TCU Horned Frogs Football

2025: Post-Playoff Hangover

2025 Record: 6-6 (4-5 Big 12) | AP Ranking: Unranked | Bowl: Texas Bowl vs. LSU

Two years ago they were in the national championship game. Now they’re 6-6. College football is brutal. — Mike

The vibes are off in Fort Worth. Something needs to change. — Jake

Quick Facts

Traditions: The Horned Frog hand sign, Riff Ram chant, SuperFrog doing push-ups after touchdowns, and being a private school that somehow has rowdy fans.

Mike & Jake’s Take

🛋️ Mike’s Take (Oklahoma State Fan)

I’m trying to figure out what happened to TCU, and I keep coming back to the same answer: regression to the mean.

The 2022 season was magical. Max Duggan playing out of his mind, everything going right, close games falling their way. They made the national championship game. It was incredible.

But that team overperformed. The 2023 team was a step back. The 2024 team was another step back. And the 2025 team… 6-6 is not where TCU expects to be.

The quarterback situation never stabilized. Josh Hoover showed flashes but was inconsistent. The offensive line had issues. The defense gave up too many big plays.

Sonny Dykes is a good coach. He proved that in 2022. But the portal churn has caught up with them, and the roster doesn’t have the depth it needs.

6-6 gets you a bowl game, which is fine. But TCU fans expect more. They should expect more. This is a program that’s been to multiple New Year’s Six bowls. They need to get back there. See our standings for how they stack up against the rest of the conference.

Confidence Level: Needs a reset

🍺 Jake’s Take (Texas Tech Fan)

TCU is in a weird spot.

Two years ago they were playing for a national championship. Now they’re a .500 team hoping to beat a mediocre SEC team in a December bowl game in Houston.

I don’t know what happened. The coaching is the same. The facilities are good. The location is great for recruiting. But something’s missing.

The Tech game this year was a good example. We won 28-21, and it felt like TCU was never really in control. They’d make a play, then give up a big one. Score, then allow a response. No momentum, no consistency.

The offense is supposed to be Dykes’ thing. Air Raid roots, creative play-calling, points. But they scored 21 or fewer in five games this year. That’s not Air Raid. That’s just… raid.

I think they bounce back. The 2022 season showed they can compete at the highest level. But 2025 was a disappointment, and there’s no way around it. More on how I handicap these situations in our Recliner vs Barstool explainer.

Confidence Level: Talented but underperforming

2025 Betting Trends

Mike’s Betting Notes: The ATS numbers are ugly. 5-7 overall, 2-4 on the road. TCU was overvalued by oddsmakers based on the 2022 reputation. The market will adjust next year. More betting context in our Big 12 Betting Guide.

Jake’s Betting Notes: Totals were a coin flip — 6-6. The offense sputtered, the defense was inconsistent. No strong lean either way on TCU overs/unders.

Key Players (2025)

Josh Hoover — QB

267-of-421 (63.4%) | 3,124 yards | 19 TD | 13 INT | 132.7 rating

The talent is there. The consistency isn’t. Hoover put up big numbers in some games and struggled badly in others. The 13 interceptions hurt.

Cam Cook — RB

167 carries | 812 yards | 4.9 YPC | 7 TD

Solid but not spectacular. Cook provided balance when the offense needed it but wasn’t a game-changer.

Namdi Obiazor — DL

52 tackles | 10 TFL | 6 sacks | 2 FF

The best player on defense. Obiazor was disruptive and physical, but he couldn’t carry the unit alone.

Rivals & Key Matchups

Baylor — The Revivalry. Two private Texas schools 90 miles apart. Games are chippy and mean. Baylor won 24-21 this year.

Texas Tech — Fort Worth vs. Lubbock. Different vibes, always competitive. Tech won 28-21.

SMU (Non-conference) — The Battle for the Iron Skillet. Intra-Dallas-area rivalry. SMU won this year, which TCU fans don’t want to talk about.

More

• Big 12 Betting Guide — Everything you need before placing a bet on any conference game
• The Recliner vs The Barstool — How we rate games (and why we never agree)
• New Fan’s Guide to Big 12 Football — Just getting into the conference? Start here
• Current Standings | This Week’s Schedule
• Our Predictions Archive — Full transparency on every pick we’ve made

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