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2012 record: 7-6
2012 Big 12 record: 4-5
Returning starters: Offense: 6; defense: 9; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners: DE Devonte Fields, CB Jason Verrett, WR Brandon Carter, S Sam Carter, S Elisha Olabode, RB Waymon James, K Jaden Oberkrom, RB B.J. Catalon

Key losses: WR Josh Boyce, LB Kenny Cain, DE Stansly Maponga, C James Fry, OG Blaize Foltz, RB Matthew Tucker, WR Skye Dawson

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Passing: Trevone Boykin* (2,054 yards)
Rushing: B.J. Catalon* (584 yards)
Receiving: Josh Boyce (891 yards)
Tackles: Kenny Cain (86)
Sacks: Devonte Fields* (10)
Interceptions: Jason Verrett* (6)

Spring answers

1. Offensive line getting straightened out. James Fry and Blaize Foltz were big losses on the interior of the offensive line, and replacing them was a big concern for the Frogs' quiet spring. The spring ended with senior Eric Tausch atop the depth chart at center and sophomore Jamelle Naff winning the right guard job to replace Foltz. Tausch started at left guard last season and moved over, but sophomore Joey Hunt slid up to replace him. Neither Naff nor Hunt have much experience (Hunt earned his lone career start in a loss to Iowa State), but they'll be leaned on this season.

2. New targets acquired. Josh Boyce and Skye Dawson took their talents to the next level, leaving the Frogs in search of a pair of new starters. LaDarius Brown and Brandon Carter were sure things, but strong springs helped fellow juniors Cam White and David Porter win starting jobs at receiver. There aren't many open gigs for a team returning 15 starters, but that's one that will have a big impact.

3. Mallet dropping the hammer. Junior Marcus Mallet emerged late last season and finished with five tackles for loss and a forced fumble among his 18 stops. Now, he looks like the likely candidate to replace departed Kenny Cain and a possible breakout talent on a loaded TCU defense. The 6-foot-1, 216-pounder finished atop the depth chart after a good spring.

Fall questions

1. Is Casey Pachall back to his old self? It's probably safe to operate under the assumption that Pachall will win his job back in fall camp, but beating out Trevone Boykin isn't the same as leading the Big 12 in passing efficiency, like he was last year before his DUI arrest that ended his season. You don't win a Big 12 title with average quarterback play, which brings me to my next question.

2. Can TCU really handle a Big 12 schedule? TCU was competitive last year, sure, and only had one game that it wasn't competitive in. But TCU's not trying to be competitive. It didn't come to the Big 12 to do that. It came to win, and it's proven exactly nothing in that realm just yet. Managing a difficult week-to-week schedule is one thing. Winning just about every week is another. Ask K-State's 2012 team and Oklahoma State's 2011 squad how easy that is.

3. Is the defense for real? On paper, this unit should be absolutely dominant after finishing No. 1 in the Big 12 in total defense and returning nine starters, including Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Devonte Fields at defensive end. That sounds like Texas' defense from last year, who fell off the map and allowed more rushing yards than any team in school history. Sometimes, you just never really know. This is a new season and last year means nothing. Prove it again.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- It didn't take long for Gary Patterson to figure out his 2012 freshman class he'd signed in 2012 was different from most he'd encountered as TCU's coach.

For one, it was the first class he'd ever signed with the promise that each player would play out his career in the Big 12 Conference. More than that, though, when Patterson was forced to play 17 of his true freshmen in 2012, he wasn't too surprised when the result wasn't a disaster.

Instead, stars like defensive end Devonte Fields emerged. He won the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year award, and running back B.J. Catalon, place-kicker Jaden Oberkrom and offensive lineman Aviante Collins earned time as starters. Cornerback Deante' Gray played in the secondary and scored a touchdown on TCU's first touch of the season, a punt return in the season opener against Grambling.

"The freshman class, we knew they were a bit of a different class than what we’d had in the past anyway," Patterson told ESPN.com in a recent interview. "Just the way their mindset is, to the way they approached the summer time and the classwork they did and the offseason work they did with [strength and conditioning] Coach [Don] Sommer."

