2008 record: 11-2, 7-1 (2nd in Mountain West)
2008 bowl: Beat Boise State 17-16 in Poinsettia
2008 final AP/coaches' ranking: 7/7
Coach: Gary Patterson (73-27, 9th year)
Offensive coordinator: Jarrett Anderson (1st year)
Co-defensive coordinators: Justin Fuente (1st year) and Dick Bumpas (6th year)
Returning offensive starters: 6
Returning defensive starters: 4
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Stadium: Amon G. Carter Stadium (grass; 44,008)
Last league title: 2005
2009 schedule: [view]
2009 roster: [view]
2008 statistics: [view]

Offensive: You could describe TCU junior quarterback Andy Dalton as a close-to-the-vest performer, but that would do him a disservice. Dalton is a great decision-maker, a technician, an efficient leader. He’s ideal for a program that has lived on field-position advantage and defensive ferocity. Dalton’s top target is junior wide receiver Jimmy Young, who fell 12 yards short of becoming only the second 1,000-yard receiver in school history. Senior running backs Joseph Turner and Ryan Christian saw decent playing time last season, so the running game is stable. On the offensive line, junior Jake Fitzpatrick looks to replace three-time all-conference center Blake Schlueter.

Defensive: The Horned Frogs were No. 1 nationally in total defense (217.8 yards per game) and rushing defense (47.1), so it’s a difficult act to follow. The players may change, but the scheme doesn’t. That’s why TCU has been No. 1 nationally in total defense three times in the past nine seasons. The catalyst is obvious — senior defensive end Jerry Hughes, who led the nation in sacks with 15. Elsewhere, the defense’s strength seems to lie in the secondary, where three starters return, including senior cornerbacks Nick Sanders and Rafael Priest, who have started every game for three seasons. Although some of the other starters will be unproven, coaches are high on their athleticism and speed. Once again, TCU’s defense should rank among the nation’s best.  

Specialists: TCU has one of the nation’s top punters in sophomore Anson Kelton (41.3-yard average, a whopping 30 punts downed inside the 20-yard line). Sophomore Ross Evans is expected to claim the place-kicking job. Meanwhile, the return game is in good hands with junior Jeremy Kerley, an All-Mountain West Conference selection last season.

Coaching: Gary Patterson has done a superb job making the Horned Frogs into consistent national contenders — and this season is no different. Once again, he should have TCU in the hunt for a Top 10 finish.

Heisman Hopefuls: Hughes will be one of the nation’s best defensive players and he’ll contend for several awards, but he’s not a serious Heisman contender. That’s probably not fair. But it’s Heisman reality.

Game of the year Sept. 26 at Clemson Every potential BCS-busting team needs to make an early season statement. This is TCU’s opportunity for a big splash before entering the Mountain West Conference schedule.

Overview: It seems odd, but TCU could actually write off last season’s 11-2 finish as a disappointment. The Horned Frogs fell short of a conference title (due to a 13-10 loss at Utah). TCU has a youth-filled roster (just 15 seniors) and the early-season schedule is a bear (games at Virginia and Clemson). If the maturation process goes quickly, watch out for another nationally prominent season in Fort Worth.

Next up: No. 13 Virginia Tech

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