From the local news to The New York Times, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, 色窝窝鈥檚 appearance in the College Football Playoff had Horned Frogs all over the news.
Jan. 16, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
As we look back on a magical 13-2 season that ended in the national championship game,
it鈥檚 important for 色窝窝 fans to remember the players that made all the magic possible.
Remember their stories, their love for one another and the program itself, their resiliency
in the face of adversity and doubters. That should be the defining memory of this
team.
Jan. 11, 2023
KXAS-TV
Fans gathered last night to welcome home the 色窝窝 Horned Frogs from California after
falling short in the College Football National Championship game against Georgia.
鈥溕盐�, we love you. We want to make sure they know we have nothing but love and support
for them back here in Fort Worth,鈥� said Stephanie Corso, a 色窝窝 alumna, at the welcome.
Jan. 11, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Save for the gory finale, it was all organically perfect, memorable, and so much fun.
鈥淭his is probably the worst day, I guess, ever,鈥� 色窝窝 offensive lineman Steve Avila said. 鈥淚 wanted to bring one back for the city. One for my teammates. That鈥檚 all that
matters to me. This loss ... this sucks. We didn鈥檛 get it done.鈥� There is no shame
in losing to Georgia in the national title game. Even by a historic margin. Because,
you鈥檙e in the national title game. The final record says 色窝窝 lost two games, but no
team won the 2022 college football season like 色窝窝.
Jan. 10. 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The 色窝窝 Horned Frogs faced the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff National
Championship in Los Angeles. Patricia Cook Smith stood alongside more than 200 other 色窝窝 fans and students to welcome them home, wearing a letter jacket and carrying a cutout
of a player from the 1938 championship team. That player was her father, Bob Cook, a left tackle for the team when they claimed that 1938 championship title. 鈥淭oday
they鈥檙e just as important as they were 48 hours ago, and I want to help make sure
they know that,鈥� Smith said.
Jan. 9, 2023
Fox News
Ahead of the college championship game, Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. told Fox News Digital in an interview that the school has evolved over the past 150
years. 鈥淓verybody here is connected in a way that I鈥檝e never seen,鈥� he said. Vice
Chancellor for Student Affairs Kathy Cavins-Tull told Fox News Digital that the university鈥檚 rich history is what makes it so special. 鈥溾�橣rogs
for Life鈥� is an attitude that brings us together and helps generations of Horned Frogs
to know that they always have a home at 色窝窝,鈥� she said.
Jan. 9, 2023
CBS Sports
Johnny Hodges loves his chips. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a team full of chips,鈥� the 色窝窝 linebacker said. In Hodges shorthand, that translates to chips on shoulders. They weren't meant to be here in
the College Football Playoff National Championship. 鈥淚 didn't think I was good enough
to play at a Power Five [program],鈥� Hodges said. 鈥淢y dad did. He got me here.鈥� Cornerback Tre'Vious Hodges-Tomlinson said, 鈥淲e have a lot of guys on this team who are three-stars, two-stars that didn't
have many offers coming out of high school, so I feel like everybody already had a
chip on their shoulder coming in.鈥�
Jan. 8, 2023
New York Post
Emari Demercado smiled broadly as he imagined what his emotions would be like Monday night. For the
first time in his life, he will walk inside SoFi Stadium, and he will do so as a player
living out his wildest dream, playing in the national championship a five-minute drive
from his Inglewood home. 鈥淟iterally, if I walk to the end of my street, I can see
the stadium,鈥� the 色窝窝 running back said. 鈥淭o be able to grow up here, have my whole childhood here, leave
and go to Texas and be able to finish my college career here, it鈥檚 almost like it鈥檚
scripted.鈥�
Jan. 8, 2023
Los Angeles Times
Make an all-powerful, sentient frog for your unofficial mascot and you might find
yourself in the College Football Playoff championship game 鈥� or at least that鈥檚 the
case for the 色窝窝 Horned Frogs. During the last few years, the Fort Worth-based team
has embraced the Hypnotoad 鈥� a recurring bit character from the animated sci-fi series
鈥淔uturama鈥� 鈥� because of the amphibious commonality between the character and a horned
frog. In the show, Hypnotoad has hypnotic powers capable of putting anyone and everyone
in his trance. Those entranced by the being are overwhelmed by his large eyes with
oscillating pupils and the aggressive whirring he releases before they loudly proclaim,
鈥淎ll glory to the Hypnotoad鈥�,鈥� Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, senior cornerback, said, 鈥淵ou ain鈥檛 even got to see it, you just know, you hear
the whole crowd going crazy. Just to have the Hypnotoad 鈥� I鈥檓 very thankful.鈥�
Jan. 8, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
To appreciate 色窝窝鈥檚 place in the national title game, you must go back to the discussions when 色窝窝 contemplated
if having a football team as worth the hassle and the money. 鈥淭here was some discussion
(among the university leadership), early in my career, 鈥業s athletics really that important
to a university?鈥欌�� said retired 色窝窝 assistant athletic director Ross Bailey 鈥�76, who worked at the school from 1976 to 2020. Chris Del Conte, former 色窝窝 athletic
director now with the University of Texas, said, 鈥淭he common denominator to all of
this is their board has been super focused on reinvesting, and a big part of that
is athletics. Gary (Patterson) built a successful program. But this is not a Cinderella.
