After an already historic season, the TCU Horned Frogs are looking to make a statement Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship against reigning champs Georgia.
The team, which previously held a 5-7 record in its 2021 season, is now 13-1 with new head coach Sonny Dykes. Additionally, the team gained major wins including in the Fiesta Bowl where the Horned Frogs withstood No.2 Michigan in a 51-45 win on New Year’s Eve. Max Duggan was also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy late last year.
The Horned Frogs are listed as 13 1/2-point underdogs against Georgia (14-0) in the championship game in California, according to Fanduel Sportsbook. They were 7 1/2-point underdogs against Michigan.
Linebacker Dee Winters said the predictions were simply fuel for the team.
“Obviously being the underdog is something we’re not unfamiliar with,” added standout receiver Quentin Johnston. “So going to try to just keep moving like we did the rest of the season. And keep our heads to the ground and keep playing football.”
TCU’s only loss this season was in overtime to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game after Heisman Trophy runner-up Max Duggan led them to 11 points in the final 7 1/2 minutes of regulation to tie the game. The Frogs won five games in the regular season by coming from behind after halftime, including double-digit deficits in back-to-back games against Top 25 teams in October.
“The interesting thing was we felt like we’ve been a physical team all year. And I think those inside the football program certainly recognize that,” Dykes said. “We felt like our success in the second half was because of that physical play, that mentality that we carried, really, all season. As the game went along, we felt like our guys got stronger and got more physical. And that’s been, you know, pretty consistent really throughout the year.”
NBCDFW.com has all things TCU leading up to tonight’s game. Check out this list of stories we’ve been working on.
TCU Journalism Students Prepare for National Championship GameFort Worth Fourth Graders Cheer on “Coach Max” DugganTCU Lineman Westley Harris Reports for NBC 5 During Media DayMeet the Team Behind TCU’s Viral HypnotoadPurple Wave Hits California’s Santa Monica PierTCU Mom and California Native A Walk Away from the Big GameTCU Athletic Director: We Exceeded ExpectationsNewy: TCU has the “Ultimate Shot to Win”Bobby: A Lifelong TCU FanTCU vs. Georgia: A House DividedPepper the Cat Predicts National Championship WinnerNBC 5 Exclusive Interview: TCU Former Coach Gary PattersonHead Coach Sonny Dykes “Proud” of TCU Historic Recruiting ClassMax Duggan Talks About Heisman Finalist Recognition
Tonight, TCU will face off against defending champs Georgia at SoFi Stadium with kickoff set at 6:30 p.m. CST. Here’s what to expect and look for during tonight’s game.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
A chance to enter the dynasty conversation for Georgia. The Bulldogs would become the the first school to win back-to-back College Football Playoff championships since its inception in 2014 and the first repeat national champion since Southeastern Conference rival Alabama did it in 2011 and ’12. TCU has one national title to its credit from 1938. The Horned Frogs would be the first Big 12 team to win the CFP and the first from the conference to win a national title in football since Texas in 2005.
KEY MATCHUP
TCU’s running game against Georgia’s front seven. The Horned Frogs ran for 263 yards against Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl, even with leading rusher Kendre Miller sidelined most of the game with a knee injury. Miller is a game-time decision. RB Emari Demercado stepped up with 150 yards on 17 carries last week. Creating holes against All-America DT Jalen Carter, starting LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson and the rest of the Bulldogs’ big and athletic front seven likely will require a healthy dose of QB Max Duggan in the running game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
TCU: WR Quentin Johnston. Nagged by injuries much of the season, Johnston broke out against Michigan with 163 yards on six catches. He has the size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) and speed to be the first receiver selected in the next NFL draft.
Georgia: TE Brock Bowers. The Bulldogs’ most dynamic playmaker on offense. He lines up all over the formation and will even take a handoff or two. Bowers leads the team with 56 catches for 790 and six touchdowns. He also has rushed for three scores.
FACTS & FIGURES
Georgia QB Stetson Bennett has accounted for 31 touchdowns and was the school’s first Heisman Trophy finalist since 1992. He is 177 yards shy of 4,000 yards passing this season and threw two fourth-quarter TD passes to lead the Bulldogs to a comeback win in the Peach Bowl semifinal against No. 4 Ohio State.
The victory against Michigan was TCU’s ninth of the season by 10 points or fewer. Duggan, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, has 32 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. He also has run for eight scores. Georgia TE Darnell Washington, a matchup nightmare at 6-7 and 270, expressed optimism he would be able to play after missing much of the Peach Bowl with an ankle injury. There has been only one national championship game since USC and Texas played for the title after the 2005 season that included no SEC teams. The first CFP championship was Ohio State over Oregon.
