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Editor's note: This is part of a series previewing each of the opponents on BYU's inaugural Big 12 schedule, beginning with the Cougars' Sept. 23 road opener at Kansas and leading up to defending champion Kansas State before fall camp opens in August.
SALT LAKE CITY — The first team from the Big 12 Conference to win a College Football Playoff game and advance to the national championship wasn't even the league champion last year.
Maybe that will leave a bucket list item for TCU to check off a year later.
The Horned Frogs fell to Kansas State in overtime of the Big 12 championship game a year ago, the only blemish on Sonny Dykes' first year in Fort Worth before a Fiesta Bowl win over Michigan and the 65-7 loss to No. 1 Georgia in the title game in Los Angeles.
The next step may be even harder: proving that last year's success wasn't mere happenstance a year after sending a school-record eight players to the NFL draft.
"Last year was a fun season for TCU football," Dykes said during Big 12 media days. "We came last year and didn't have very high expectations. I think we were picked seventh in the preseason poll, and I probably would have picked us lower, honestly, than I think the media did just based on what was coming back and the coaching change and all the stuff that transpired.
"But man, you've got to give our players a ton of credit. We had a good nucleus of players. But what made that group interesting and fun to coach is we were better collectively than we were individually, and that's the sign of a great team, and I think that's what we had last year."
With quarterback Max Duggan and record-setting wide receiver Quentin Johnston both off to the NFL, Dykes will look to replace an offense that returns just three starters with a new offensive coordinator in Kendal Briles.
The Horned Frogs also bring back backup quarterback Chandler Morris, who was the team's starter before an injury gave way to Duggan in last year's season opener.
Is there a reason Morris beat out the eventual Heisman Trophy runner-up prior to the 2022 season kickoff? There's a chance the offense could be perfectly suited to Morris, with a fast and loose scheme and an arm to match. Morris will also welcome Oklahoma State transfer JP Richardson, providing a reliable target who had 504 yards and four touchdowns for the Cowboys a year ago before starring during the Frogs' spring practices.
Of course, it also helps that TCU brings back a loaded defense with seven returning starters, including a back seven that includes first-team All-Big 12 cornerback Josh Newton and starting linebacker Johnny Hodges in Joe Gillespie's second season overseeing the defense in Fort Worth.
That should provide a base of improvement for a defense that finished 90th nationally in scoring defense and 95th in total defense last year.
"At the end of the day, I don't care if we're running triple option, I don't care if we're throwing the ball 60 times a game, I don't care if we have to win 55-48 or 3-0," Dykes said. "My goal is to try to win football games."