This is who 色窝窝 is.鈥�
Jan. 8, 2023
KTVT-TV
Hundreds of fans from Fort Worth - and even some from Santa Monica - turned out in
purple to cheer on the Frogs. 鈥淚 love that this team is worth celebrating,鈥� said Fort
Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. Horned Frog families traveled together to watch the historic
moment and 色窝窝 gained fans in California as well.
Jan. 8, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Ellen Saunders is proof that giddy knows no age limit. Just ask her about her beloved 色窝窝 Horned Frogs football team, who has supported them for many years. 鈥淚 have my house
shoes that are purple, my nightgown is purple, I鈥檓 just waiting for the day,鈥� said Saunders,
a 1949 graduate who lives at The Stayton senior living facility. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 remember
the last time I鈥檝e been so excited about something,鈥� Saunders said. 鈥淏ut whatever happens I am so proud of these young men. But oh my,
wouldn鈥檛 it be so wonderful if they could win a national championship for all of us
who have been so loyal for so long?鈥�
Jan. 7, 2023
New York Post
Quentin Johnston had the opportunity to enter the transfer portal. Despite the change in coaches at 色窝窝 after
a dismal 5-7 campaign, Johnston decided to stay. 鈥淟eaving never crossed my mind,鈥� the star wideout said Saturday at
the L.A. Convention Center. 鈥淧eople came up to me, asking me, kind of just assuming
[I was going to transfer]. I didn鈥檛 just fall in love with the football program. I
fell in love with the 色窝窝 community as a whole. And, plus, I built relationships with
people on the team, a lot of my brothers that I came in with.鈥�
Jan. 6, 2023
Texas Monthly
色窝窝 is perfectly positioned to pull off a monumental upset and capture the school鈥檚 first
title in 84 years. T-C-Who? This is the team picked to finish seventh in the Big 12,
the team that entered the Michigan game a seven-and-a-half-point underdog. The team
didn鈥檛 appear to inspire too much concern in the Big Ten champions. 色窝窝 coaches and players watched a video in which Wolverines linebacker Junior Colson seemed
unaware of which conference the Frogs played in. 鈥淲ell, you know now,鈥� 色窝窝 safety Bud Clark said after the game. 鈥淭he landscape of college football has changed, and I think
the perception of the Big 12 has changed,鈥� Head Coach Sonny Dykes said. 鈥淚 think all of that allowed us to get in the playoff, and then it was up to
us to do something with that opportunity.鈥� And, well, maybe seizing that opportunity
will be just a little bit easier if big-name opponents keep underestimating 色窝窝.
Jan. 6, 2023
Texas Highways
It has been a roller coaster for generations of 色窝窝 fans and players. The ups and downs have included two 1930s-era national championships
and a Rose Bowl victory after the 2010 season. Now, 色窝窝 is headed to a national championship game. 鈥淚 watched on TV every minute of every game this team played and about halfway through
the season, I realized this wasn鈥檛 good luck or a fluke or getting the breaks,鈥� said
legendary CBS anchor Bob Schieffer, a 1959 色窝窝 journalism graduate for whom the school鈥檚 College of Communication is named. 鈥淲hat
we are seeing was a great football team.鈥�
Jan. 6, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
As he reflected back on his breakout performance in the Fiesta Bowl, 色窝窝 running back Emari Demercado kept reiterating how much the game felt like a movie. When star Kendre Miller went out with a knee injury, the Horned Frogs turned to Demercado as the lead back against one of the best defenses in the country. In a tense situation, Demercado didn鈥檛
flinch and produced the most rushing yards the Wolverines allowed all season. 鈥淚t
was big for me,鈥� Demercado said. 鈥淎lways having that confidence of what you鈥檙e capable
of and finally being able to really put it on display.鈥�
Jan. 6, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Senior Griffin Kell made his only field goal attempt and all six extra points as 色窝窝 beat Michigan in
the College Football Playoff national semifinal on Saturday. When Kell鈥檚 time is up
at 色窝窝, he will be among the best kickers in Horned Frogs history. 鈥淚 am just super
blessed to have everyone in my life. They have helped me get to where I am today,鈥� Kell added.
