Photo by Tony Capobianco/Tucson Citizen

PLEASE NOTE: The following article was written by freelance writer Eduardo Louzada, assisted and edited by TC Arizona Sports editor Tony Capobianco.

TEMPE, Ariz–On a last minute field goal, TCU fell to Michigan State despite having the lead for three quarters.

Yet despite losing the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2012 was a highly successful season for the Horned Frogs. They finished the season 7-6, their lowest since 2004 but it’s where they finished that made this season a wonderful season.

They finished 7th in the Big 12. The keyword is Big 12.

To have a winning season in their first year in a BCS conference is a huge success.

“It’s a slam dunk,” TCU head coach Gary Patterson said. “When the whole TV contract clicks in, what it’s done for the City of Fort Worth, what it’s done for the university.  It’s not even a comparison.”

“It was a win-win before we won one ballgame or lost one ballgame,” he continued.  ”As we go forward as a university in the Big 12, as the landscape of college football changes, I mean, there’s going to be those that are moving ahead and those left behind.  We’re very fortunate to be where we sit right now.  So for us, it’s been unbelievable to be where we’re at.”

TCU lost their first ball game inside the Big-12 losing to a very beatable Iowa State team. From there on TCU contended with the powerhouses of the Big-12 posting a 4-4 record throughout the rest of their conference schedule. They defeated ranked West Virginia, Texas, and unranked Baylor in their first year inside the Big-12.

The next step for TCU is to establish a recruiting identity inside the BIG-12 where they will have more visibility to sign higher ranked recruits. This is the quickest way for TCU to turn around inside the Big-12 and become instant contenders inside the conference and for the national championship.

“We as a program are used to being in the top 25 and doing the things we need to do,” Patterson said. “We want to win a conference championship. We want to play for a national championship. That’s what our goals are.”