Over the last several seasons we have seen our fair share of suprise teams make a run to the College Football Playoffs. It began in 2019 when the LSU Tigers made a historic run behind the heroics of Joe Burrow.
That was followed up in the 2021 season when the Michigan Wolverines overtook the Ohio State Buckeyes. That same season the first Group of Five team, Cincinnati, made it to the CFP semifinals. You can add the TCU Horned Frogs to the list with their 12-1 finish. It earned them the No. 3 ranking and they defeated No. 2 Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl to earn a national championship appearance but they were outclassed by Georgia.
According to 247Sports national analyst Chris Hummer, the TCU Horned Frogs aren’t a candidate to come close to their production from 2022.
What Hummer Says…
TCU’s 2022 season wasn’t just historic. It was an anomaly. Teams that recruit like TCU don’t make the national title game. The Horned Frogs shattered a glass ceiling. And while it feels silly to doubt a team that just accomplished that feat, it’s still likely the Horned Frogs come back to earth.
While Hummer expects a 10-2 campaign, that would certainly count as a tumble in his eyes. That likely puts them in contention for a Big 12 title game berth, they wouldn’t be among the top four teams for the College Football Playoffs in all likeliness. That would get them into a New Years Six bowl game if they were to win the conference title for the first time since 2014.
Losing the production from Max Duggan and Quentin Johnston won’t be easy to replace in 2023. Chandler Morris was the starting quarterback when they broke camp but an injury allowed Duggan to take back his starting job, which he never relinquished.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, we have the Oklahoma Sooners who can’t get much worse than their 6-7 campaign last season. Brent Venables has done a good job of adding talent to the roster but they need to go out and prove it. Their cupcake schedule, which features zero Power Five matchups in nonconference play, should help them win 8-9 games in 2023.
Check out Hummer’s full list of teams to rise and tumble in the upcoming season.