TCU Legends Picks Returns With Six New Frogs and Plenty to Say

Six more former Horned Frogs join Jason Phillips to pick three games, with another spot on the final Legends Picks panel at stake.

Apparently, we’re going to need a better tiebreaker.

The first week of our TCU Legends Picks ended with not one winner, but two.

Travin Howard and Bart Johnson finished tied at the top of the UCF-week panel. We went to the points tiebreaker to settle it, but that didn’t help either.

So they can share the crown.

For now.

But winning one of these weeks is about more than bragging rights.

Every weekly winner earns a seat on our final Legends Picks panel, when we’ll bring the winners back together to pick TCU’s final game of the season and see which former Frog can survive one more round.

Thanks to a tiebreaker that couldn’t even break the tie, our first two seats are already filled.

Bart Johnson and Travin Howard are officially in.

Now we find out who’s joining them.

This week’s panel brings together six more former Frogs: David Hawthorne, Robert Henson, Kyle Dooley, Tye Gunn, Chris Scott Jr. and Tank Carder.

Game 1 — TCU vs. BYU

Sep 19, 2026; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake reacts on the sidelines against the Colorado State Rams in the second half at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Rydland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No easing into this thing.

TCU football returns to Amon G. Carter Stadium after its 21–13 loss at UCF and gets an undefeated BYU team coming off its bye.

And our former Frogs aren’t exactly united on what happens next.

Robert Henson: BYU 31, TCU 27

It pains Henson to pick against the Frogs, but he believes BYU’s defense will be the difference.

He expects the Cougars to force TCU into third-and-long situations and thinks the Frogs will keep it close at home before BYU makes more key plays late.

Tye Gunn: TCU 31, BYU 27

Tye apparently didn’t need an analytics department for this one.

“Because I’m not a coward. Piss on BYU.”

TCU, 31–27.

Moving on.

Chris Scott Jr.: BYU 31, TCU 24

Scott believes turnovers and red-zone football decide it.

TCU showed it can move the football through the air at UCF, but the turnovers were costly. Scott expects BYU to be more efficient finishing drives and thinks one late TCU mistake could ultimately make the difference.

David Hawthorne: BYU 31, TCU 17

Hawthorne likes what he sees in BYU’s identity.

He sees an old-school toughness, discipline and a team that appears completely bought into its culture. He believes TCU has enough talent to make this a game but says the Frogs have “a ton of wrongs” to correct first.

Jason Phillips: TCU 31, BYU 24

I’m taking the Frogs at home.

BYU is undefeated, rested and disciplined, and I get why most of this panel is leaning Cougars. But I think this is exactly the kind of week that tells you who a team really is.

The Frogs got embarrassed in Orlando, and by kickoff, they’ll have had seven days to sit with that film.

As I wrote after UCF, the standard belongs to Sonny Dykes. This is a chance to show what that standard looks like on the field.

I expect them to come out pissed off, playing with a chip on their shoulder and looking to shut the haters up. Get the crowd behind them early, punch BYU in the mouth first and see how the Cougars handle playing from behind on the road.

Do that, and this week’s film session should be a whole lot more enjoyable.

Tank Carder: TCU 31, BYU 27

Carder also has the Frogs winning 31–27.

He likes TCU at home, with Jeremy Payne pounding the football and forcing BYU to tackle for four quarters. His biggest key is the same one that will be on everybody’s mind after UCF:

Protect the football.

Kyle Dooley: BYU 45, TCU 24

Dooley isn’t just picking BYU. He’s predicting the biggest margin of anybody on the panel.

He doesn’t believe TCU can fix the turnover problems that cost the Frogs at UCF in one week. Against a rested and disciplined BYU team, he thinks giving away short fields will eventually become points and allow the Cougars to pull away in the second half.

So Dooley breaks the deadlock.

Henson, Scott, Hawthorne and Dooley have BYU.

Gunn, Carder and I are riding with the Frogs.

BYU takes the panel, 4–3.

Game 2 — Big 12 Spotlight Baylor at Arizona State

Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jalen Moss (18) with the trophy and teammates after the game against the KU — Sep 19, 2026; London, ENG; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jalen Moss (18) with the trophy and teammates after the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Our Big 12 Spotlight takes us to Tempe, where Baylor visits Arizona State.

There’s more agreement here, although Hawthorne and I are going against the crowd.

Robert Henson: Arizona State 33, Baylor 24

Henson expects a competitive Big 12 game but believes Arizona State’s home-field advantage and ability to generate explosive plays will eventually become too much for Baylor.

Tye Gunn: Arizona State 34, Baylor 27

Tye’s analysis:

Arizona State is better, they’re at home and he doesn’t like Baylor.

I’m beginning to think we should pay him by the word.

Chris Scott Jr.: Arizona State 28, Baylor 24

Scott sees this as potentially the closest of our three games.

With DJ Lagway back for Baylor, he thinks the Bears can make it a physical, lower-possession game. But he expects Arizona State to create two or three explosive plays that Baylor can’t answer on the road.

