DALLAS — Whether it is being based in the Metroplex or ties to the old Southwest Conference, Jerry Jones has a special place in his heart for TCU.
The Dallas Cowboys owner, president, and general manager shared his admiration for the Horned Frogs and their appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game with "K&C Masterpiece" on 105.3 "The Fan" [KRLD-FM] on Friday.
“I’m so impressed and proud of what TCU is doing," Jones said. "The fact that they are here is just magical. I don’t mean it to be rare in that sense. I mean it to be from the standpoint of having come as far as this team and this school has come when you look at the lay of the land today. This is as impressive as it has been at any time in my mind in college football for TCU, a school of that enrollment, school of that stature, stepping up here and having a chance to win the national championship in one ballgame, one ball going the right way."
The last time TCU won a national championship was in 1938 under coach Dutch Meyer, who led the Horned Frogs to an 11-0 record and a Sugar Bowl win over Carnegie Tech. TCU won their first national championship in 1935 under Meyer when they beat LSU in the Sugar Bowl.
Jones is fascinated with how Sonny Dykes has been able to lead TCU to the title game in today's landscape of transfer portals and NILs.
"This is particularly impressive now that you have the ability of these players to move around and have other incentives than have ever been there before for — let’s say wealthier teams," Jones said. "Can I say that? Whether it be tradition or it be financial, but to be able to sit up here in the face of the way the game is today in college and be lining up to take a kickoff to win the national championship is a huge deal for TCU.”
Jones is also pleased that TCU will take on Georgia at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., in the Los Angeles area. The stadium has been the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers since 2020.
"It’s going to get it: all the glitz and glamor of everything about football that you can have today," Jones said. "But the great thing, again, this TCU team is no joke. Boy, it is a sound, sound, sound team that can beat, can win this game. Do they have an uphill battle? They do, but should they do it, it will be one of the real sports stories of my — frankly it would be one of the sports stories of my time.”
Kickoff for the national championship game is at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 9 on ESPN.
Do you think TCU will pull off the upset to win the National Championship? Share your predictions with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
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