@BPrzybylo - A season-defining moment in Fort Worth? Not sure many could have seen that coming, but here we are as Oklahoma travels to TCU.
Do the Sooners get back on track? Or are the scars and wounds from recent seasons just a bit more than what even Brent Venables knew?
It feels like you can say this often, but the first quarter is going to tell us a lot about whether or not OU has learned anything from the last couple of weeks.
From sputtering out of the gate offensively to looking like they don’t have a clue on defense, it obviously has to change. And if it doesn’t, it’ll give a glimpse into the issues facing the Sooners.
You could argue who is better among Kansas State’s Adrian Martinez and TCU’s Max Duggan, but they’re very similar in their abilities and, usually, the chances they’ll give the opposition to make some plays.
We’ll see if Jeff Lebby does call a couple of layups to get the Sooners offense rolling early, and if that can have quarterback Dillon Gabriel humming from the get-go.
Both teams have only had one turnover this season, so this game could very well flip as soon as someone gets a takeaway.
OU’s potent one-two combo of Eric Gray and Marcus Major help make life easier for Gabriel, accounting for more than 150 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense gets a couple of sacks and around six tackles for loss in attempting to reclaim its identity from the initial three weeks.
Not picture perfect by any means, but OU bounces back to set the stage for the Red River Rivalry battle against Texas.
OU 28, TCU 20
@Eddie_Rado - Not going to lie. I'm still a little in shock about what we witnessed a week ago in Norman. Everything had been going so well. I bought in. Thought things had improved and bam! It blew up in Oklahoma's face. Breakdowns at every level. So many it's hard to really pinpoint what stood the most.
It's been that kind of week around these parts.
The inattention to detail and presnap penalties probably hurt my feelings the most. That wasn't supposed to happen under Brent Venables. Discipline had returned to the program.
Now a pair of trips to the Metroplex will define the Sooners year; perhaps more importantly it will define Brent Venables first season. It all starts this weekend in Fort Worth. A relatively comfortable setting for the Sooners. Or is it?
Max Duggan, Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis and Kendre Miller are uncomfortable match-ups. They've been good. Like really good. The question is obvious. Can Oklahoma put last week's performance behind them?
Look for Reggie Grimes to return to the boxscore this week after being shutout a week ago. Something tells me this team responds.
Oklahoma 45
TCU 34
@Josh_M - I know I'm a contrarian by nature, I get that but I feel like I live on the other side of all reactions. And with everyone in full on panic about last weekend, I feel like it's incredibly obvious and something we've seen Oklahoma do before.
Oklahoma spent the whole week leading up to Kansas State hearing how dominant they were against Nebraska, how great the defense was playing and they fell into the same trap so many did - and I include myself in this - 'Brent Venables is here, he fixes all problems'.
And on Saturday night we all got reminded...
There are no short cuts and Oklahoma's just not talented enough, particularly along the defensive front, to look past a big and physical team like Kansas State.
The difference this week is that TCU's strengths don't directly attack Oklahoma's soft spots (weaknesses, is probably a bit strong IMO) in the same way. Matchups make games and this feels like a good matchup for the Sooners. TCU is a bend but don't break defense, can they consistently stop Oklahoma's run game? I just don't think so.
Let that big Oklahoma front lean on a three-man defensive front - that is plenty big in their own right (averaging 292-pounds per man) - for four quarters and I think the Sooners will find a way to separate.
Defensively, I expect a solid bounce back from a group that - unlike last week - has heard how they are just 'the same old Oklahoma defense' for the past week. A motivated Oklahoma group is still a lot more dangerous than one who has heard good things. This has been a constant in this program since the early 2010s. It's a better stalker than a front runner. That's not to say TCU won't make some plays - they have too much talent to write that idea off but I just don't think they'll move the ball consistently enough.
A few predictions...
*Marcus Major and Eric Gray combine for over 200 yards rushing.
*Billy Bowman gets his first pick of the year with Max Duggan trying to back Oklahoma from the line of scrimmage a bit.
