From The Frog Board

[50's PONY]

The following was posted on the TCU message board by Boston Frog:

I have nothing to say that hasn't probably been said by now. I take no joy in this whatsoever, but it looks as though I wasn't wrong last week when I said that the days of bowl games and top-25 finishes were over. (I WANTED to be wrong, though.) I wasn't the first to say it, either--but that's beside the point.

I said last week that the Tech loss set us back six years, back to the beginning of the Fran era. It's worse than that. This program is in a complete free-fall. This is not a rebuilding year for TCU. This is the beginning of the end. The era that began with some great Sullivan recruiting classes (how soon we forget who brought LT, the Big Uglies and a lot of other talent to TCU) and gave us two of our best teams ever in 2000 and 2002 is coming to a crashing halt.

First, let's get this straight: The last six years have been a lot of fun. They brought us the thrill of the Sun Bowl, the excitement of an underrated follow-up season in 1999, MAYBE the best TCU team ever in 2000 (with all due respect to Sammy, Davey and Abe's teams, the world was different back then), and a very good team in 2002 that won the Liberty Bowl, the "national championship" of non-BCS teams.

Let's also get this straight: Last year was a FLUKE. We beat a bunch of bad teams by three points in each game. NOBODY (myself included) wanted to admit it last year, but just about any mid-level BCS team could have gone 11-1 with our schedule last year, if not 12-0. Nick Browne saved us from a 7-4 season. Had we managed to beat Southern Miss last year, we would have lost a BCS bowl by 7 TDs and set back the non-BCS movement by years, if not killed it completely.

Like it or not, Fran (playing with Sully's recruits) will always be remembered as the coach who gave us a few memorable years. GP has not done a bad job, but he's not showing the ability to sustain the success of the program. That's the difference between a good coach and a great coach. A good coach can keep a program going through a couple of good years--especially after taking over for another successful coach. A great coach sustains that success. GP is not a great coach. From all I've read, his frustration is showing. He sees the writing on the wall. He knows his own limitations and those of the program.

If you're trying to point to the ONE thing that is going wrong with this program right now, you're going to need a lot of fingers and maybe even some toes. First, I don't think I need to say anything else about game-day coaching, but I'll point out (with everybody else) that GP's teams have an established pattern of playing not to lose, blowing leads and giving away (or almost giving away) games in the fourth quarter. Champions don't do any of that. Teams coached by great coaches don't do it, either. Oddly enough, Fran also did the blowing leads bit and had a few rough fourth quarters himself--maybe GP learned too much from him.

Second, I'm very concerned by the attitudes of our players. GP mentioned this, and, although I would have liked for him to take more blame for last week's loss, he probably had a point. You all have mentioned it, too. Our guys are cocky (Godbolt's comment during the Tech game--WTF??) and (according to a LOT of posts on here) don't seem to play with a lot of heart. SOME of that has to reflect on the coaching staff, but these guys aren't junior high kids. They should be mature enough to "play within themselves" by now but still show some fire. YOU CAN'T COACH HEART--and, as intangible as it is, is IS a factor in winning and losing games.

Also, let's talk seriously about recruiting. Yes, we have some good players. BUT, on the whole, recruiting has dropped off dramatically over the last few years. Let's not pretend that the guys who run all those recruiting services are idiots. They know what they're talking about, and they're now being proven to have been right about our last few classes. Talent makes wins happen--in ANY sport. If you don't have it, even the best coach in the world will struggle. A mediocre coach will REALLY struggle.

Let's admit, too, that Fran's famous scheduling leftovers haven't helped us a bit. Our kids were overwhelmed by the atmosphere in LUBBOCK--a place were TCU used to go every two years without getting 70 hung on it and losing by 5 TDs. I'll grant you that we didn't win there very often at all, but I wouldn't say that we were overwhelmed. Yes, we played well in Lincoln in 2001, and, yes, we go to Norman next year. But, game after game against Vandy and SMU OOC has not helped us one bit. Better to lose by 40 at OU or UT a few times and get some experience than to win by 3 in Arizona. Look at Fresno winning big road games--they've taken their lumps for years now, and it's paying off. Unfortunately, it looks as though we've strengthened our schedule a little too late.

Finally, let's put this whole thing in perspective. The last six years has been a massive, expensive, somewhat successful, fun but ultimately futile struggle to get into the BCS. We had to get into the BCS before the BCS got us. Well, we didn't. That's not totally our fault--it's not as though Louisville, USF and Cincy really deserve to be there in front of us, despite what happened yesterday. On balance over the last few years, we've been as good as or better than they've been. But, watch them now--they'll get that magical BCS money and take off. Everybody will talk about their "miraculous turnarounds" or the way their programs have "stepped up." Our program could step up, too, with that kind of cash rolling in every year. For whatever reason, though, we've missed our window. The BCS has locked us out, and we're seeing the results. WE CANNOT KEEP UP with BCS programs in ANY WAY working outside the system. Oh, sure, we're better than Baylor or Vandy, but look what happened to us at Tech. Look at the differences in the teams. We didn't get the BCS--THE BCS GOT US.

