Bohls, Golden: In this Cinderella story, TCU's storybook season not likely to end happily

As college football prepares to put a bow on its season and the NFL playoffs prepare to heat up, we take the time to consider TCU's present and future, and to nitpick Texas basketball, and to second-guess Jimbo Fisher, and, along the way, to fix college football's transfer portal and the entire college basketball season:

1. Will TCU complete its Herculean task and knock off Georgia on Monday night?

Bohls: Alas, the Frogs will not. Really hope I’m wrong because I always root for the league I cover. But I fear the bubble will burst and the Bulldogs will get their second wind after the scare from Ohio State and play to their very big potential in a 45-24 win for the natty.

Golden: No, but it doesn’t mean the Horned Frogs aren't still one of the best sports stories of the season. Sonny Dykes is possibly the most popular coach in America, and quarterback Max Duggan is one of the country's most inspirational players. The Bulldogs probably should have lost to Ohio State, but I expect them not to make the mistake Michigan made by overlooking the Frogs. I’m taking Georgia for the repeat 38-20.

2. Rate the late Cliff Gustafson's best five players.

Bohls: That's no easy task. But my top five would be third baseman Keith Moreland (college baseball’s best clutch hitter), Burt Hooton (one of the best pitchers in the history of the game), Greg Swindell (a 43-game winner and Texas’ best left-handed pitcher ever), two-way star Brooks Kieschnick (a two-time Dick Howser Trophy winner), and star shortstop Spike Owen.

Bohls: Cliff Gustafson was more than a winner, he also was beloved ... by all

Golden: There were so many great ones, and five is such a short list, but I’ll go with — in no particular order — Keith Moreland, Greg Swindell, Scott Bryant, Brooks Kieschnick and Burt Hooton. Doing this list is a reminder of just how loaded Gus’ teams were. There are literally at least 10 other men who should be seriously considered top five. It’s why we love lists.

3. How would you change the NCAA transfer portal rule?

Bohls: I would limit athletes to two transfers with immediate eligibility with a third transfer necessitating a sit-out season that would basically scuttle any third moves. It’s ridiculous to have players like quarterback J.T. Daniels play for four schools. Is this free agency? As a matter of fact, yes, it is, except it’s even more free than the NFL. I’d bet 80% of the transfers are just going to the highest bidder, which is hardly the essence of college football.

Golden: I would require the players to spend a minimum of two seasons on a college campus before they are allowed to enter the portal. And I would also cap it as a one-time deal. It has become a free-for-all and NIL has played a huge role in the proliferation of players leaving for what they believe to be greener pastures. The NCAA really dropped the ball on this.

4. Are you in favor of expanding the NCAA Tournament from 68 to 90 teams?

Bohls: Absolutely not. It’s a far-fetched and crazy idea. Absurd, actually. The 68 number is plenty with the cool four-team play-ins an appetizing teaser. If they go to 90, what’s to stop the NCAA from allowing all 363 teams to play and run the tournament through May Madness?

Golden: Not at all. It’s plenty big enough. There comes a time when you have to make the smart decision and not water down an event that never lets us down. More teams don't guarantee we’ll get the same quality of play we see under the current format. It would cut down on the bubble teams that get left out, but we would see an increase in huge blowouts in the first round, which hurts the overall quality.

5. Would you like to see college basketball start its season on Jan. 1?

Bohls: I would. Hey, the NHL and NBA can go through June, so why not college hoops? It might never happen, but it’s a shame because basketball players already are operating in the huge shadow of college football for almost half their season before fans pay attention, and the regular season is almost meaningless with so much focus on the tournament.

Golden: No, that’s way too late. Late fall is fine, even if football overshadows the proceedings. I like the way it’s built now, with teams moving into conference play in January. Starting in January tightens the regular season a bit too much, and teams aren’t allowed to jell in a smaller time frame. Keep it the same.

