As the head coach of the TCU Horned Frogs, Sonny Dykes has established himself as a top coach in college football. One of his first challenges with the Horned Frogs came in the 2022 college football playoff semifinal. They were set to play Michigan after the reports of the sign-stealing scandal.
On Friday, insider Brett McMurphy reported that Dykes told On3 that TCU changed many of its calls before the game. They changed many of their signs but left some the same as dummy signals. TCU went on to win the game 51-45.
After TCU learned about Michigan’s sign stealing operation, Sonny Dykes told @On3sports TCU changed its play calls before their 2022 CFP semifinal. “We changed some, had some dummy signals. I think we (tricked) them once or twice & they were like ‘OK, these guys are hip to it.’ ”…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 12, 2025
This news led to a big reaction from fans on X as many chose to mock the Wolverines.
“Little tiny TCU took down the behemoth cheating Michigan. Big 12 really is > than the Big 10,” one fan wrote.
“Michigan is a disgrace and Harbutt is trash,” one fan commented.
“They still talk about that a** whipping TCU gave Michigan. I agree, it was pretty good” one fan added.
Other fans questioned Sonny Dykes’ comments, saying Michigan lost the game for other reasons.
“Is that why Michigan threw two pick six’s? TCU was given Michigan’s signals by Ohio State,” one fan wrote.
“The field might as well have been an ice skating rink….look how many times a player slipped on that garbage field,” one fan commented.
“TCU only “won” that game because of two pick sixes and a fumble on the goal line,” one fan added.
Sonny Dykes and the TCU Horned Frogs Went On To Lose the National Championship Game in the 2022 Season
Sonny Dykes and the TCU Horned Frogs were able to overcome Michigan’s sign-stealing because of some intelligent adjustments, according to Dykes. That earned them a spot in the national championship game. Unfortunately for them, it ended up being one of the most one-sided national championship games in recent memory. The Horned Frogs lost the game 65-7 in a massive blowout.
While it was a disappointing end to the season for TCU, it was still a tremendous year for the team. The Horned Frogs took a huge step back the following season, finishing 5-7 and not even qualifying for a bowl game. In 2024, the team bounced back, though not to its 2022 level, finishing with a 9-4 record.
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