So, what do we do now? Support the team? Of course. We're all fans, all proud to be Horned Frogs. That's not the issue here. Should we fire GP? If we do, what coach will we find willing to come to a small, private, non-BCS school? Calisooner has a point there, folks. If we don't see GP go, we're likely to see the continued slide of this program for all the reasons mentioned above. Damned if we do, damned if we don't... or just damned, it would appear. Does anybody know the number of the next Fran? 'Cause if you look outside, you'll find that the sky REALLY IS falling.

[Eddie P]

That move to the MWC is looking better and better, eh?

[Water Pony]

I don't want to pile on and I don't take joy in TCU losing, but sustaining their record year after year would be unlikely for any school, except for a dozen or so traditional BCS power schools.

My point all this year is when reality sets in or TCU has an average or worse year, the big losers will the TCU student-athletes, their parents and fans, who will have to support them, when they move to the Mountain West and MT and PT time zones. The hubris has been hard to take and, when you combined it with their present performance, the conference change will make it worse for them.

As for us, we have further to travel, just to get to respectable. But, we will arrive there and beyond . . soon.

[The PonyGrad]

TCU could very possibly go 5-6 this season.

[Sam I Am]

I love to beat the Frogs, period. But I will take no delight is watcihng them collapse as predicted. Their move to the MWC is a huge mistake because it will not lead to BCS status, but I do not condemn them for trying to move up if possible. SMU will be just fine in CUSA, and that is all that matters to me.

[ponyte]

TCU is 2-2 and has plenty of games ahead on the schedule that TCU can win. Two loses don't equal the end of the world. TCU will be alright this year.

Our job is to get better and make CUSA a better confernce next year.

[Mustangs35SMU]

I love to beat the Frogs, period. But I will take no delight is watcihng them collapse as predicted. Their move to the MWC is a huge mistake because it will not lead to BCS status, but I do not condemn them for trying to move up if possible. SMU will be just fine in CUSA, and that is all that matters to me.

Totally agree with you

[Hoop Fan]

I have mixed feelings on this topic. They beat the ever lovin you know what out of us, so its somewhat absurd to talk about their demise. Still, I have never feared Gary Patterson as a coach and leader of that program. Patterson just doesn't have that intangible. In fact, as a recruiter and face guy for your program, I would rather take Bennett any day. That doesnt mean either are gods gift to coaching.

I actually think TCU made a better hire in basketball with Neil Daughtery. I'd rather have Jimmy Tubbs, but Daughtery is dangerous so to speak.

[Frog03]

For the record, this was posted by one of the most fairweather fans we have, and he lives in France at that. He's constantly doom and gloom, even in the midst of Top 25 finishes. If you actually think thats what TCU fans think, you're out of your mind.

[Hoofbeat83]

i think most of us know tcu's program isn't going down the tubes.

[Stallion]

No they ain't going down the tubes BUT there has been an undeniable downward trend in their recruitment of freshmen recruits. They've done a nice job getting some quality JUCOs plus in the last year have really got some stud Division 1A transfers that will help make up the difference. You don't start feeling the real effects though for 3-4 years. I do think the day when TCU can take SMU for granted may be closing. We're not there yet but next year in Dallas might get interesting as SMU will be a much more mature talented team.

[smudad]

Actually, I work with a bunch of the not-so-fair weather TCU fans. They are more than a little worried. While they know things can get better, they also know the basis of success for non-BCS schools can be very fragile. Hard-earned gains can vanish quickly. They caught lightening in a bottle. Let it slip away and it may be tough to regain. There are some long faces here. BTW, they are also genuinely glad to see SMU get back in the Win column.

[PonySnob]

I do think the day when TCU can take SMU for granted may be closing.

Given that the kicked our [deleted] 44-0 - let's hope that the day gets here soon!

[Dooby]

No they ain't going down the tubes BUT there has been an undeniable downward trend in their recruitment of freshmen recruits. They've done a nice job getting some quality JUCOs plus in the last year have really got some stud Division 1A transfers that will help make up the difference. You don't start feeling the real effects though for 3-4 years. I do think the day when TCU can take SMU for granted may be closing. We're not there yet but next year in Dallas might get interesting as SMU will be a much more mature talented team.

Positive Stallion Alert.

[Southland]

TCU could very possibly go 5-6 this season.

agreed... but if they go 6-5 or 10-1 or 8-3, it doesn't matter. As long as they have a winning season, they go to the Ft. Worth Bowl. That will always be the feather in their cap.

I would imagine they will find success in the Mountain West - easily the biggest fraud in Division 1A. The conference has never had its champion (or any school) finish in the BCS top 15 (something the MAC, WAC and CUSA have all done multiple times), and the conference has three total NCAA tournament wins in its history (Tulsa had that many in 2000 alone).

I think TCU fan will dislike the MST kick-offs, but love the weak competition with media juice.