Riding coattails means that you willingly play the goat and don't make any decisions on your own. Just because Tina needed Colby to take her to the finals doesn't mean that she rode coattails. After all, Richard needed Kelly to take him to the finals, too. Ethan needed Kim to take him. Vecepia needed Neleh to take her. Manipulating someone else into thinking that, for whatever reason, you deserve an F2 spot is part of the game.