Expect a small alteration for Horned Frogs v. LSU

Not necessarily a big fan of the trend of men's college football and men's basketball teams changing uniform schemes at halftime, but this fad is not going away.

A few birdies told ME EXCLUSIVELY that we should expect TCU to be sporting some new duds for its highly anticipated men's college football game against LSU at 8 p.m. on Aug. 31 at Cowboys Stadium.

BTW - There is no better time to play LSU; if TCU wins this game, put Gary Patterson in Canton, Cooperstown, Toronto and Springfield.

This sounds about right regarding some new unis'. It will be a big game on real national TV against a monster opponent, and an ideal time for Nike to roll out some cool new schemes and patterns for TCU.

Please, for the love of God, none of this throwback Zubaz crap. 

My suggestion? Go with Crimson and White. That is a color scheme that seems to work OK against LSU.

 

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Jerry Hughes & TCU's defensive end issues in the NFL

FORT WORTH, Texas - Since Gary Patterson was the TCU defensive coordinator his defenses have routinely produce quality defensive ends.

Jerry Hughes, Chase Ortiz, Braylon Broughton, Tommy Blake, Wayne Daniels, Bo Schobel, Robert Pollard, Aaron Schobel, and now Stansly Maponga and sophomore Devonte Fields.

These men produced lots of sacks, forced fumbles, and were All Americans, All Conference picks, etc. What else do all of these guys have in common? With the exception of Aaron Schobel, none of their college success translated up. They were all too short.

On Thursday at TCU Pro Day, Hughes watched Maponga and a handful of other hopefuls run through the myriad of drills in front of the many scouts and the three NFL assistant coaches who attended. 

Hughes was a first round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2010; the team thought he could be one of those smaller, but quick, defensive ends like Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis and eventually replace one. Those two may have been the quickest defensive ends in the league in their prime.

It wasn't until last offseason when the team moved Hughes to outside linebacker did he begin to produce.

"I am very grateful (Colts owner Robert) Irsay selected me in the first round," Hughes told me Thursday. "But when I first got there I wasn't sure what they wanted. I really never did get a straight answer. ... This past season went well. I think I adjusted pretty well and I'm getting more comfortable at linebacker and playing in space."

Hughes should always have been an outside linebacker in the NFL. In '12, he played in 16 games and finished with 41 tackles and a career-best four sacks. Hughes may never be a star, but he can be pretty good and have an NFL job.

Maponga is about the same height and weight as Hughes, and he should be converted into an OLB. That's what Pittsburgh Steelers scout and former LB Joe Greene told Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram.

Here is a look at some of the big name TCU defensive linemen in the past decade or so, and how they fared after college.

Jerry Hughes 6-2, 254. 1st rd pick of Colts in '10. Now an OLB.
Chase Ortiz 6-2, 255. Never made it out of preseason.
Braylon Broughton, 6-6, 272. Currently with Saints. Keeps getting looks because he is so big.
Tommy Blake, 6-3, 252. Never made it. Such a sad story of what should have been.
Aaron Schobel, 6-4, 243. The very best; 78 sacks in nine NFL seasons.
Wayne Daniels, 6-2, 250. Never made it.
Bo Schobel, 6-5, 264. Played 29 NFL games for three NFL teams from '04-'07.
Robert Pollard, 6-2, 261. Played for two teams in three NFL seasons.

These guys were all very good on defenses that thrived in Conference USA or the Mountain West. 

In the Big 12, Patterson is going to need bigger bodies, such as sophomore-to be Devonte Fields (6-4, 240), and as a result more of these guys should have a bit more luck sticking in the pros.

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1 year later - The TCU drug bust was a bust

It has been one year to the day when the world ended at TCU. A large group of TCU students, including four football players, were busted for selling drugs. The high point was the vigil held by the TCU students.

Why in the name of Stupid was a vigil necessary? This was a case of students being dramatic for the sake of being dramatic. No need to create drama when it usually falls into your lap at the worst time.

One TCU undergrad received a phone call from her grandmother in Panama, who told her she was coming to get her and that she had to leave the school immediately.

One year later we know this giant drug bust wasn't a case of 18 Pablo Escobars running TCU's campus. Nearly all of these people received little punishments - $300 for court costs. Some deferred adjudication probation.

One year later we know the once pristine football team is not immune to the problems that befall most major college football teams. 

One year later we know the only collateral from this has not been with the four football players directly involved but one who wasn't - quarterback Casey Pachall. 

One year later we know, because this was indeed an isolated incident, that the program has not turned into The 1990's University of Miami Hurricanes (although for the sake of winning that may not be the worst thing).

One year later we know this was a story only because it involved four football players - defensive tackle D.J. Yendrey, defensive back Devin Johnson, linebacker Tanner Brock and offensive tackle Ty Horn.

According to Texas State University, Yendrey has spent the previous semester at the school and practiced with the team. He will have one year of eligibility remaining to play for the Bobcats under former TCU coach Dennis Franchione.

