I might liken TCU to a tectonic subduction zone. TCU made the conference jump it always deserved, hopping from the Mountain West to the Big 12 (with a brief Big East fakeout in between). I could understand their 7-6 record in 2012 but the 4-8 record in 2013 confused me. Gary Patterson is too good a coach and Dick Bumpas too good a defensive coordinator for TCU to drop too low.
So naturally, like one plate sliding under another, building up friction, and suddenly jolting back into place .