Before 2012, Patterson had never played more than six true freshmen as a head coach.

Twelve more redshirt freshmen like quarterback Trevone Boykin and receiver LaDarius Brown showed the ability to play immediately and contribute in a tougher conference than the Frogs were used to. Chris Hackett earned a starting safety job less than a third of the way through the season.

Now, it's time for those 28 first-year players to take the next step for the Frogs in one of the most highly anticipated seasons in school history.

"'I want to play and play well,' but playing, you already achieved that," Patterson said of his freshmen. "The biggest thing going forward now, it’s setting goals team-wise, winning championships and playing big and playing well in these kinds of ballgames."

Patterson saw inconsistency in games like losses to Oklahoma State, when the Frogs led 14-9 at halftime but were outscored 27-0 in the second half of the 36-14 loss. He wants consistency, but consistency at a high level.

"So, how do you do that? That comes with maturity and all the other things," Patterson said. "We spent a lot of time talking about the things we have to do to make sure that [inconsistency] doesn’t happen again."

We're back again looking at a different Big 12 team with title aspirations next fall. The Frogs limped (literally) through their first season in the Big 12, dealing with more injuries and personnel losses than any team in the Big 12, but still managed to finish 7-6 and earn a whole bunch of respect in its first season as a team in a BCS automatic qualifier conference.

So what happens in Year 2? Do you buy that a Big 12 title is in reach? Vote in our poll whether you believe TCU has a real chance or not. With Casey Pachall back on the field and back in practice, hopes are certainly high, but the Frogs' biggest asset is the Big 12's No. 1 offense from 2012 that returns nine starters.

Pachall still has to officially beat out Trevone Boykin, who was streaky but showed some promise filling in for Pachall over the last 2/3 of the 2012 season.

Defensive end Devonte Fields, the AP's Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, highlights the Frogs' hyped defense alongside cornerback Jason Verrett, the league's top shutdown corner from a year ago who led the league with six interceptions and 16 pass breakups. Great secondary play is a must-have in the Big 12, and TCU's got it.

The Frogs have to deal with the loss of receiver Josh Boyce, but the position is still strong with Brandon Carter returning and LaDarius Brown looking ready for an increased role after catching 27 passes for 385 yards and five scores last season.

The running backs will be a strength for the Frogs next season with Waymon James returning from a knee injury and B.J. Catalon and Nebraska transfer Aaron Green providing depth and variety to James' powerful running style.

Will it be enough to truly contend for a Big 12 title for the first time ever? Or are the Frogs a paper tiger bound for disappointment in 2013? Cast your vote. We'll revisit the results later.

TCU opened spring practice Friday for the second time as a Big 12 member. Let's take a closer look.

Schedule: The Frogs began spring practice on Friday, which will be the first of 15 NCAA-allowed practices. TCU rarely holds a spring game, and will not hold one this season.

What's new: Very, very little, especially on defense. TCU lost coach Randy Shannon to Arkansas this offseason, but returns 15 starters from last year's seven-win team, second most in the Big 12 (only Texas has more) and 24th nationally. Shannon was replaced by DeMontie Cross, who comes to TCU from Kansas' staff under Charlie Weis. On the field, there are big pieces that must be replaced (defensive end Stansly Maponga and wide receiver Josh Boyce), but the Frogs will largely have the same personnel next season as they had in 2012.

All eyes on: Quarterback Casey Pachall. He's the biggest story of spring in the Big 12 by far. Pachall was one of the Big 12's best at the position a year ago, but left the team after a DUI arrest to seek treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. He's back on the team now and TCU's Big 12 title hopes hinge on him returning to form after time away from the game. He's also going to be watched closely when he's off the field. Will he be able to make the necessary adjustments to make his new lifestyle a permanent, healthy change?

New faces: TCU will be welcoming three early enrollees this spring, headlined by quarterback Zach Allen, the nation's No. 56 pocket passer. He'll be joined by tight end Bryson Burtnett from Springtown, Texas, and Georgia offensive tackle Eason Fromayan. There aren't many immediate contributors in that group, I'd say, but it's always good for freshmen to get a head start in spring practice.

