Big 12: Can TCU Go Winless In The Conference Again?

There was a time last season, about 11 games into the schedule when there was actually some optimism for the rest of the season for the TCU Horned Frogs. At this point, TCU had a pre-conference play record of 9-3.

Then the big bad conference schedule rolled around and this became where all of the fun that comes with winning came to a complete stop. For an 18-game stretch ignited by West Virginia on Jan. 4 and Baylor on March 12, the Horned Frogs watched another team celebrate victory, as they would finish winless in the Big 12.

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Heading into the 2014-15 campaign, although TCU doesn’t have the roster talent to make a run at any accolades, how likely is it to see them go winless in the conference once again?

Well, let’s go ahead and state some of the obvious. Before they can start to win games, TCU has to make even becoming competitive a priority.

For example, last season, TCU lost their 18 conference games by a total of 328 points, which breaks down to averaging an 18-point loss each game. Included in these horrid losing streak comes 14 double-digit losses with eight of those being at least 20-point blowouts and even being thrashed by 30 four times.

Their smallest deficit was five points.

These aren’t exactly numbers that scream conference wins, especially in a conference that still features a talent-littered Kansas squad, Iowa State looking to take control of the conference and some Texas and Oklahoma teams that have will be even more impressive than last season.

So again, let’s take a look at the obvious. The Horned Frogs will have to play each conference team twice and common knowledge show suggest them knocking off Kansas, Iowa State, Texas and Oklahoma is pretty much out of reach considering the talent deficit.

This would appear to turn into and 0-8 record after facing each of these four teams.

Feb 24, 2014; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs guard Kyan Anderson (5) dribbles the ball in front of Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Marcus Smart (33) during the second half at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The Cowboys won 76-54. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

Aside from the conference powerhouses, TCU will also have to take on some Baylor and Oklahoma State teams that have taken some significant hit with losing guys from last season’s roster. The bears lost Isaiah Austin and Cory Jefferson while the Cowboys said goodbye to their star, Marcus Smart and high-flier Markel Brown.

Unfortunately for TCU, the Cowboys and Bears still have higher quality talent and higher ranked recruits coming into town, which again puts them at a disadvantage on the court. It’s also very unlikely they will pull off an upset against the Marcus Foster led Kansas State Wildcats either.

It’s very possible for TCU to find themselves going 0-6 against these three teams as well, although, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them steal one or two of these six games.

Then there’s the two programs where TCU’s eyes should light up at their opportunity to get wins between West Virginia and Texas Tech. Of the two, the Mountaineers are the less likely of the two to drop a game to TCU and their two wins against them last season were by a total of 27 points.

With WVU having the scoring genius of Juwan Staten and Eron Harris, TCU’s one prolific scorer, Kyan Anderson, will have hinds hands more than full trying to match points with the West Virginia backcourt.

But wait! There’s still the Red Raiders and they were far from overwhelming in the win-loss category as well. In TCU’s two losses to Texas Tech, they fell short by 11 points and six points.

This is a much closer stat line in comparison to how they matched up with the rest of the conference. Texas Tech doesn’t have a roster full of guys known to light the scoreboard up.

They don’t have the most superior talent and they’ll have a notable amount of youth with four freshmen and four sophomores. If there were ever a team in the Big 12 TCU can gets their money’s worth out of, it’s Texas Tech.

Although it doesn’t seem likely for a team to finish 0-36 in conference play between two season, it is possible in the case of the current TCU squad. It’s unlikely with a few teams taking a step back and others being in the same boat, but people probably didn’t’ think they would go winless in the conference last season.

I’ll go ahead and make my season prediction for a 2-16 conference record.