TCU made history on Sunday morning when the Horned Frogs became the first Texas program to earn a berth into the College Football Playoffs. TCU (12-1) didn’t lose in Sonny Dykes’ first season in charge until the Big 12 Championship game against Kansas State, and it took the Wildcats overtime to dispatch of the Horned Frogs. 

TCU is the three-seed in the four-team format. The Horned Frogs will play Michigan on Dec. 31 in Arizona at the Fiesta Bowl. Georgia will play Ohio State in the other semifinal.  

Dykes took over a TCU team that went 5-7 in 2021. The program was 16-18 in the three years preceding his arrival. Max Duggan, who entered the year on the bench in favor of Chandler Morris, should get an invite to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation. He’s completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,321 yards and 30 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He also added 404 yards and six rushing touchdowns. 

The TCU defense also improved thanks to new leadership. The Horned Frogs allowed 34.92 points per game last campaign. Opponents averaged 5.8 rushing yards per attempt and scored 34 times on the ground. Under Joe Gillespie in 2021, the TCU defense only allowed 25 points per game, 4.1 yards per rushing attempt, and 21 rushing touchdowns.