TCU Wraps Regular Season at 8-4: A Solid Finish, But Lingering 'What Ifs' Remain
TCU closed out its regular season in emphatic fashion, rolling past Cincinnati 45-23 and locking in an 8-4 record for the second straight year. On paper, that’s stability. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a season that left plenty of meat on the bone.
Just a few weeks ago, things were teetering. Back-to-back losses to Iowa State and BYU had the Horned Frogs staring down the possibility of a 6-6 finish.
But credit where it’s due-Sonny Dykes' squad didn’t fold. Instead, they rallied to beat Houston and Cincinnati to close the year on a high note.
That says something about the locker room culture and the leadership that’s been built in Fort Worth.
Still, the big question looms: how should we really view this season?
A Step Forward or a Stalled Climb?
Let’s start with the obvious-TCU didn’t meet its preseason goal of reaching the Big 12 Championship Game. Not even close.
Despite finishing 5-4 in conference play, tiebreakers landed them ninth in the league standings. Ninth.
For a program with playoff aspirations and a recent national title game appearance on its résumé, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
But calling the season a failure would be too simplistic. There were moments-like the win over Houston, their first against a ranked team since the 2022 Fiesta Bowl-that showed this team still has bite. And the way they finished the season, even with no championship on the line, showed grit.
“They prepared incredibly well down the stretch,” Dykes said after the win over Cincinnati. “I thought our last two weeks of practice were exceptional.
Just really proud of the guys for doing that. Sometimes it’s hard to do when all the motivational characters out there dangling disappear.”
That’s the kind of response coaches want to see. When the external stakes are gone, what’s left is culture. And TCU showed they’ve got a foundation to build on.
A Glimpse of What Could’ve Been
The Cincinnati game felt like a peek at what this team was supposed to be all season. Quarterback Josh Hoover was razor-sharp, tossing more touchdowns than incompletions.
Jeremy Payne exploded for a career-high 174 yards on the ground. The offense clicked in a way we hadn’t seen since the season opener against North Carolina.
Defensively, it was a tale of two halves. Brendan Sorsby and the Bearcats had some success early, but TCU’s defense tightened up in the second half, allowing just six points. While the numbers don’t scream dominance, this may have been the most complete defensive unit Dykes has had since arriving in Fort Worth.
The frustrating part? That kind of performance was the exception, not the norm.
The 'What If' Factor
This season will be remembered as much for the missed opportunities as the wins. The Horned Frogs blew a 17-point lead at Arizona State.
They collapsed in the fourth quarter against an Iowa State team that came into the game riding a four-game losing streak. Flip those two results, and suddenly we’re talking about a 10-win season and a very different postseason outlook.
And this isn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation. Last year, it was losses to Central Florida and Houston that left fans wondering what could’ve been. That’s the pattern Dykes and his staff will need to break heading into Year 5.
Dykes himself acknowledged the inconsistency.
“You try to keep it one game at a time and not think about the big picture stuff,” he said. “But this was a great win for our guys.
I wish we could have played like this more consistently this year. But we did tonight, and that’s what matters.”
Looking Ahead: Roster Questions and Portal Priorities
The Horned Frogs were supposed to be gearing up for a breakthrough in 2025, and that still might happen-but it won’t be easy. The roster is in flux.
Hoover, who showed real promise, could return, but that’s not guaranteed. TCU will also have to replace key contributors like safety Bud Clark, wide receiver Eric McAlister, and linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr-three guys who played at an All-American level this year.
Meanwhile, the pressure is on to retain core pieces like Hoover, safety Jamel Johnson, and defensive tackle Markis Deal. In today’s college football landscape, that means winning in the transfer portal just as much as on the field.
Talent wasn’t the issue this season. Execution and consistency were.
That’s what makes this team so puzzling. The pieces were there.
The flashes were there. But too often, it felt like TCU was playing from behind-sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively.
Dykes’ Track Record and the Road Ahead
Let’s not forget what Sonny Dykes has done since arriving in Fort Worth. Before he took over, TCU was averaging 5.8 wins per season over four years.
Since then? An average of 8.8, with one more game still to play.
That’s a clear step forward. But with the expanded College Football Playoff era now in full swing, expectations are rising across the board.
Programs like TCU, with their resources and recent success, aren’t looking to just be good-they want to be great. And going four straight years without a playoff appearance, even while averaging nine wins, won’t cut it for long.
Dykes has proven he can raise the floor. He did it at SMU, where he delivered the program’s first 10-win season since 1984.
He did it at Louisiana Tech with a nine-win campaign in 2012. And of course, he took TCU to the national title game in 2022.
But now the challenge is clear: can he raise the ceiling again?
Year five will be pivotal-not just for Dykes, but for the trajectory of the entire program.
Final Thoughts
TCU’s 2025 regular season ends with a winning record, a strong finish, and a whole lot of “what ifs.” The Horned Frogs showed resilience, but also left too many plays-and maybe a couple wins-on the field. The bones of a Big 12 contender are still here, but there’s work to be done.
Dykes and his staff will need to hit the portal hard, lock down their key returners, and figure out how to turn flashes of brilliance into a full-season product. Because next year, the bar’s only going to be higher.