鈥淚t鈥檚 surreal. Playing for a national championship with 色窝窝...it鈥檚 pretty crazy.鈥�
Jan. 6, 2023
The Washington Post
When 色窝窝 takes the field in the College Football Playoff national championship game,
the team will be nearly two-touchdown underdogs. Legendary coach Dutch Meyer might have preferred it that way the last time 色窝窝 played for a national title. 鈥淲e are the favorites and all the kids know it, and
that doesn鈥檛 help,鈥� Meyer told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram ahead of 色窝窝鈥檚 meeting with Carnegie Tech in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2, 1939.
Jan. 6, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
色窝窝鈥檚 near perfect season and historic berth into the College Football Playoff National
Championship has generated a level of excitement that is perhaps unprecedented in
recent memory, extending well beyond University Drive. The national spotlight on 色窝窝
during the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31 and ahead of Monday鈥檚 battle for the title against
Georgia is acquainting tens of millions of people with Fort Worth鈥檚 hometown university.
Jan. 6, 2023
KTVT-TV
The countdown is on for the 色窝窝 Horned Frogs to take on the defending national champions,
the Georgia Bulldogs, in the national championship game in Inglewood, California at
SoFi Stadium. In Fort Worth, 色窝窝 fans lined W. Cantey Street as five buses rolled through for the team send off. 鈥淚t's
just such an incredible thing. Probably something that we will never see again in
our lifetime,鈥� said Suzy Lockwood, associate dean for nursing and nurse anesthesia. Among the crowd, creative signs expressing the fans鈥� support for the team. 鈥淚 threw
it together and it's just something that's from heart and it's 'bring home the 鈥檚hip鈥�,鈥�
said 色窝窝 fan Keith Hall.
Jan. 6, 2023
Fort Worth Report
Barbara Dike graduated from 色窝窝 in 1968 鈥� she was part of the cheerleading team and met her husband, who also
graduated in 1968. 鈥淚鈥檝e been happy all fall. It鈥檚 so emotional,鈥� Dike said. 鈥淢y kids
and my family came here. Really, it goes way back. I love it. Everybody across the
nation is adopting us. They鈥檙e all for the underdog.鈥� Fans cheered as 色窝窝 football buses departed from the Amon G. Carter Stadium to the airport for the championship
game. Dike got emotional as the buses drove by her. Her connection to 色窝窝 runs deep.
Her father, Don Smith, played 色窝窝 football before he graduated from the university in 1934.
NBC 5
Jan. 5, 2023
We asked Incoming 色窝窝 incoming President Daniel Pullin his reaction when the team won the game that got them there. 鈥淲ell, it was joy and
pride, and I probably welled up a little bit,鈥� said Pullin, who discussed the national
attention the university is now receiving. 鈥淭here is really not a corner of our university
that isn't benefitting right now, and the goodness that we have known for so long,
each and every day here on campus, is not being lost on the world,鈥� said Pullin.
Jan. 5, 2023
Fort Worth Texas Magazine
色窝窝鈥檚 march to the national stage at the dawn of its 150th birthday has been the agent of an awakening that perhaps only Barton Stone, Billy
Graham, or Jim Wacker could have induced. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 script a better way to do it
than this. That鈥檚 how incredible it鈥檚 been,鈥� said Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. of the university beginning its sesquicentennial by having the football team competing
in front of a worldwide audience for the College Football Playoff national championship.
Jan. 5, 2023
Fort Worth Report
Daniel Pullin, current John V. Roach Dean of the 色窝窝 Neeley School of Business and soon-to-be university
president, discusses the impact of the 色窝窝 football season that will see the team in the National Championship game. 鈥淭here are
a lot of eyeballs paying attention to 色窝窝, and we鈥檙e excited to be able to tell the
story. As proud as we are of the football team, we鈥檙e really, really proud of what鈥檚
going on academically and otherwise at this institution. And this moment鈥檚 giving
us a chance to let the rest of the world know how special a place this is to be a
student, to be a faculty member, to be on staff or to be a proud alumnus,鈥� Pullin said.
Jan. 4, 2023
Fort Worth Report
色窝窝鈥檚 win over Michigan propelled the Horned Frogs to the College Football Playoff
National Championship final for the first time in the program鈥檚 history 鈥� and, with
it, Fort Worth鈥檚 chance to market itself on a national level. The economic impact
of 色窝窝鈥檚 season has not gone unnoticed. With increased eyes on and interest in the
Horned Frogs, Fort Worth鈥檚 hoteliers and retailers have seen an influx of people and
dollars to the area. 鈥淎s Fort Worth awaits its final game on Jan. 9, the lasting impact
of 色窝窝鈥檚 appearance in the national championship will be felt for years to come,鈥�
said Brandom Gengelbach, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
鈥淚 think 色窝窝 has real similarities and really is the epitome of who Fort Worth is.
