Coach Patterson keeps things in perspective for the Horned Frogs at TCU Media Day

by Todd E. Jones of College Football Top Ten

Don’t say anything to TCU head football coach Gary Patterson; he isn’t buying it. About the preseason hype that is. TCU is predicted to win the Mountain West Conference according to the media, and they appear in several top 25 preseason rankings.

"Like every year, one of things I ask from our group is, that we’re not gonna drink the media Kool-aid," he said at the beginning of the press conference at TCU Media Day on Sunday.

"To be honest with you, if we’re smart about what we’re going to do, I think we will just keep everything in perspective," he said.

The Horned Frogs are ranked number 17 in the USA Today Coach’s Poll. The Frogs are ranked as high as 14 in Lindy’s Preseason Magazine and as low as 24 in The Sporting News (see CFP). According to Patterson, it is one of the highest preseason rankings for the Frogs since the 1960s.

The Frogs return several key skill players, and with that, the media types really seem to like them as they always do with returning star skill players. For the Frogs, quarterback Andy Dalton returns as a Junior starter along with wide receivers Jimmy Young and Jeremy Kerley and running backs Joseph Turner and Ryan Christian.

However, it is the loss on defense that causes concerns. The Frogs return only four starters on defense. Of course, among those that return are All-American defensive end Jerry Hughes and three-year starters at cornerback Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders. The Frogs also return Tejay Johnson at safety.

Regardless of the losses on defense and the media hype, Patterson said the Frogs "won’t back down," referring to words from the Tom Petty song. "I told them [the team] that we’re just going to go out there and try to prove those who were gracious enough to vote for us, to prove them right, and go from there," Patterson said.

Patterson and the Horned Frog coaches have done a pretty good job of reloading on defense over the years, and he likes some of the new starters that will take over this year. Last year it was Jerry Hughes emerging from the shadows of Chase Ortiz and Tommy Blake.

"Good football programs, they grow guys within their system," Patterson said. "You know, last year nobody knew who Jerry Hughes was. They said, we lost Tommy Blake and Chase Ortiz, 'who’s going to be your pass rushers?' Along came Matt Panfil, a Senior, and a Junior, Jerry Hughes."

One of those new starters will be Daryl Washington. Washington saw significant playing time while in the three-man linebacker rotation with Robert Henson and Jason Phillips last year and even got the start in the bowl game against Boise State. As a result, Washington finished fourth on the team in tackles. Washington’s time on the field was so impressive that he was named to the preseason All-Mountain West Conference Team.

“[Washington is] probably the fastest linebacker to ever play here at TCU since I’ve been here in 12 years,” Patterson said about the Irving High School native.

Dalton as a leader

Patterson discussed the difference between Andy Dalton, the Sophomore quarterback, and Andy Dalton the Junior quarterback. “We don’t have a Freshman or Sophomore quarterback, now we have a Junior. I think that’s a big deal,” he said.

Patterson explained, “A Junior quarterback comes in to the huddle and instead of asking people to do something, he demands it.”

Voting for the Top 25

Coach Patterson disclosed the secret to his voting methods for the preseason Top 25.

“I take everybody’s magazine, from all over the country ... I take all the rankings, for preseason. Because I don’t know what anybody else has, to be honest with you ... We use a point system and see where they fall, and that’s my top 25.”

Patterson explained that he uses the journalists’ rankings to help him decide. However, that is the only time during the year he uses that approach. After the first game, he does his own voting.