Question marks: We've mentioned this previously, but you can't underestimate the importance of offensive line play in the Big 12. It can make any offense look great, and TCU will have to replace two of its best players on the line in guard Blaize Foltz and center James Fry. Sorting out their replacements will be a primary objective this spring.

Position battle: TCU's running back spot is going to be really strong and intriguing. I expect all the backs to get carries in the fall, Waymon James will be returning from a knee injury and trying to hold off B.J. Catalon to retain his starting position. What people really want to see, though, is Nebraska transfer Aaron Green's debut as an eligible player. He was one of the nation's top 10 prospects in the 2010 recruiting class and sat out last season after coming home to Texas.

Earlier this week, I asked you to vote for which incoming freshman you thought would have the biggest impact in 2013.

The fans spoke, and West Virginia receiver Shelton Gibson finished solidly in the No. 1 spot with 33 percent of the vote. He was well ahead of the No. 2 finisher, Baylor receiver Robbie Rhodes, who grabbed 23 percent of the vote.

I'd agree with those two having an immediate impact. I don't know if you can expect either to finish with 90 catches, but I'd be surprised if both Gibson and Rhodes didn't both make their presence known next fall. For freshmen, opportunity might be more important than skill itself. Both players obviously have the latter, but Baylor and West Virginia's offenses both provide opportunity. With a pair of receiving corps that are drained (more so West Virginia than Baylor), the pass-happy offenses will have to find targets. Rhodes is in the middle of the road when it comes to size, but Gibson's small and shifty frame could help him get open and get touches early in his career.

Oklahoma safety Hatari Byrd will have an opportunity with a pair of lost safeties from last year's team, and he edged out Ra'Shaad Samples with 18 percent, compared to Samples' 17 percent. Samples is entering a situation similar to Rhodes and Gibson, but Oklahoma State has a few more established weapons like Josh Stewart, Tracy Moore and the expected return of Michael Harrison, as well as the late emergence of Austin Hays.

Incoming TCU running back Kyle Hicks grabbed just 9 percent of the vote. It sound like the other 91 percent of voters didn't believe he could fight through Aaron Green, B.J. Catalon and Waymon James to earn some touches in TCU's offense.

These guys will be fun to watch over their careers, and it's not all about the first season on campus.

I released my Big 12 2013 power rankings on Tuesday, and colleague Mark Schlabach dropped his "too-early Top 25," too.

How did the Big 12 fare? Four teams cracked the list, with Texas leading the way at No. 11.

"Will the Longhorns finally move back among the sport's elite? If quarterback David Ash plays the way he did in the second half of a 31-27 victory over Oregon State in the Alamo Bowl, UT will have a chance to be a lot better in 2013," Schlabach wrote. "But if Ash and backup Case McCoy continue to struggle, it might be another long season for coach Mack Brown, who might be on his last legs in trying to turn things around."

I'd say that's too high for Texas, but if Ash matures and plays throughout the year with consistency, Texas will definitely be a force and a likely top 10-team.

He also had TCU as the second-highest Big 12 team, at No. 14.

"TCU limped to a 7-6 record in its first season in the Big 12, but it might have been Gary Patterson's best coaching job," he writes. "The Horned Frogs were stung by a drug bust that cost them four players in the offseason, then lost quarterback Casey Pachall to off-field problems after four games (he might return in 2013). By the end of the 2012 campaign, TCU's leading passer (Trevone Boykin), rusher (B.J. Catalon) and pass-rusher (Devonte Fields) were freshmen."

I couldn't agree more there. For TCU to stay afloat with all the problems and youth this season was unbelievable. Credit to Patterson, but we may see the big results next year.

Oklahoma checked in at No. 17.

"Bob Stoops and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel will begin the task of replacing Jones, a record-setting quarterback, who threw for 4,267 yards with 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this past season," he writes. "Sophomore Blake Bell, affectionately known as the Belldozer because of his 6-foot-6, 254-pound frame, is the favorite to win the starting job, but he'll have to hold off junior Drew Allen and freshmen Trevor Knight and Kendal Thompson."

