MMQB: Business Handled

The Frogs will play in a bowl game this season.

The Frogs clinched bowl eligibility with a convincing win over Oklahoma State this past Saturday by a final score of 38-13. Oklahoma State is not a good football team this year and the Frogs took care of business with a well-rounded performance against the Cowboys. TCU moved to 6-4 on the year and 4-3 in conference with the win, setting themselves up to finish the season strong and earn a bid to a respectable bowl game.

The Good:

Turnover Margin: A recurring issue for TCU Football this season has been the inability to take care of the ball on offense and generate turnovers on defense. Neither of those were issues on Saturday as the offense played their second straight turnover-free game and the defense forced three turnovers from Oklahoma State. Josh Hoover has done a great job making smart decisions with the football the past two weeks, being comfortable finding his checkdowns and tucking the ball away when he is about to be sacked. The in-season development from Hoover is a great sign for the program moving forward. Credit needs to be given to TCU ball carriers for not putting the ball on the ground either. The TCU offense has been prolific in 2024 and has only been slowed down by preventable turnovers. Correcting the turnover issues has allowed this unit to take a major step forward.

For years, Bud Clark has been a ballhawk on the back end of TCU’s defense, using his athleticism and closing speed to make interceptions. This season, Clark has played well but has not seen as many passes thrown his way meaning he only had one interception coming into this game. Clark added a second pick to his 2024 campaign with a nice play in coverage against an OSU tight end. Clark was responsible for another turnover, stripping Ollie Gordon of the football to stop a promising OSU drive. Freshman Travis Jackson had the second pick of the game for the Frogs, showing off the athleticism to drop into coverage from his defensive end position and jump into the passing lane to make the interception. The TCU defense showed off its playmaking ability on Saturday.

Passing game: Another game, another big day for Josh Hoover and his receivers through the air. Hoover completed 74% of his passes on the way to 286 yards and one touchdown and surely would have had more if the game had been closer and TCU needed to continue scoring. Hoover had no issues moving the ball against the Oklahoma State defense and continues to play like one of the best quarterbacks in the conference. Hoover did a good job of using his legs on Saturday as well, scrambling a few times when the play broke down.

JP Richardson had an excellent game against his former team with seven catches for 100 yards. Richardson’s reliability out of the slot has been key for the Frogs this season. Jack Bech had another solid game with five catches for 59 yards. Savion Williams caught five passes for 52 yards and one touchdown. Shoutout to the TCU coaching staff for not overthinking their playcalling and finding their six-foot-five receiver in the red zone. Watching the TCU passing attack this season has been a treat with weapons everywhere and a quarterback that spreads the ball around and has the talent to make every throw.

Future: As TCU closes in on the end of their 2024 regular season, fans got a look at a few young players who could take a step forward and be major contributors in 2025. Jordyn Bailey was chief among those with a SportsCenter top ten-worthy 59-yard touchdown run. Bailey was also solid in kickoff return duties and caught two passes for 11 yards on Saturday. TCU has a long history of excellent kick returners and Bailey could be next in line. I also expect him to be the primary slot receiver when JPR graduates as Bailey has flashed solid route running and excellent hands (see his touchdown catch against Baylor last week).

Travis Jackson was another young player who flashed with the previously mentioned interception along with a sack and two tackles. Jackson projects as a solid run and pass defender with the size to hold up against double teams and the athleticism to win on the pass rush. Cam Cook had a very good game as he averaged 6.7 yards per carry on his way to 47 yards and two touchdowns. Cook showed patience, short area quickness, and burst on the edge against the Cowboys. It was fun to see future key players for the Frogs flash against OSU.

Going bowling: With this win, the Frogs will be playing in a bowl game this season which is a significant achievement that is important for the direction of the program. Of course, the goal for TCU football should not simply be to make a bowl game, but after a 5-7 season and a complete change in the defensive system, clinching bowl eligibility with two games left in the regular season is something to be excited about. In the age of NIL and social media, playing another game on national television to get more exposure to the program is significant, not to mention the extra practices that come with playing in a bowl game.

The Bad:

Rush Defense: There was not much to complain about in this game for the Frogs but the rush defense could have played better against the Cowboys. Ollie Gordon had a solid day on the ground, averaging almost 5 yards per carry for 121 yards and one touchdown. Part of this is because TCU is missing its two starting defensive tackles to injury, but the Frogs could have done a better job holding its ground at the point of attack.

Play of the Game:

For the second week in a row, Jordyn Bailey wins play of the game, this time with a couple of ankle breakers on his way to the end zone.