Brock has enrolled at Sam Houston State, and will have one year of eligibility to play.

The general reaction from the TCU student body was more of embarrassment more than shock. The vast majority of students I spoke with just assumed this sort of thing happens. Maybe not the dealing, but certainly some use.
The people in and around TCU didn't much care for the news vans and the way this story was portrayed. These are the same people who would gladly consume such a story, and take a little glee, if it had happened in College Station, Waco or Lubbock.

One year later we know there was a little over-reaction to this story, but that both the school and the football team handled it the only way they could.

One year later, everybody has moved on. As they should.

 

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And Casey Pachall's future at TCU is ...

TCU's spring semester begins on Monday, Jan. 14 and quarterback Casey Pachall is scheduled to be in class and is returning to the football team, head coach Gary Patterson told me today.

"He finished all of his in-patient work and has been in out-patient work up until Friday," Patterson said. "He did everything we wanted him to do."

Pachall has not been with the team since his DUI in early October, after which he disenrolled from school. He had been living in Austin with his sister as he attended both in and out-patient treatment.

Pachall is scheduled to be with the team when they meet this afternoon. There are also other issues to be addressed, namely the continued counseling Pachall is seeking; Patterson said Pachall will be assigned a sponsor as well.

Patterson said he does not know if Pachall will be his team's starting quarterback, but that he will begin offseason workouts and training with the team. Patterson said Pachall has not lifted weights or thrown a ball in several months.

"He looks great; it's like he looked when he was a freshman," Patterson said. "Right now we feel really good about this. It's never going to be 100 percent perfect but there is a chance we did the right thing and made a difference."

Patterson added: "You gotta understand, everybody is going to be watching on this."

I asked Patterson if he, or anyone at TCU, has made it clear to Pachall that they stuck their neck out for him and he needs to return the favor.

"He already knows that. He knew that the first time. He knows," Patterson said. "He met with Campus Life and one of the reasons I feel so good about this is because they feel so good about it. They feel very comfortable with it."

If this goes right, Pachall will be this team's starting quarterback in the fall of 2013. His return will dramatically improve this team's chances in their second year in the Big 12.

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Casey Pachall's return "not a done deal yet"

(I have no idea what I will possibly write about when this story is finished ...)

TCU's spring semester begins Jan. 14 and apparently Horned Frogs quarterback Casey Pachall is "working hard, continuing the process."

One person familiar with the situation said, "It's still a work in progress. It's not a done deal yet."

According to a pair of sources, Pachall is not back with the team as he has yet to finish the treatment program outlined for him after he left TCU in October. 

It does appear as if Pachall has done all nearly all of the required work in order to school and re-join the football team. 

There were a lot of false rumors that Pachall had returned to practice and even spoken to the team. That's not the case. He remains living away from Fort Worth with a family member where he attends an out-patient clinic.

Pachall has already begun the process of re-enrolling, but there are some remaining hoops to be cleared - namely, medical professionals conferring with the school about Pachall, and how head coach Gary Patterson wants to proceed, not to mention the shortest of short leashes that will be granted by the administration.

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For TCU moving forward, it's all about the quarterback

TCU's first season in the Big 12 finished with a 7-6 record, and the desperate need for improvement at the quarterback position. Never was the more evident than during TCU's 17-16 loss in the Whatever Wings Bowl against Michigan State on Dec. 29.

For the first time since Gary Patterson took over as head coach at TCU he needs much more than a passer who merely drives the bus and stays out of the way. He needs an accurate passer who makes positive plays with his arm.

He has that in Casey Pachall, who if he had remained with the team the Frogs likely finish with nine wins. Who knows what Patterson has in sophomore Trevone Boykin?

In his first year as a starter Boykin showed promise, toughness, good arm strength and athleticism. He also showed his considerable inexperience, which is not his fault, and an inability to consistently make accurate throws.

Patterson does not trust this guy yet to make passes over the middle, or his decision making.

No official word on Pachall's return has been made.

Best case scenario is that Pachall returns to the team and "wins" the job in spring practice. For the sake of his pro chances, Pachall has to be assured the job is his. If not, he needs to transfer to a place where he is guaranteed to play. He can't sit.

This scenario would give TCU one full season under Pachall in '13, and potentially two years of Boykin in '14 and '15. It's not fair to Boykin, but neither is life.

The Frogs' demonstrated they have Big 12 caliber players across the board on defense, and at the skill receiver position. Defensive end Devonte Fields has a chance to be the best defensive player this school has produced since Bob Lilly.

Their offensive line, however, was often overmatched - they were manhandled by Michigan State - and for the season the rushing game averaged 3.9 yards per carry. Their quarterback was erratic.

There are countless positives for TCU's first season in the Big 12, but in order for the Frogs to play on a stage bigger than bowl games named after deep fried food the QB has to be better.

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