The rest of the Big 12 finally began their season a week after TCU fell to UNC in Ireland. While only two other schools joined the Horned Frogs in the loss column, the rest of the conference did not appear that much more superior in their initial showings.
When TCU lost its opener to North Carolina 15-10 in Ireland a week before the rest of its conference mates began play, it felt like a rock-bottom sort of outcome.
While some of the ire was warranted, the rest of the opening weekend for the Big 12 proved the Horned Frogs are not the only program in need of a bounce-back.
In terms of results, it was a overwhelmingly successful week for the league, with an overall record of 13-3. Oklahoma State and Baylor were alongside TCU in the loss column.
Similar to their longtime rival, the Bears were one of few teams in the league to face off against an opponent from the Power 4 ranks and did so on a neutral field, as well.
Their first foe was Auburn hailing from the SEC and that marquee matchup took them to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which slightly favored the Tigers geographically.
Baylor held strong and had a chance to knock off Auburn on the final play of the game but failed to convert a two-point conversion in a 17-16 showdown.
Although they came up on the wrong end of the score, it could be argued that Baylor had the most impressive performance in its initial showing, even if it pains Horned Frog faithful to admit that fact.
There were obviously other programs that racked up wins, several by wide margins. However, considering the quality of opponent that most of these teams faced, these victories do not prove much about their potential.
No. 23 Houston struggled to fend off Oregon State 33-20, meanwhile No. 12 and league favorite Texas Tech displayed a strong defense yet had offensive woes in a 33-10 win over Abilene Christian.
The only program in the conference that took down an opponent of a comparable level was Colorado, which narrowly escaped Georgia Tech 14-13 following a blocked field goal by the Buffaloes.
Despite the win, Coach Prime's squad did not appear to be an unstoppable force for the rest of the league to suddenly have to overcome.
This first look at what the conference has to offer helps alleviate the blow that TCU suffered just a week ago in Dublin.
Sonny Dykes must get things tightened up for the Horned Frogs, but if he is able to do so, it does not seem impossible that they can still have the type of season hoped for in the offseason.
Wins are wins and TCU cannot claim to have one so far, unlike the vast majority of its Big 12 brethren. However, the Horned Frogs do not seem to be totally out of contention after seeing how the rest of the conference fared in its opening weekend.
