Settling For Less - What Did We Learn From The TCU Loss To Kansas State

Welcome back to another edition of What Did We Learn. With the return of the football season, my weekly article returns, a two-year-long tradition now. At the end of every weekend, I release my weekly "what did we learn"—an opinionated editorial detailing what Frog fans can take away from the week before that might not appear in the box score.

The TCU Horned Frogs traveled to Manhattan, Kansas, and did what they have done since 2017, lost in a rather embarrassing way at the hands of the Kansas State Wildcats. The latest iteration was a 41-28 loss that wasn't as close as the final score would indicate.

Undisciplined. Sloppy. Mediocrity. All three descriptions that cloud a program that is only three years removed from winning a college football playoff game. Since then, the Frogs have gotten some of their best recruiting classes in program history, as well as being the top class in the Big 12, and what has been the result?

To strive for more, yet fail is one thing, to strive for nothing is another.

“The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.” — Maureen Dowd

Josh Hoover, TCU Horned Frogs — Oct 11, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats linebacker Desmond Purnell (32) and defensive end Jordan Allen (91) celebrate a sack against TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) during the third quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Before the season started, during spring practices, Sonny Dykes said the standard for Year Four is competing for a Big 12 title and a CFP berth. He continued, saying winning nine games was nice last year, but a similar year in 2025 would be disappointing if they aren't contending for a spot in Arlington.

Now, with two losses in three weeks, they are 1-2 in the Big 12 and in 11th place. The goals they set, what they strive to be, aren't who they are, at least nothing has shown that is who they are. They have one season of greatness, 2022; everyone knows it, everyone remembers it. For our sake, let's throw that season out; let's call it a fluke for this purpose.

Since then, when on the road since 2023, the Horned Frogs are 6-8, and have been outscored 444-407. The trip to Manhattan was the perfect get-right trip, to get the monkey off their back, and to get to a .500 record on the road since 2023 under Dykes. They couldn't do that. They couldn't even reach the stage of mediocrity. They bypassed it for disappointment, a word that has become indistinguishable with the TCU football program the last four years.

Some of it is on the players, yes. The discipline problems on the team can only be worked on so much before they fall to execution. The coaches aren't the ones on the field who have to perform a throw, or a block, or read an offensive key to know what they are doing, but they are calling the plays, though. They claimed that after the Arizona State loss, they had to abandon the run because it wasn't working. Then, against the Wildcats, they again abandoned it, even when it was working.

Kevorian Barnes' last rush came with 10:26 remaining in the second half, despite averaging over 6.5 yards per carry; four of his 12 carries went for 10-plus yards. They put the work on the shoulders of Josh Hoover, who wasn't having his best game, and asked him to be effective through the air when the success wasn't there all game, but they never once thought to abandon it the same way they did the run.

There are a lot of problems with this team. They lack fire, they lack purpose, they lack discipline, and they lack self-awareness. They deserve better, and the fans deserve better. Looking back, the 2022 season was a good story, but the national championship was considered an embarrassment. Has the program really been anything else but that since then?

“The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.” — Maureen Dowd

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