*Oklahoma has 8+ tackles for loss.
Oklahoma 38
TCU 21
Do the Sooners get back on track? Or are the scars and wounds from recent seasons just a bit more than what even Brent Venables knew?
It feels like you can say this often, but the first quarter is going to tell us a lot about whether or not OU has learned anything from the last couple of weeks.
From sputtering out of the gate offensively to looking like they don’t have a clue on defense, it obviously has to change. And if it doesn’t, it’ll give a glimpse into the issues facing the Sooners.
You could argue who is better among Kansas State’s Adrian Martinez and TCU’s Max Duggan, but they’re very similar in their abilities and, usually, the chances they’ll give the opposition to make some plays.
We’ll see if Jeff Lebby does call a couple of layups to get the Sooners offense rolling early, and if that can have quarterback Dillon Gabriel humming from the get-go.
Both teams have only had one turnover this season, so this game could very well flip as soon as someone gets a takeaway.
OU’s potent one-two combo of Eric Gray and Marcus Major help make life easier for Gabriel, accounting for more than 150 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense gets a couple of sacks and around six tackles for loss in attempting to reclaim its identity from the initial three weeks.
Not picture perfect by any means, but OU bounces back to set the stage for the Red River Rivalry battle against Texas.
OU 28, TCU 20
@Eddie_Rado - Not going to lie. I'm still a little in shock about what we witnessed a week ago in Norman. Everything had been going so well. I bought in. Thought things had improved and bam! It blew up in Oklahoma's face. Breakdowns at every level. So many it's hard to really pinpoint what stood the most.
It's been that kind of week around these parts.
The inattention to detail and presnap penalties probably hurt my feelings the most. That wasn't supposed to happen under Brent Venables. Discipline had returned to the program.
Now a pair of trips to the Metroplex will define the Sooners year; perhaps more importantly it will define Brent Venables first season. It all starts this weekend in Fort Worth. A relatively comfortable setting for the Sooners. Or is it?
Max Duggan, Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis and Kendre Miller are uncomfortable match-ups. They've been good. Like really good. The question is obvious. Can Oklahoma put last week's performance behind them?
Look for Reggie Grimes to return to the boxscore this week after being shutout a week ago. Something tells me this team responds.
Oklahoma 45
TCU 34
@Josh_M - I know I'm a contrarian by nature, I get that but I feel like I live on the other side of all reactions. And with everyone in full on panic about last weekend, I feel like it's incredibly obvious and something we've seen Oklahoma do before.
Oklahoma spent the whole week leading up to Kansas State hearing how dominant they were against Nebraska, how great the defense was playing and they fell into the same trap so many did - and I include myself in this - 'Brent Venables is here, he fixes all problems'.
And on Saturday night we all got reminded...
There are no short cuts and Oklahoma's just not talented enough, particularly along the defensive front, to look past a big and physical team like Kansas State.
The difference this week is that TCU's strengths don't directly attack Oklahoma's soft spots (weaknesses, is probably a bit strong IMO) in the same way. Matchups make games and this feels like a good matchup for the Sooners. TCU is a bend but don't break defense, can they consistently stop Oklahoma's run game? I just don't think so.
Let that big Oklahoma front lean on a three-man defensive front - that is plenty big in their own right (averaging 292-pounds per man) - for four quarters and I think the Sooners will find a way to separate.
Defensively, I expect a solid bounce back from a group that - unlike last week - has heard how they are just 'the same old Oklahoma defense' for the past week. A motivated Oklahoma group is still a lot more dangerous than one who has heard good things. This has been a constant in this program since the early 2010s. It's a better stalker than a front runner. That's not to say TCU won't make some plays - they have too much talent to write that idea off but I just don't think they'll move the ball consistently enough.
A few predictions...
*Marcus Major and Eric Gray combine for over 200 yards rushing.
*Billy Bowman gets his first pick of the year with Max Duggan trying to back Oklahoma from the line of scrimmage a bit.
*Oklahoma has 8+ tackles for loss.
Oklahoma 38
TCU 21
