Can TCU Football Bounce Back from a Rough 2026 Week Zero Start?
What we saw in Dublin during Week Zero’s kickoff game was a mockery of college football. Both teams were sloppy, players kept on slipping and sliding on the field, and there were way too many penalties on both sides. However, this loss looks a lot worse for the Horned Frogs than it would for UNC if the roles were reversed. This is because TCU were the heavy favorites going into the game and ultimately fell on their faces against a program battling all sorts of off-the-field drama and a mediocre roster.
Losing a starting QB is always going to hurt a team, especially if he’s one of the best in college football. Josh Hoover was slinging the rock in Fort Worth for the last three years before transferring to Indiana, where the expectations are a lot higher. The man who replaced Hoover was a standout QB at Harvard, which is a bit out of the ordinary for a major program to bring in an FCS player, let alone the guy under center. Jaden Craig had a very pedestrian debut in Dublin, throwing for 175 yards on 20 completions, but zero of those were touchdowns. Craig will improve and isn’t expected to be a candidate for the 2026 Heisman, but after getting rid of the jitters, he and the offense should be ready to explode in the coming weeks. As for the penalties, they were one of the main points of emphasis during Week Zero, as some came at costly times for the Horned Frogs, allowing UNC to maintain possession late in the game. This is another thing head coach Sonny Dykes must address before they play real teams in the Big 12. One of the brighter spots from their loss was the ground game, as running backs Jeremy Payne and Jon Denman combined for over 160 rush yards and a touchdown on 33 carries. If they can maintain this type of performance and take the weight off their QB, that will be their recipe for success. Considering it was the first game of the season, there shouldn’t be any drastic measures or overreactions from the coaching staff, but as long as this team continues to use their two backs, they should be in good shape come conference play. Another semi-bright side for TCU was their defense, which forced two fumbles, both recovered by Max Carroll, along with three sacks and four tackles for loss. It is clear the defense did the best they could and allowed only 13 points, not including the bad snap turned into a safety. Right now, the three main points Dykes needs to tell his locker room are to stick with the ground game, cut down on penalties on both sides of the ball, and play with more confidence, which seemed to be lacking.
Looking ahead at their schedule, TCU has two easy wins against some mid-major schools, but the real season starts right after. Their first test comes against BYU in Week Five, a home game and a chance to upset a top-15 team. After that, there isn’t much to talk about other than some middle-of-the-pack Big 12 schools, including Baylor, Kansas, and Arizona. However, their last two weeks are games against Utah and Texas Tech, both of which are ranked and considered among the best teams in college football. If TCU can right their wrongs and clean up their silly mistakes, then they can rattle off at least eight or even nine wins and revitalize a program that was once at the top of college football.
