultimate run/pass DE - did dirty work, always overshadowed by Pugh and Schobel

OK, I can't believe I wrote all that positive stuff about the damn Frogs -- I'm going to go light my fingertips on fire now as a cleansing procedure, and I might slam my head in a car door a few times to prevent myself from ever writing anything nice about them again. However, all this is here simply to show how freakin' talented this year's TCU class was .... and how its departure hopefully means it's time for a reality check in Fort Worth.

[Frog81]

Originally posted by Otto:
For your sake (since you sound like a very decent frog), I hope you're right -- except when you play us, of course.

You're right, TCU did really well in the draft that year: LT to the Chargers, Aaron Schobel to the Bills, George Layne to the Chiefs, Curtis Fuller to the Seahawks, Shawn Worthen to the Vikings and Cedric James to the Vikings. Not to mention the four Frogs who signed free-agent deals after the draft.

However, I still think this year's class is better. There's not a Tomlinson in the group, of course -- thankfully, TCU only has had one of him -- but this year's class, frankly, was terrific (ARGH! I can't believe I just wrote that about anything related to TCU....) Anyway, consider the departing Froggies:

CB Tyrone Sanders: a track All-America who was valuable, if not great, on the football field

PK Nick Browne: I hate this guy, because he might be the best college kicker I've ever seen. He's like Kris Brown used to be at Nebraska -- money. (Although Kris Brown was a lot bigger and stronger, this guy's leg is comparable, which is a little scary)

FB Kenny Hayter: not what he was supposed to be at UT, but still a big, solid blocker

SS Brandon Williams: big safety who played big. Faster than he looks, and he hit like all safeties want to hit. Very underrated

DE Bo Schobel: better than Aaron (and TE Matt). Thank god this guy's gone, and thank god there's no more of these guys headed to FW. This dude turned into a total freak

RB Ricky Madison: did I read that he was trying to get another year because of an injury or something?

LB Devon Davis: didn't become the all-World LB that some predicted he would, but holy smokes the guy is fast. He's another I'll be glad to see out of FW

LB Josh Goolsby: TCU's version of Craig Swann or Jason Simonton .... too small or too slow for some people's taste, but around the ball on every damn play and makes too many tackles to ignore.

OT John Glud: the biggest building in FW just left town, thankfully

OT Jon Morgan: a depth guy, but a big one -- let's move 'em all out of there

DT Chad Pugh: I thought this guy would never graduate - seems like he's been there forever

DE Robert Pollard: Ultimate run/pass DE - did dirty work, always overshadowed by Pugh and Schobel

OK, I can't believe I wrote all that positive stuff about the damn Frogs -- I'm going to go light my fingertips on fire now as a cleansing procedure, and I might slam my head in a car door a few times to prevent myself from ever writing anything nice about them again. However, all this is here simply to show how freakin' talented this year's TCU class was .... and how its departure hopefully means it's time for a reality check in Fort Worth.

Yes, it was a good class, but the talent left in Ft. Worth is still just as high, especially when the JUCO players we got fill in for the lost DLinemen. QB, RB, WR are all loaded with depth. The OLine only loses 1 starter, and the ones that are left are all high quality. The DLine holes will be filled with two great JUCO players, and the linebackers will be fine. In fact, it appears that Goolsby may be back next year with a Medical Redshirt. The secondary will be even stronger. We lose Williams and Sanders, but Sanders got burned to often anyway. There are plenty of replacements for Williams, and two great JUCO corners will more than replace Sanders. Not to mention all the players we get back which were injured much of the year. You're going to have to keep hoping for this so called reality check for quite some time.

[ReedFrawg]

Originally posted by Frog81:

Originally posted by Otto:
[b] For your sake (since you sound like a very decent frog), I hope you're right -- except when you play us, of course.

You're right, TCU did really well in the draft that year: LT to the Chargers, Aaron Schobel to the Bills, George Layne to the Chiefs, Curtis Fuller to the Seahawks, Shawn Worthen to the Vikings and Cedric James to the Vikings. Not to mention the four Frogs who signed free-agent deals after the draft.

However, I still think this year's class is better. There's not a Tomlinson in the group, of course -- thankfully, TCU only has had one of him -- but this year's class, frankly, was terrific (ARGH! I can't believe I just wrote that about anything related to TCU....) Anyway, consider the departing Froggies:

CB Tyrone Sanders: a track All-America who was valuable, if not great, on the football field

PK Nick Browne: I hate this guy, because he might be the best college kicker I've ever seen. He's like Kris Brown used to be at Nebraska -- money. (Although Kris Brown was a lot bigger and stronger, this guy's leg is comparable, which is a little scary)

FB Kenny Hayter: not what he was supposed to be at UT, but still a big, solid blocker

SS Brandon Williams: big safety who played big. Faster than he looks, and he hit like all safeties want to hit. Very underrated

DE Bo Schobel: better than Aaron (and TE Matt). Thank god this guy's gone, and thank god there's no more of these guys headed to FW. This dude turned into a total freak

RB Ricky Madison: did I read that he was trying to get another year because of an injury or something?

LB Devon Davis: didn't become the all-World LB that some predicted he would, but holy smokes the guy is fast. He's another I'll be glad to see out of FW

LB Josh Goolsby: TCU's version of Craig Swann or Jason Simonton .... too small or too slow for some people's taste, but around the ball on every damn play and makes too many tackles to ignore.

OT John Glud: the biggest building in FW just left town, thankfully

OT Jon Morgan: a depth guy, but a big one -- let's move 'em all out of there

DT Chad Pugh: I thought this guy would never graduate - seems like he's been there forever

DE Robert Pollard: Ultimate run/pass DE - did dirty work, always overshadowed by Pugh and Schobel

OK, I can't believe I wrote all that positive stuff about the damn Frogs -- I'm going to go light my fingertips on fire now as a cleansing procedure, and I might slam my head in a car door a few times to prevent myself from ever writing anything nice about them again. However, all this is here simply to show how freakin' talented this year's TCU class was .... and how its departure hopefully means it's time for a reality check in Fort Worth.

Yes, it was a good class, but the talent left in Ft. Worth is still just as high, especially when the JUCO players we got fill in for the lost DLinemen. QB, RB, WR are all loaded with depth. The OLine only loses 1 starter, and the ones that are left are all high quality. The DLine holes will be filled with two great JUCO players, and the linebackers will be fine. In fact, it appears that Goolsby may be back next year with a Medical Redshirt. The secondary will be even stronger. We lose Williams and Sanders, but Sanders got burned to often anyway. There are plenty of replacements for Williams, and two great JUCO corners will more than replace Sanders. Not to mention all the players we get back which were injured much of the year. You're going to have to keep hoping for this so called reality check for quite some time. [/b]

Nick Browne - Big loss.

D Line - Big Losses

Sanders and Williams - Sanders was awful this year and Williams wasn't even a full-time player. Secondary will be much, much better.

Hayter - Solid at FB but certainly replaceable.

Devon Davis - Greatly underachieved.

Goolsby - Solid, but not spectacular.

Morgan - Not a starter.

Glud - Big Loss but we are deep at OL.

Madison - Didn't even play last year so his loss won't affect the '04 team.

I know you think I am being a homer, but we should be better next year. There is no comparing last year's senior class with the 200 senior class - its not even close.

[giacfsp]

Originally posted by Otto:
.... OK, I can't believe I wrote all that positive stuff about the damn Frogs -- I'm going to go light my fingertips on fire now as a cleansing procedure, and I might slam my head in a car door a few times to prevent myself from ever writing anything nice about them again....

Kind of going off the deep end, aren't you?
But your principles are admirable!