No doubt about this one: Oklahoma's fate in 2013 depends on how well the quarterback transition goes. The defense has a lot of questions and low expectations with the high volume of losses, but a good quarterback could keep the Sooners in the hunt for a Big 12 title.

Oklahoma State is the last team in the rankings, all the way down at No. 24.

"The Pokes will have plenty of firepower behind the quarterbacks next season, with running backs Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith returning to school," he writes. "The Cowboys had 20 players make their first career starts this past season; only five other FBS schools had more first-time starters. That experience should pay off in 2013, when OSU plays TCU, Kansas State and Oklahoma at home."

I like OSU's chances more because of its experience and flexibility at quarterback and a defense that should mature, too. I might have slipped Baylor in these preseason rankings, but it'll be close. What do you make of our too-early Top 25?

Let's take a look at three keys for TCU in today's Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.

1. Be patient, young ones. TCU's offense hasn't been real effective after losing Casey Pachall, with a couple exceptions. However, they love to run the ball with B.J. Catalon and Matthew Tucker. Trevone Boykin provides another weapon with his legs at quarterback. The Frogs have had a lot of effectiveness working that scheme and then beating teams over the top. They may have to do that with Michigan State, who should be one of the better rush defenses (rank eighth nationally) TCU sees this year. Finding the right time for that big play and hitting it could be the difference in what should be a low-scoring game.

2. Wrap up, wrap up, wrap up. If you didn't already know, the first five minutes of tonight's game will make it very, very obvious: They simply do not make backs like Le'Veon Bell in the Big 12. The 250-pounder runs hard and leads the nation in yards after contact. He can also hurdle you with little hesitation. You cannot arm tackle this man, no matter how hard you try or how much you believe you can. TCU's got to be disciplined tacklers and swarm to him when he's got the ball, otherwise he's going for 200 and TCU's not winning this game.

3. Keep making big plays defensively. TCU kept itself in the game with a pair of defensive plays in the loss to OU, and the offense is likely going to have a tough night against the Spartans. Michigan State quarterback Andrew Maxwell has multiple interceptions in his last two games after throwing two picks in his previous nine games. TCU, meanwhile, are fourth nationally with 21 interceptions this season. MSU won't chuck it around like Big 12 teams, but the Frogs' Jason Verrett, Sam Carter and Elisha Olabode have combined for 14 picks and could do some more thieving. I can't emphasize it enough: This game very likely will turn on a big play. TCU's defense may be just as likely to make it as the offense.

TCU

Record: 5-1, 2-1 Big 12

The Frogs' season feels a lot more traumatic than it's actually been. In four days, TCU lost its best player and its first game, and it felt much like the sky was falling. After last week's 49-21 win over Baylor, things are looking up in Fort Worth.

Casey Pachall's DWI arrest and disenrollment from the university to seek treatment for drug and alcohol addiction was the biggest story of the season for the Frogs, and Iowa State came into the new Amon G. Carter Stadium and ruined the first Big 12 game ever in the Frogs' new pond. Trevone Boykin struggled and turned the ball over four times.

Last week, with a full week to practice at QB after playing just one day at QB the week before, he threw four touchdowns. The Frogs are second in the Big 12 and 14th nationally in total defense. The team's best running back, Waymon James, is out for the year with a knee injury and Matthew Tucker's been banged up, too. He sat out the loss to Iowa State. That was a big loss, and with no QB and a running game left to B.J. Catalon and Aundre Dean, the Frogs looked pretty average. That defense leads the nation in turnovers forced, though, and will keep the Frogs in plenty of games down the stretch. The final six games of the schedule will be brutal and truly tell us just how good TCU can be.

Offensive MVP: Brandon Carter and Josh Boyce, WRs. I'm not going to put Pachall on here, though he's the clear candidate. He's gone. Carter and Boyce have been outstanding and produced similar output in the passing game. They've combined for 56 catches, 806 yards and eight touchdowns over the first half of the season, which included a rain-soaked night against SMU, too.

