Kansas is a basketball school. This much is known by fans everywhere both nationally and in the Big 12.
Unlike their top-notch, nationally-recognized play on the court, Kansas football has struggled for a majority of its existence. The team is a miserable 6-83 in Big 12 play since 2010 and is oftentimes seen as an easy win for Big 12 teams.
TCU is 24-9-4 against the Jayhawks which is one of their best records against a Big 12 team. However, with the Frogs struggling and the Jayhawks pulling off a huge upset against Texas last week, this matchup feels more interesting that normal.
“They have my respect. I feel like they’re just as hungry as us, playing hard. They beat Texas, which is a big win for them,” interim head coach Jerry Kill said of Kansas on Tuesday.
TCU has had a roller coaster year this season, including a losing record and the termination of longtime head coach Gary Patterson. Regardless, the Frogs are still in contention for the postseason.
From Jayhawk domination for over a decade to TCU’s recent success, their history is almost as much of a roller coaster as their season this year.
Frog dominance: 1942-1964
Over this 22 year span of early football, TCU went 15-4-4 against the Jayhawks during their prime Sammy Baugh and Davey O’Brien days. The only ties between the teams came during this time, and aside from four wins by Kansas, TCU would blow out Kansas in each win, with the largest margin being 42-0. TCU would go on to win bowl games and Heisman trophies, while Kansas struggled to simply win games.
Other notable wins for TCU during this time include their first-ever game against the Jawyhawks in 1942 where the Frogs won 41-6 and a 47-14 win in 1955. Not much else is notable in terms of their matchups over the 22 years, as TCU mostly dominated.
Kansas shifts momentum: 1984-1996
After a long hiatus due to conferences shifting frequently in the early days of college football, Kansas and TCU finally took the field against one another after 20 years. Unlike their previous history, though, Kansas actually dominated TCU during this era, going 4-1-1 against the Frogs. Multiple factors contributed to this, as not only was the 80s to the 90s one of the worst eras for Frog football (just three winning seasons in 14 years), but Kansas head coach Glen Mason led the team to two bowl wins and multiple winning seasons.
Only winning one game against Kansas during this time, TCU would see a domino effect happen, as coaches would come and go until coach Gary Patterson was hired and changed the trajectory of the program for years to come.
TCU is back: 2012-Present
TCU’s arrival into the Big 12 saw them become one of the better teams in college football during the start of their Big 12 story. In terms of play against Kansas, they are 8-1 against them since 2012, only losing by one point in 2018, 27-26. Since 2012, Kansas had had five head coaches, and their best season was 3-9. Meanwhile, TCU would go on to win the Big 12 in 2014 (tied with Baylor) and record four bowl wins and three seasons with 11 or more wins.
Some notable victories include, not one, but two 50 point wins in their past two games against Kansas. Even with the lopsided record, Kansas kept many games within one score. From 2014-2016 Kansas kept the games within a touchdown or less. After this stretch of close games and the one victory in 2018, TCU has continued its dominance.
Stay tuned for a TCU360 recap on tonight’s game.
