TCU Football: 3 takeaways from Iron Skillet collapse against SMU

A week after entering the AP Top 25, TCU football will fall right back out of the poll after losing to SMU. What did we learn?

TCU came into their showdown for the Iron Skillet against SMU holding the last spot in the AP Top 25, and the Horned Frogs had high hopes of consolidating their position in the polls ahead of Big 12 play. But Gary Patterson’s crew struggled to contain a potent Mustangs offense, and the home crowd at Amon G. Carter Stadium was left to rue a 41-38 loss on Saturday against their rivals.

It was a disappointing performance all around, with few bright spots for the Horned Frogs as SMU ended a seven-game losing streak in the rivalry game. TCU is going to tumble right back out of the polls after laying an egg at home against a Group of Five opponent, ending their short run in the rankings.

After such an uncharacteristic performance from a Patterson-coached team, TCU will need to dust itself off and hope to rebound quickly. There is no time to dwell on the negatives from this heartbreaking defeat at home, as the Horned Frogs face Kansas and Iowa State back-to-back before they take their second bye week.

What lessons can the Horned Frogs take away from this contest even as SMU takes away the Iron Skillet back across the Metroplex to Dallas? Here are three things we learned on Saturday in the Week 4 battle between TCU and the victorious Mustangs.