TCU’s plan was to be 4-0, ranked in the Top 25 and positioned to lure ESPN’s “College GameDay” when No. 9 BYU visits Fort Worth on Oct. 3.
Instead, TCU will be lucky to have the game televised on Fox Sports 23 1/2.
TCU’s season is not gone, it only feels like it.
On Saturday in Orlando playing against a Central Florida team that was without its starting quarterback and three other starters, TCU was awful in a 21-13 loss in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
Against UCF, TCU hit a football grand slam: minus-2 in the turnover margin; 11 penalties for 86 yards; clock mismanagement; running game that averaged 1.2 yards per attempt.
And unlike its other loss against a Power Four opponent this season, TCU doesn’t even get trans-Atlantic advantage miles.
One month into the season TCU is not undefeated but .500, and 0-2 against Power Four opponents, averaging 11.5 points per game.
For the third time in head coach Sonny Dykes’ five-year tenure at TCU, he is starting a quarterback when the backup may be the better option. Unlike those other previous seasons, however, Dykes may not be able to bench Jaden Craig just yet in favor of sophomore Adam Schobel.
It’s the same reason why you see NFL teams often go with the veteran over the emerging young player: Guaranteed cash.
Craig left Harvard in the offseason and signed with TCU for a lot of money. More than Schobel, who as a freshman in 2025 did not play. He’s currently No. 2 on the depth chart, and has one pass attempt this season.
Because Craig played against Ivy League opponents, he was viewed as a risk. So far against Power Four opponents, the concerns about Craig are more than warranted.
Against North Carolina and Central Florida, he is 45-of-72 passing for 485 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns. In those losses, he’s credited for 10 carries for minus-38 yards (sacks count as rushing yards in college football).
Craig has not received much help from his receivers, but he’s limited. He’s a decent passer, but he’s not mobile, and can’t create plays if the pocket falls apart. He plays like a quarterback who belongs in the Ivy League.
After one unimpressive first month, he may have played his way to the bench, at least a few years ago. Today? Benching a starter requires an accountant, and a risk-assessment analysis.
In the pay-for-play world of college football, TCU may have to stick with Craig for another week or so, even if his coach may not prefer it. It would not be the first time in Dykes’ time at TCU he missed on the starting quarterback.
In 2022, Dykes named Chandler Morris the starting quarterback. He suffered an injury in Week 1, and Max Duggan came in and led the team to history.
In 2023, Morris was again named the starting quarterback, but he suffered a knee injury in the sixth game of the season in a game at Iowa State, and was replaced by Josh Hoover. Hoover would keep the job until he left the program after the end of the 2025 regular season.
In 2026, Power Four quarterbacks are paid big money. Benching the highest-paid player on the team hurts.
It’s hard to see Dykes benching Craig now before the Horned Frogs host a top-10 BYU team. If they think Schobel deserves a look, asking him to make his first start at Baylor may be it. TCU has a bye after hosting BYU, and it would give Schobel two weeks of first-team reps before going to Waco on Oct. 17.
Since its national title-game appearance in 2022, TCU has suffered through blah stretches in every ensuing year; it had ugly periods in 2024 and ‘25, and rallied to end with winning streaks and some momentum.
This 2-2 stretch does not feel like those swoons in ‘24 and ‘25; this one feels more like ‘23, when they started 3-1 before collapsing en route to a 5-7, bowl-less finish. Unlike that team, which had one of the worst defenses in FBS football, this group is better, but the offense is not.
TCU is playing like an average team that needs its quarterback to compensate for its holes, and mistakes. Jaden Craig is not doing that; under the previous system, he may be benched.
In the pay-for-play world, he may keep his job a bit longer because benching the starting quarterback right now would hurt.
