Dear TCU students and fans,

After logging on to Facebook and Twitter following the Horned Frogs’ 40-35 win over San Diego State, I found a number of negative things were posted about the football team, such as: “Please inform us fans next time you decide to only play two quarters,” and “I hope we don’t get left out completely from a BCS bowl if Boise passes us after tonight.”

First of all, I ask what are you mad at? Is it the 11-0 record and No. 3 BCS ranking TCU has achieved this season? Is it the Frogs’ 34-3 record since the start of the 2008 season? Or is it because quarterback Andy Dalton, one of the best players in TCU history, didn’t throw seven touchdown passes Saturday, and instead threw four?

San Diego State was 7-2 coming into the game and ranked No. 27 in both the Coaches’ Poll and the Associated Press Top 25. It featured the Mountain West Conference’s top running back, freshman Ronnie Hillman and one of the nation’s best receiving duos, seniors Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson.

The receivers beat TCU deep for touchdowns late in the game as the Frogs nearly blew a lead built by scoring 37 unanswered points. When the game ended though, TCU had a five-point victory; four more than head coach Gary Patterson said he needed to win by.

“It’s not the score we would have liked to have, but the bottom line to it is it falls under my category of one point,” Patterson said. “So really I should cheer up. So everybody be happy.”

TCU gave up six first downs in the fourth quarter, something senior safety Tejay Johnson attributed to a lack of focus.

Maybe the team lost focus. Maybe it just got outplayed. In sports, everything doesn’t always go according to plan, and to quote former New York Jets head coach Herm Edwards, “That’s why you play the game.”

As for TCU’s chances of missing a BCS game: unlikely.

Since 1999, no team that finished in the top four has ever been left out of a BCS game. The only time it happened was in 1998 when only four BCS games existed; there are now five.

TCU should finish 12-0 and in the top four, barring an apocalypse in the Nov. 27 match-up with New Mexico. The Frogs are third in the BCS standings, 11-0 on the season and appear poised to move to 12-0 in two weeks.

So, everybody be happy.