Defensive MVP: Devonte Fields, DE. Fields is my defensive player of the year in the entire Big 12, and the true freshman has been the breakout star of the entire league, even though he hasn't gotten much press on a national level. He leads the Big 12 with 6.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, two more than any player in the Big 12.

When was the last time a player worked as a third-string running back in practice during the week, and on Saturday took the field as a team's starting quarterback?

Before Saturday, it had to have been awhile. TCU's Trevone Boykin made both unorthodox moves out of necessity, but couldn't lead TCU to a win over Iowa State in the Frogs' first Big 12 home game.

Boykin won the TCU backup quarterback job ahead of Matt Brown, but the 6-foot-2, 215-pound redshirt freshman from Mesquite, Texas, worked at running back with Waymon James out for the season with a knee injury and Matthew Tucker a game-time decision with an ankle injury.

On Thursday morning, TCU coach Gary Patterson dealt with the news that his starting quarterback, Casey Pachall, had been arrested on suspicion of DWI. Pachall was suspended indefinitely, and all of a sudden, it was Boykin's time.

For one practice, he was the team's starting quarterback. After Thursday, it was time to go head-to-head against the Big 12's No. 3 scoring defense.

"We wish we had a little bit more for [time for] it. The biggest thing is he doesn’t have the experience to do it," Patterson said. "Trevone runs better, but just needs the experience of seeing the field better."

TCU's offense didn't change much with Boykin in place instead of Pachall, but to make matters worse, Tucker couldn't play to provide Boykin a safety valve. When James went down with a knee injury, Patterson said he had one back he trusted. Now, that one back was down, and only freshman B.J. Catalon and senior Aundre Dean were left.

Still, TCU managed 455 yards of offense, more than any offense against Iowa State all season.

"You’re talking about playing your first Big 12 [game] and I consider Iowa State a pretty good defense," Patterson said. "The key is you can’t throw interceptions, especially not for touchdowns, and you can’t turn the ball over. He’s got to do a better job of managing the game."

Will Boykin get another chance this week against Baylor, which has had two weeks to prepare for the Frogs? Patterson says he'll address Pachall's status at his Tuesday media luncheon, after meeting with the school's AD and chancellor on Sunday.

Boykin was responsible for three interceptions, and Catalon coughed up a pair of fumbles, including one inside Iowa State's 5-yard line.

Boykin's last interception was returned for a score, but his speediness provides a new facet to TCU's offense that Pachall couldn't.

"We’re excited about it; he gave us some options we didn’t have before," Patterson said. "We’ll move forward with that."

Hasn't TCU suffered enough attrition since the end of last season?

Apparently not. Add the team's leading rusher in 2011 and 2012 to the list. Waymon James won't be on the field for the Horned Frogs for the rest of 2012 after suffering a knee injury in last week's 20-6 win over Kansas.

From our news story:

TCU junior running back Waymon James will miss the rest of the season, a TCU official confirmed to ESPN.com Wednesday afternoon.

James suffered an apparent knee injury in the fourth quarter of last week's 20-6 win over Kansas, and coach Gary Patterson told reporters this week he believed James would be a game-time decision for Saturday's game against Virginia.

James' injury, which TCU declined to go into detail on, will keep him off the field for the rest of TCU's first season in the Big 12.

For now, that means the TCU running back spot belongs to Matthew Tucker. That's a pretty big surprise, but Tucker will be capable.

Even still, expect more of the offense to fall on junior quarterback Casey Pachall's shoulders. With less depth at running back and plenty at receiver with a capable passer in Pachall, it may be time for TCU to depend a little more on the passing game.

TCU's team is a prime example of how quickly depth can disappear. Tucker entered spring camp as the team's third running back in carries and rushing yards a year ago, despite the Frogs triple threat of running backs that each turned 120 carries into at least 700 yards in 2011.

In late May, Ed Wesley left the team because of family reasons and entered the NFL's supplemental draft. After James' injury, the Frogs are down to just one proven commodity in the backfield.

Tucker will get help from senior Aundre Dean and freshman B.J. Catalon, but TCU entered the season with arguably the best backfield in its new league, the Big 12.

