Though most expected a gradual return to Big 12 contention for TCU Horned Frogs football, a team led by now-head coach Sonny Dykes was considered an underdog for seemingly one of the first times in his 28-year coaching career.

“Nobody had any expectations for this football team at all other than ourselves,” Sonny Dykes said Saturday. “We understand that's the way it is. Our deal has been, ‘Hey, bring it on.' If we've got to win 'em all, fine; let's try to win 'em all.”

Just one year after the firing of 22-year coach Gary Patterson and a 3-6 finish in conference play, the undefeated Horned Frogs clinched a spot in the Big 12 title game behind the improved play of senior quarterback Max Duggan and the hiring of a former SMU head coach in Dykes.

Sonny Dykes, who worked under now-Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach and “Air-Raid” offense visionary Hal Mumme as a graduate assistant for the Kentucky Wildcats in 1997, aided in revitalizing a Horned Frogs football team that sorely lacked the offensive punch needed to keep up with an offense-driven conference in the Big 12 last year. The Horned Frogs have since led the conference in touchdowns scored, points earned and points per game with 53, 405 and 40.5, respectively, allowing Dykes to become the first Big 12 head coach to win his first 10 games.

Duggan exploded for career highs in nearly every passing category since Dykes's hiring, throwing 25 touchdowns and two interceptions on a 65.9% completion percentage in 10 games played.

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Sonny Dykes, whose TCU football team is still not considered to be a clear favorite over the fourth-place Baylor Bears, continued to remind fans that being the underdog is still a part of the team's storyline despite four straight wins over ranked conference opponents.

“We don't want to be given things,” Dykes said. “That's the one thing that we've talked about all year.

“Let's earn this.”

The Horned Frogs will kick off against the Bears at 11 a.m. CST next Saturday at McLane Stadium. The game will be broadcasted on Fox.