No team had a bigger gripe about not getting into the first College Football Playoff than the TCU Horned Frogs. The argument could be made that the Frogs arrived a year earlier than they were scheduled to in 2014 though, and that could be bad news for the rest of America in 2015.
2015 SCHEDULE
9/3: @ Minnesota
9/12: vs. Stephen F. Austin
9/19: vs. SMU
9/26: @ Texas Tech
10/3: vs. Texas
10/10: @ Kansas State
10/17: @ Iowa State
10/29: vs. West Virginia
11/7: @ Oklahoma State
11/14: vs. Kansas
11/21: @ Oklahoma
11/27: vs. Baylor
SEASON WIN TOTAL
This schedule isn't fun for TCU, and asking it to win more than 10 games this season is going to be quite tough. Many believe that this is the best team in America, and they might be right. However, we have a tough time believing that a team with six road games on the schedule alongside home games against Texas, West Virginia and Baylor is a lock to only get beaten twice throughout the season’s entirety.
Asking for 10 wins at a -150 vig on the over is tough!
OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK
Teams which average 46.5 points per game as TCU did last season generally don't end up producing that output once again the following season.
Then again, teams which averaged 46.5 points per game don't generally bring back 10 starters on offense either.
Yes, 10 of TCU's starters are back from last season's dream year, led by Trevone Boykin, whom many believe is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy to start the year. Boykin threw for 3,901 yards and 33 TDs and rushed for 707 more yards and eight scores.
Aaron Green and B.J. Catalon are both back in the backfield, while Josh Doctson will again likely be headed towards a 1,000-yard receiving season.
DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK
Patterson's strength is on the defensive side of the ball, and he is going to have some work to do here. The Horned Frogs weren't great defensively in big games last year (though you wouldn't have known that against Ole Miss in their bowl game), and only four of the 11 starters are back this season.
Chris Hackett is the only returner with All-Big XII honors under his belt, which isn't a good sign going forward. Still, Josh Carraway and Mike Tuaua could make big strides along the defensive line, and that would go a long way towards fixing the problems that this team had last year on 'D'.
SEASON PREDICTION
If it wasn't for this schedule, we would certainly say that TCU could win the National Championship this year. Still, there is going to be this sentiment floating around in the CFP Committee room that the Horned Frogs got snubbed last year, and they aren't going to want to make the same mistake twice, especially after watching them drub the Rebs in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.
All of the signs really look good for TCU. The team is +155 to get into the playoff, second only to Ohio State, and it is +925 to win it all, third to the Buckeyes and the Crimson Tide. Boykin is also +750 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Going on the road though, is devastating in college football, and there isn't an easy out in the Big XII once they leave Ft. Worth. The Horned Frogs could be out of this discussion in September if they lose to either Minnesota or Texas Tech on the road, both of which are at least plausible possibilities with what could be a really bad defense.
If TCU gets rolling though, it might have the scariest offense in America, which makes it a legitimate contender to win the National Championship.
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