David Hawthorne: Baylor 27, Arizona State 24

Hawthorne is going against the majority and taking Baylor on the road.

He likes what the Bears are doing defensively and thinks that defense can travel to Tempe and create enough opportunities to steal one.

His condition?

Baylor has to clean up the penalties.

Jason Phillips: Baylor 35, Arizona State 21

I’m joining Hawthorne on this one.

I’ve watched DJ Lagway slowly but surely start to find his rhythm in this offense. I’ve also seen him play enough to know that when he hits his stride, defenses are going to be scrambling to figure out how to stop him.

I think this could be the game where we start seeing it.

Tank Carder: Arizona State 38, Baylor 27

Carder likes Arizona State at home, pointing to the environment and the late kickoff as factors that could make Baylor’s defense feel every one of those fourth-quarter snaps.

Kyle Dooley: Arizona State 38, Baylor 34

Dooley thinks Lagway’s return turns this into a shootout.

He expects Baylor’s offense to keep answering throughout the night but believes Arizona State’s explosive plays and the home crowd in Tempe ultimately give the Sun Devils one last answer in the fourth quarter.

That makes Hawthorne and me the minority.

Arizona State takes the panel, 5–2.

If Baylor wins, we’ll look smart.

If they don’t, I’m blaming Hawthorne.

For more on the conference picture, check out our Big 12 football power rankings after Week 4.

Game 3 — National Spotlight No. 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) hoists the Illibuck trophy following the 42-19 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini in the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Sept. 26, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Finally, we head to Kinnick Stadium.

Iowa is coming off a dramatic 20–19 win over Michigan, while Ohio State arrives with one of the most dangerous players in college football coming off a monster afternoon.

And this is where our panel finally found something everybody could agree on.

Robert Henson: Ohio State 35, Iowa 13

Henson calls this one a no-brainer, although he respects what playing at Kinnick can do to a visiting team.

Ultimately, he thinks the Julian Sayin-to-Jeremiah Smith connection gives Iowa more than it can handle.

Tye Gunn: Ohio State 27, Iowa 17

Tye believes Ohio State is better in every phase.

His prediction?

“Iowa gets routed in the corn fields.”

I’m leaving that one alone.

Chris Scott Jr.: Ohio State 27, Iowa 17

Scott doesn’t expect it to be easy.

He believes Iowa can use its defense and Kinnick Stadium to keep the game tight for a while, but over four quarters, he expects Ohio State to create enough explosive plays and short fields to separate.

David Hawthorne: Ohio State 31, Iowa 17

Hawthorne wonders whether Iowa could be dealing with a little victory hangover after the Michigan win.

His formula for the Hawkeyes is simple: control the clock and keep Ohio State’s offense standing on the sideline.

Otherwise, he thinks the Buckeyes simply have too many weapons.

Jason Phillips: Ohio State 37, Iowa 24

Give me Ohio State.

The Buckeyes have always been able to run the football. Now they’ve got a passing game that can hurt you just as badly, and that’s what makes them so damn difficult to defend.

You load the box and try to stop the run, and Sayin can get the ball to Jeremiah Smith. Back everybody out trying to deal with Smith, and now you’re giving Ohio State room to run it.

Pick your poison.

That’s why I think this is a team we’ll eventually see in the College Football Playoff.

Tank Carder: Ohio State 37, Iowa 20

Carder is looking directly at Jeremiah Smith.

After what the Ohio State receiver just did, Tank thinks Iowa’s secondary may need all the help it can get.

Kyle Dooley: Ohio State 38, Iowa 24

Dooley thinks Iowa’s defense and Kinnick Stadium can keep things respectable for a while, but he doesn’t believe the Hawkeyes can match Ohio State’s firepower for four quarters.

Once Iowa is forced to open things up and chase points, he thinks Sayin and Smith become too much to contain.

And there it is.

Our first unanimous Legends Pick.

Ohio State takes the panel, 7–0.

If Iowa wins this thing, nobody gets to make fun of anybody.

We’re all going down together.

Who Gets the Next Seat?

That’s the board.

BYU gets the panel vote over TCU, 4–3.

Arizona State gets the nod over Baylor, 5–2.

And for the first time since we started this thing, Ohio State gets every single vote, 7–0.

But panel votes don’t win anything.

Getting the games right does.

Henson, Scott, Hawthorne and Dooley are willing to walk into Amon G. Carter Stadium picking against the Frogs.

Gunn has already questioned their courage for doing it.

Hawthorne and I are going against most of the room with Baylor.

And every single one of us just put ourselves on the same side of the Ohio State–Iowa game.

Three games.

Six new Legends, plus yours truly making my picks right alongside them.

One seat waiting beside Bart Johnson and Travin Howard on our final panel.

Last week, the tiebreaker left us with two winners.

Let’s see if somebody can take this one for himself.

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TCU safety Kylin Jackson celebrates during the Horned Frogs’ game at UCF. — FKylin Jackson (6) celebrates after recovering a UCF fumble on Sept. 26, 2026. Photo: KillerFrogs.com.rogs’ game at UCF. | Tony Beblowski for KillerFrogs.com

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