ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said a team that just missed the College Football Playoff in 2014 could get back in the mix in 2014.
It’s easy to forget how good TCU — ranked No. 13 in the Preseason AP Poll — can be this season. The Horned Frogs are 23-3 the last two seasons but flying a little low despite starting out 8-0 in 2015.
"With all the talk about expectations about Oklahoma coming out of the Big 12, (TCU) has a chance to be somewhat of a surprise,” Herbstreit said. “Not to just to win the Big 12; I think they could go on a run and make the playoff.”
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Herbstreit’s pick is sound. TCU ranked seventh in the FBS last season with a high-profile offense that averaged 42.1 points per game with Trevone Boykin. Gary Patterson led the Horned Frogs to double-digit wins in six of the last eight seasons.
Quarterback Kenny Hill, the Texas A&M transfer who the starting job in fall camp, takes over for Boykin. Herbstreit pointed to Hill’s first start with the Aggies — the one where he threw for 511 yards and three TDs — is a reminder of his forgotten potential. That could resurface with the Horned Frogs.
"With that offensive style he could have a monster year,” Herbstreit said. “He could be one of those names that surfaces as a Heisman Trophy candidate even through there are so many high-profile names."
TCU dropped from No. 3 to No. 6 in the final College Football Playoff rankings in 2014 and suffered November losses to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma last season. This year, the Sooners and Cowboys visit Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Does that add up to a College Football Playoff sleeper?
“TCU would fall in that category,” he said. “They are one of those teams.”
Herbstreit teamed up with Allstate for the second straight year with his #StreitCred initiative on social media. That rewards fans and teams for strong performances and moments throughout the season, and those picks will be talked about during ABC's Saturday Night Football broadcasts.
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There is a lot of dialogue between myself and the fan on Twitter,” Herbstreit said. “By recognizing a play or team or upset, I get a lot of feedback from fans, and with the #StreitCred they were really engaging with me. That’s what we’re asking them to do again.”