Game schedule dates, times, locations Sept. 22 New York Mets 6, Rangers 3 Sept. 23 New York Mets 7, Rangers 2 Sept. 24 Rangers 3, New York Mets 1 Sept. 25 Minnesota 10, Rangers 2 Sept. 26 Rangers 6, Minnesota 2 Sept. 27 at Minnesota, 2:10 p.m., RSN End of the regular season Sept. 17 Wings 97, Los Angeles 77 Sept. 19 Wings 87, Phoenix 82 Sept. 21 Phoenix 87, Wings 86 Sept. 23 Wings 103, Seattle 91 WNBA playoffs First-round series (best-of-3) Game 1: Sept. 27 at Golden State, 8 p.m., USA, CNBC Game 2: Sept. 30 vs. Golden State, 8 p.m., ESPN Game 3 (if necessary): Oct. 2 at Golden State, TBD Sept. 13 N.Y. Giants 28, Cowboys 20 Sept. 20 Cowboys 37, Washington 20 Sept. 27 vs. Baltimore (at Rio de Janeiro), 3:25 p.m., CBS Oct. 4 at Houston, 12 p.m., Fox Oct. 8 vs. Tampa Bay, 7:15 p.m., Amazon Prime Video Oct. 18 at Green Bay, 7:20 p.m., NBC Oct. 26 at Philadelphia, 7:15 p.m., ESPN, ABC Nov. 1 vs. Arizona, 12 p.m., Fox Nov. 8 at Indianapolis, 12 p.m., Fox Nov. 15 vs. San Francisco, 3:25 p.m., Fox Nov. 22 vs. Tennessee, 12 p.m., Fox Nov. 26 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., Fox Dec. 7 at Seattle, 7:15 p.m., ESPN, ABC Dec. 20 at L.A. Rams, 3:25 p.m., CBS Dec. 27 vs. Jacksonville, 7:20 p.m., NBC Jan. 3 vs. N.Y. Giants, 12 p.m., Fox Jan. 9 or 10 at Washington, TBA Aug. 29 North Carolina 15, TCU 10 Sept. 12 TCU 63, Grambling State 7 Sept. 19 TCU 31, Arkansas State 7 Sept. 26 Central Florida 21, TCU 13 Oct. 3 vs. BYU, 6 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2 Oct. 17 at Baylor, TBA Oct. 24 vs. West Virginia, TBA Oct. 31 vs. Kansas, TBA Nov. 6 at Arizona, 9:15 p.m., ESPN Nov. 14 vs. Kansas State, TBA Nov. 21 vs. Utah, TBA Nov. 26 at Texas Tech, 7 p.m., ESPN Sept. 5 Indiana 52, North Texas 16 Sept. 12 North Texas 44, UNLV 6 Sept. 19 Texas State 49, North Texas 35 Sept. 26 North Texas 63, Houston Christian 14 Oct. 1 at Tulsa, 8 p.m., ESPN Oct. 10 vs. Charlotte, TBA Oct. 24 at Navy, 2:30 p.m. CBSSN Oct. 29 vs. Florida Atlantic, 6:30 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2 Nov. 7 vs. Rice, TBA Nov. 14 at UTSA, TBA Nov. 21 at Tulane, TBA Nov. 28 vs. UAB, TBA All home games at Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium Aug. 27 Central Oklahoma 59, Texas Wesleyan 7 Sept. 5 McNeese State 52, Texas Wesleyan 0 Sept. 12 Texas Wesleyan 56, Texas College 20 Sept. 26 Texas Wesleyan 41, Nelson 16 Oct. 3 at Arkansas Baptist, 2 p.m. Oct. 10 at Louisiana Christian, 2 p.m. Oct. 17 vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, 1 p.m. Oct. 24 at Langston, 2 p.m. Oct. 31 vs. Oklahoma Panhandle State, 2 p.m. Nov. 7 at Ottawa (Arizona), 6 p.m. Nov. 14 at Wayland Baptist, 2 p.m. Sept. 5 FC Dallas 4, Kansas City 3 Sept. 9 FC Dallas 2, Minnesota 1 Sept. 12 FC Dallas 2, Portland 1 Sept. 19 FC Dallas 0, Austin 0 Sept. 26 FC Dallas 1, LAFC 0 Oct. 10 at Charlotte, 6:30 p.m., Apple TV Oct. 14 vs. Seattle, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV Oct. 17 at Houston, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV Oct. 24 vs. San Jose, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV Oct. 28 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV Oct. 1-3 Dirt Track Championship Oct. 2-3 Goodguys Lone Star Nationals Oct. 14 Tony Stewart Bowling Tournament Oct. 16-17 High Limit Racing Championship Oct. 29-31 POWRi Racing
This story was originally published September 26, 2026 at 7:36 PM.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Mac Engel is an award-winning columnist who has covered sports since the dawn of man; Cowboys, TCU, Stars, Rangers, Mavericks, etc. Olympics. Movies. Concerts. Books. He combines dry wit with 1st-person reporting to complement an annoying personality.
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