Every cloud hanging over Texas Christian University this season had a touch of purple in the lining.
The Big 12 Championship Title loss to Kansas State on Saturday certainly darkened the North Texas skies after a season of sunshine, but a break in the gloom came with the announcement that TCU would face No.2 Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl for a shot at the National Title Game.
At the start of this year, no one gave TCU a real chance. The team entered the season ranked seventh in the Big 12 and was mocked by rivals for the flashy purple-draped helicopter introduction of new head coach Sonny Dykes, poached from a hugely successful career at underrated AAC rival Southern Methodist University.
The Frogs had let long-time winner Gary Patterson walk to Texas in a move that was certain to draw ire from locals and alumni alike.
The revised NCAA transfer portal opened opportunities for Dykes to bring in players to augment a program that Patterson left largely on the right track toward success despite a 5-7 record. Running back Emani Bailey from LSU, Texas tight end Jared Wiley, Colorado defensive back Mark Perry, and Navy linebacker Johnny Hodges are among the top names to make an impact this season for TCU through the transfer portal.
No name has been more important to this team’s success than that of Max Duggan. His journey could conclude with a Heisman Trophy after a heroic effort against Kansas State.
The image of Duggan on his knees, totally gassed and bloody after scoring a touchdown, then witnessing him rise up with the help and support of teammates and execute a flawless two-point conversion to send the Big 12 Title game to overtime doesn’t fully capture what he has brought to this team to overcome the difficulties of the season.
Casual observers will look at the Fiesta Bowl game on New Year’s Eve as something of a farce — a lucky Big 12 team taking on the juggernaut that is Michigan. The Wolverines have a storied history of producing big-name draft picks and potential Hall of Fame NFL players.
Numbers, stats, and history will play a significant factor in judging which team stands the best chance at winning. But this may be the time when the onlookers will start to see the Big 12 as more than just an inferior league struggling to cut teeth.
After all, Texas and Oklahoma have already hopped on the train to the SEC to face stiffer competition and build a better product. Neither could beat TCU this year.
Maybe the Dykes era in Fort Worth begins with a National Championship and Horned Frog players lighting up draft boards and stats sheets for years to come. Potentially, however, it is nothing more than an opportunity to test the mettle of a fearless group of players against a disciplined challenger on the national stage.
Either way, history will be made on December 31 when the Frogs face the Wolverines in the Fiesta Bowl.
