TCU at Iowa State - 2019 — Photo: Tony Beblowski/KillerFrogs

TCU Football at Iowa State: Staff Predictions

Can the Horned Frogs become bowl eligible?

Author:
Barry Lewis
Publish date:
Nov 26, 2021 2:37 PM EST

So, here we are. Last game of the season. And Horned Frogs are hoping for one of two possible outcomes - win and become bowl eligible; lose and put this long, painful season behind them.

Last summer, before the season started, many people circled this Black Friday Showdown as having huge Big 12 Championship implications. The hope was that the winner of this game would determine who would play Oklahoma in the Championship game.

Those aspirations didn't work out quite like that. Iowa State was ranked in the Top 10 early in the season. Then they lost in the intrastate CyHawk game in Week 2. Then two weeks later, they lost in Waco. Now they sit at 6-5 at the end of a season. No one in Ames thought that was even a possibility.

TCU's season has even been more unexpected. A loss to SMU in September set the tone for what was to come. With too many injuries and a nonexistent defense, the Frogs lost five of six games. Suddenly, legendary head coach Gary Patterson was out, and the Frogs thought the season was over. Now, win one more against Iowa State and become bowl eligible. Can they do it?