A different energy is brewing in Fort Worth this summer. Sonny Dykes isn’t pacing around in panic despite a CBS snub. He’s pacing with purpose. After a rollercoaster 2024 season that ended with a respectable 9-4 record, TCU is back to pick up where it left off. The 2025 Horned Frogs will go as far as Josh Hoover takes them. The sophomore sensation threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 31 TDs last year. But there’s one not-so-secret hurdle that could derail the program’s success. 

The Big 12 schedule is unforgiving and TCU got the most daunting share. Sonny Dykes flat-out admitted his team is staring down a gauntlet during his appearance at Big 12 at The Voice of College Football on July 25 at Texas High School Association. “I think that we have a very difficult schedule,” he said. “I think we’re one of two or three power four teams that play 11 power four opponents.” And yeah, the gauntlet is real. If you’re wondering what “11 power four opponents” actually looks like, buckle up. 

TCU opens with a trip to the rejuvenated North Carolina team (September 1) now coached by former NFL legendary coach Bill Belichick. Next comes Abilene Christian at home (Sept 13) and then a red-hot SMU visits Fort Worth (Sept 20) with CFP dreams on the line. Then comes the real fun. TCU’s Big 12 play kicks off with a road tour trip to Arizona State (Sept 26) before opening their October run at home against Colorado (Oct 4). The Frogs will then travel to Manhattan to face Kansas State (Oct 11) with more road games against West Virginia (Oct 25) and BYU (November 15). They’ll also face Baylor (Oct 18), Iowa State (Nov 8), and Cincinnati (Nov 29) at home. Phil Steele wasn’t being dramatic when he called it the toughest schedule in the conference and the 11th-hardest nationally.

Four teams in the Big 12 went 7-2 in league play last year. This isn’t just a test. It’s a trial by fire. “It’ll be challenging,” Sonny Dykes admitted. For a team that closed 2024 winning six of its last seven, it’s either a springboard or a cliff. However, the HC isn’t shying away from the challenge and maybe his determination is fueled by the recent disrespect. 

Sonny Dykes drops a reminder of what TCU is capable of 

If 2023 was a mess and 2024 was a rebound, 2025 has to be the launch. And Sonny Dykes knows it. His CBS Sports coaching rank plummeted 13 spots this offseason, and four places within the Big 12. A curious fall for the only Big 12 coach with a Playoff win on his resume. But as he reminded the world this week, don’t forget who Michigan’s only loss came to in 2022. “I know some people sometimes try to discredit that a little bit because of what happened in the championship game,” he said. “But [Michigan] lost one football game in two years. They lost it to us. And so that was a big win.” That wasn’t just pride talking.

It was a subtle shot across the bow of college football’s power structure. And maybe, just maybe, a reminder that TCU hasn’t forgotten the way their title run ended or how quickly the world dismissed them. “My hope is really to pick up where we left off,” Sonny Dykes added. “I think we played really good football at the end of last season. I think we figured out as a program, how do we win? I think our players understand that now.”

Josh Hoover is expected to leave his mark. And behind him, the offense brings back OC Kendal Briles and a reloaded backfield. Sonny Dykes called Jeremy Payne their “best runner in 2024,” while Nate Palmer looks ready to assume the RB1 mantle. But here’s the rub. Last year’s run game was, frankly, soft. Just 113.9 yards per game and over 160 allowed. That is unlikely to cut it in the Big 12 battle. So here we are. A schedule stacked with landmines. A coach facing national doubt. A quarterback ready to pop. And a roster hardened by disappointment. If Dykes gets this team to Arlington, he won’t need to say “I told you so.” The schedule will have already done it for him.