With leadership issues in the rear-view mirror, TCU prepared to earn back status as Big 12 elite

LAS VEGAS – Ask TCU head coach Sonny Dykes for the difference between the team that won 13 games in 2022 en route to the national championship game and the five-win team of 2023 that became the first national runner-up to not reach a bowl game the following year and his answer is simple: Leadership. The 2022 team had it in spades. The 2023 squad sorely lacked it. 

But don’t take that as Dykes passing the buck to his players. He firmly carries the blame for the season, and for a roster that entered the 2023 campaign lacking in the leadership required to handle tough times, like the season opening loss to Colorado. In 2022, TCU was 6-1 in one-possession games. Last year, the Frogs were 0-4 in close games.