ARLINGTON, Texas — TCU is likely still going to be in the College Football Playoff field after its 31–28 overtime loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 title game, but Max Duggan doesn’t care about that yet. He took the postgame podium with puffy eyes and struggled to make it through his press conference without breaking down—because when you only have a dozen chances a year to do what you love with who you love on the biggest stage, it doesn’t matter what will probably come next.
For now, it matters that the Horned Frogs came up quite literally inches short on Saturday. There is plenty of ink routinely spilled and words used to lower the value of a conference championship in lieu of the national one, but try telling that to Duggan and his teammates.
“I think since my four years I’ve been here, there’s been a lot of lows, at least in a football career,” said the quarterback. “And then to be so close to bringing this school and this university a championship, the seniors on this team have been through a lot. I think that’s what hurts the most. You’ve been so down before, so low, to get so close and fall short, I think that’s where [the emotion] is coming from.”