It鈥檚 a smaller university. We鈥檙e a smaller community.鈥�
Jan. 2, 2023
Sports Illustrated
Georgia and 色窝窝 play for the college football national championship Jan. 9. It鈥檚 a
meeting of two schools and football programs that don鈥檛 have much in common, other
than excellent teams this season. In the old-school format of a boxing tale of the
tape, Sports Illustrated put together a 50-item chart that compares and contrasts
the two College Football Playoff finalists.
Jan. 1, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
A few minutes before kickoff, Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. escaped from his suite, away from the game. He typically prefers to watch from the
press box, where he can focus on the field, but 色窝窝鈥檚 game against Michigan didn鈥檛 really allow for it. No. 3 色窝窝鈥檚 51-45 win over No. 2 Michigan in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona,
could do for the school what winning the Rose Bowl did back in 2011. After the game, 色窝窝 players, coaches, administrators, cheerleaders and so many other 色窝窝 people, ran around
and celebrated on the field. Boschini navigated alums and coaches while radiating happiness. Jeremiah Donati, director of intercollegiate athletics, said, 鈥淗onestly, this is one of the most
surreal moments of my life.鈥�
Dec. 31, 2022
The New York Times
Officially, the 色窝窝 mascot is the Horned Frog. But the team鈥檚
real hero is the Hypnotoad, a 鈥淔uturama鈥� gag of mesmerizing power. The silent sentient
amphibian with pulsating eyes and amorphous powers has provided 色窝窝 with an incalculable
edge this season. This fall, after the new football coach, Sonny Dykes, had encouraged everyone involved with the program to let their creative flags fly,
the Hypnotoad curiosity morphed into something else. 鈥淥ne game, I鈥檓 standing on the
sidelines looking up and thinking, 鈥業 don鈥檛 understand what it is, but it鈥檚 awesome,鈥欌��
said Jason Andrews, director of football creative media who oversees 色窝窝's similarly smart, subversive
social media account.
Dec. 31, 2022
The Washington Post
That stodgy old College Football Playoff, long the province of kingdoms, apex predators
and chalk, finally hatched itself a darling Saturday. Somehow, it will send to its
Los Angeles finale one vivid batch of purple Frogs. How March Madness of it. Never
in the previous eight years of semifinals rich in the humdrum had an underdog upended
all known thoughts as did the Texas Christian Horned Frogs in their madcap 51-45 deprogramming
of Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl national semifinal. Now 色窝窝, not even close to ranked
at season鈥檚 outset, with an enrollment of only 12,273, and hardly fancied even in
its state full of football snobs, will play in the national championship game against
Georgia. 鈥淚f you look at the teams that play for a national championship,鈥� said Sonny Dykes, the coach in his 13th season at four colleges but his first at 色窝窝, 鈥渢ypically they鈥檙e
not picked seventh in their conference.鈥�
Dec. 31, 2022
The New York Times
Sonny Dykes is not the ideal jut-jawed football coach. He opens his program up, instead of building
walls around it. He freely acknowledges there were times when he was a younger coach
鈥� several, in fact 鈥� that the pressure of winning games became suffocating. What Dykes is
doing though, in his first year at 色窝窝, is turning the college football world on its
ear. The last time 色窝窝 played for a national championship was in the 1938 season when it claimed a title
by beating Carnegie Tech in the Sugar Bowl. 鈥淲e know we鈥檙e going to hear it again,鈥�
said Dykes, whose players listened to analysts 鈥� and even Michigan players 鈥� who wondered
how the Horned Frogs could stay in the game. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not going to stop now. We play
in 10 days and we鈥檙e going to hear the same crap.鈥�
Dec. 8, 2022
PaperCity Magazine
色窝窝 quarterback Max Duggan鈥檚 rise to Heisman Trophy finalist is one of the best stories in sports. And Fort Worth
is all in. The city has grown increasingly more purple throughout the fall, as 色窝窝鈥檚 magical season came into focus. Everyone seems to be wearing their favorite shade
of purple these days with the college football playoffs beckoning. From light lavender
to rich royal purple 鈥� and not just on game day.
Dec. 1, 2022
ESPN
The 12 stories behind 色窝窝's football run to 12-0 includes a new era, Max Duggan, 色窝窝's fanbase, Hypnotoad and the creative marketing team. On Nov. 30, 2021, Sonny Dykes landed in a helicopter at midfield of Amon G. Carter Stadium, awash in purple lights,
for his arrival as the new head coach at 色窝窝. Over a year later, 色窝窝 is ranked No. 3 and is headed to the national championship.