Bohls: Texas deserves credit for how it handled firing Chris Beard

6. On a scale of 1-10, how concerned are you after watching the Texas men's defensive performance against Kansas State?

Bohls: If 10 is the most, I’d say a 5. I might be more alarmed if I hadn’t seen this same crew play excellent defense earlier in the season. The Longhorns’ defensive play has skidded a lot in Chris Beard’s absence, though, falling from No. 3 to No. 41 in the nation before Saturday’s game. Hey, the top five teams in kenpom.com — Houston, Tennessee, UConn, UCLA and Kansas — are a collective 68-8 and ranked second, first, fifth, seventh and 10th in defensive efficiency.

Golden: I’ll take a 9 because it wasn’t a one-off. Before Saturday’s game at Oklahoma State, the Horns had given up 96 points or more in three of four games. That’s not what we have become accustomed to in the past season and change. Kansas State was making almost everything it threw up, but it was more alarming to see the uncontested layups Texas gave up and the lack of a true rim protector in the paint. We knew before the season that size would be an issue, but they must hone in on the perimeter defense as well.

7. Do you agree with Texas A&M's hiring of Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator?

Bohls: Sure. Why not add to the chaos with arguably the biggest villain in the sport? College Station has looked like a circus of late with the most disappointing season in all of college football with a 5-7 record and no bowl, and more Aggies (27) have left through the portal than players from any other school.

Golden: Not really. I guess good things happen to questionable people. Petrino’s poster is still plastered on every post office wall in Atlanta with how he bailed on the Falcons years ago, and we’re not even getting into the mistress and motorcycle saga at Louisville. This might be an ill-timed comment on a dysfunctional coach, but I guess there is something to be said for being a good offensive coach. You can always find someone willing to give you a million dollars.

8. Should Jim Harbaugh just go ahead and leave for the NFL?

Bohls: Since he does nothing to dispel the speculation, why doesn’t he just leave already? He apparently has big-time interest in the NFL after his offseason dalliance with the Minnesota Vikings last year. He’s certainly not doing Michigan any favors with all the rampant rumors as Coach Khaki does nothing to put an end to them and now faces multiple NCAA allegations against him and his program.

Golden: Of course, he should. Go ahead and label him Pete Carroll without the championships. Harbaugh would be well-suited to get out a couple of steps ahead of the NCAA posse because it's on the way and sanctions are probably in the works. If an NFL team wants to hire him, he’d be smart to go, though it won’t make him a popular figure in Ann Arbor.

9. Which top 2022 college football team will suffer the biggest falloff in 2023?

Bohls: I’m going to go out on a limb and say TCU, only because it’s unimaginable that the Frogs could repeat this type of magic. They struck gold with the rise of Max Duggan, who's turning pro after Monday’s game, and the emergence of star linebackers Johnny Hodges, a transfer from Navy, where he went to play lacrosse, and Dee Winters, a wide receiver in high school. Chandler Morris is a redshirt freshman quarterback who started this season’s opener and has much to prove, and 12 seniors will start against Georgia — 13 if junior running back Kendre Miller can’t go because of his knee — and that doesn’t count a senior kicker and punter. But a dropoff from 13-1 might just be 9-3.

Golden: I worry about the Houston Cougars. They're 20-7 with pair of bowl wins in the past couple of seasons under Dana Holgorsen, but they really took a step back in 2022 with a 7-5 mark, which included a defenseless 77-63 loss to SMU. With the move to the ultracompetitive Big 12 coming up in 2023, it just feels as if the Cougars have begun to trend downward after that 12-2 season in 2021.

10. Did the NFL do the right thing in canceling the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game?

Bohls: It definitely did. Was pleased to see the two head coaches stand strong against playing and the league with its humane stance as well. I’m not a big proponent of neutral sites for playoff games because it robs the NFL of the special quality of home games, as we saw in last year’s wild, zany postseason. Just give the home-field advantages to the teams with the best winning percentage. Nothing more fair than that.

Golden: I was against them resuming play this week while Hamlin’s life was hanging in the balance, but I do wish they could have figured out a way to move the playoffs back a week and play the game because of the huge stakes involved seedingwise. The scenarios I have seen lately involving neutral site games and possible coin flips for home-field advantage aren’t exactly Bengals-friendly.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Our take on TCU's chances? The Frogs' likely loss won't tarnish season