Now? The Frogs are pretty average at the position.

And after all, that's the last thing TCU needed. The biggest question about the Frogs entering the Big 12 was if they had enough depth to win on a weekly basis in a major conference, rather than spending a whole season preparing for one big game to start the season or a big midseason showdown with Utah or Boise State, and then a bowl game.

Now, it looks like TCU won't even get a chance to prove whether or not that's the case. Here's who TCU won't have now in 2012 that at the end of 2011, it believed it would have:

• The team's best linebacker and probable best overall defender, Tanner Brock (drug arrest, removed from team)
• The team's second-best linebacker, Deryck Gildon (academics)
• The team's second-best running back, Wesley (left team) and best running back, James (injury).
• Starting defensive end Ross Forrest (knee injury)
• Probable starting safety Devin Johnson (drug arrest, removed from team)
• Probable starting offensive lineman Ty Horn (drug arrest, removed from team)
• Probable starting defensive lineman D.J. Yendrey (drug arrest, removed from team)

That's a huge, huge deficit that Patterson's team has to try and make up when conference play heats up this fall. The result: TCU is playing 15 true freshmen already this season, as many as any team in the country and far more than any team in the Big 12.

Through two games, that lack of depth and experience hasn't shown up. It may not for awhile. TCU will likely favored to win its first seven games before a brutal finish to 2012.

TCU's final five games are on the road at Oklahoma State, at No. 8 West Virginia, home vs. No. 15 Kansas State, at No. 12 Texas and home vs. No. 6 Oklahoma.

TCU can hold court until then, barring an upset.

But once it gets to that stretch, will the Frogs have enough to make their first season in the Big 12 one to remember?

Another spring camp is opening, and it's time to take a closer look. Today, the TCU Horned Frogs get started.

Schedule: Practice opens Friday at 5 p.m. ET and will conclude on April 5. Various practices may be open, but the plan has not been officially announced. TCU does not host a formal spring game.

What's new: The task ahead, mainly. You'll see a renewed sense of purpose this spring at TCU. The Horned Frogs know they have to be better to compete for a Big 12 title. In the Big 12, you put it on the line every week, and everybody can beat everybody. Ask Baylor and Kansas about that one. Or Iowa State and Oklahoma State. One win can't make a season, and 1-2 games don't decide a conference title like they do in the Mountain West.

New faces: TCU is welcoming four new faces to campus this spring as early enrolling freshmen: Quarterback Tyler Matthews, running back B.J. Catalon, transfer cornerback Keivon Gamble, and receiver Kolby Listenbee, who also made our 2012 Recruiting All-Name team.

Rekindling old flames: Former safeties coach Chad Glasgow returned to his post in Fort Worth after a season as the defensive coordinator at Texas Tech. He helped TCU lead the nation in total defense in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Those days are over for the Horned Frogs in the offense-heavy Big 12, but TCU fell to 15th last season in the Mountain West. Finishing there in the Big 12 in 2012 would be huge.

Big shoes to fill: Linebacker Deryck Gildon. Tank Carder (and his armbands) wrapped up their eligibility last year, but hopes are high that the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Gildon can be the man to hold TCU's defense together at the linebacker spot. His importance is amplified by the exit of Tanner Brock, who is among four players "separated" from the team while the legal process plays out following their drug sting arrests.

Breaking out: Receiver Brandon Carter. You probably already know about Josh Boyce and maybe Skye Dawson. But Carter, a freshman, could join them for a pretty dangerous third weapon in TCU's passing game for quarterback Casey Pachall. Among Carter's biggest catches last year was the game winner against Boise State, but this could be a big spring for him. And to think, Oklahoma only wanted him as a cornerback.

All eyes on: Player conduct. Four players were arrested in a drug sting by local police and reports indicated that five players tested positive for marijuana while 11 others showed trace amounts in a surprise Feb. 1 drug test administered by the team. However, comments from players to undercover police in police affidavits suggest that usage was much higher. Either way, the microscope is firmly on what's otherwise been a spotless program before these recent troubles.