What Saturday’s Big 12 Results Mean for TCU as the Frogs Need to Worry About the Frogs

Texas Tech and BYU suffered their first losses, but TCU’s biggest concern remains its own mistakes after another frustrating finish against West Virginia.

Jaden Craig using his legs against West Virginia | Tony Beblowski, KillerFrogs.com

Saturday was another reminder of just how unpredictable the Big 12 can be. Undefeated teams lost, underdogs stepped up, and the conference race got a little more interesting.

But for TCU, I think the biggest takeaway is pretty simple.

The Frogs need to worry about the Frogs.

TCU lost 24-20 to West Virginia in a game where the Horned Frogs outgained the Mountaineers 484-265, picked up 29 first downs, and controlled the ball for 37 minutes and 36 seconds.

Those are numbers that should put you in position to win a football game. Instead, TCU turned the ball over three times, committed eight penalties for 81 yards, and scored on just three of five red-zone trips.

At some point, it doesn’t matter how many yards you gain or how well you move the football between the 20s. You have to finish drives, protect the football, and quit giving away opportunities.

That’s where TCU’s attention needs to be.

Big 12 Results Bring Upsets and a Warning From Kansas

Credit to Cincinnati for knocking off previously unbeaten Texas Tech, 37-24. The Bearcats made a statement against a team that had looked like one of the conference’s best.

UCF deserves plenty of credit as well, taking down previously unbeaten BYU, 39-31, in double overtime.

Arizona might have delivered the most impressive performance of the weekend, dominating Iowa State 39-3. Quarterback Noah Fifita threw for 308 yards, while Isaiah Mizell finished with 134 receiving yards.

Kansas also deserves recognition for its 25-24 comeback victory over Baylor. Quarterback Isaiah Marshall threw for 212 yards, and Dylan Edwards rushed for 156.

Kansas is the next team on TCU’s schedule, so those performances are certainly worth paying attention to. The Jayhawks rallied from a 21-10 deficit and blocked Baylor’s potential game-winning field goal to finish the job.

TCU just beat Baylor, too. But beating the same opponent doesn’t tell you how the next Saturday is going to go. Kansas found a way to win a close game. The Frogs need to do the same.

TCU’s Focus Must Return to Finishing Drives

Those results are interesting, and some will have a major impact on how the Big 12 standings shake out.

TCU Jordan Dwyer signals first down during TCU vs WVU, 2026 | Tony Beblowski, KillerFrogs.com

But none of them change what TCU needs to do.

The offensive progress against Baylor gave the Frogs something to build on. Against West Virginia, they moved the football again. What they didn’t do was turn enough of those opportunities into points.

The Frogs have shown they can compete. They’ve shown they have players capable of making big plays on both sides of the football. They’ve also shown they can put themselves in position to win games and still find ways to lose them.

The next step isn’t figuring out what everybody else in the conference is doing.

It’s figuring out how to stop beating themselves.

TCU doesn’t need help from the rest of the Big 12 right now. The Frogs need to start helping themselves.

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