Alex Grinch, Oklahoma defense approaching TCU game with 'immense respect'

Saturday's tilt at Amon G. Carter Stadium pits the old against the new, and that's not merely in reference to 60-year-old Gary Patterson's matchup with 37-year-old Lincoln Riley.

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was still playing defensive back for Division III powerhouse Mount Union when Patterson took the reins as TCU's head coach. The Horned Frogs' czar has since developed a reputation as one of the country's premier defensive masterminds, making use of a unique 4-2-5 scheme that has become his calling card.

“It’s one of the first films that I watch on Sundays after we watch our own," said Grinch of Patterson's defense. "That’s one that I watch every week, and if we’re talking about like opponents, I’m watching how they defended them."

Patterson has been running the ship for the Horned Frogs since 2000; among active FBS head coaches, only Iowa's Kirk Ferentz has been head coach at one school for a longer period of time. In fact, Grinch's familiarity with Patterson stretches back more than a decade, when both men were coaching in the Mountain West. TCU hadn't yet made the transition to the Big 12, and Grinch was cutting his teeth at the FBS level as safeties coach at Wyoming. It was during his tenure in Laramie (2009-11) that Grinch first took note of Patterson's defensive acumen.

"He’s one of the best in the game and has been for a long, long time," Grinch said. "Immense respect for him, obviously as a head coach, but also as a defensive mind.”

In many ways, Grinch personifies the new wave of defense in the Big 12, as he's engineered a frenetic scheme that's ostensibly designed to keep up with the high-octane offenses that have become part and parcel of the conference's identity. As Patterson is the veteran, Grinch is the innovator.

However, TCU isn't a one-trick pony by any means. Though Patterson has made his hay on the strength of his defense, the Horned Frogs bring plenty of juice to the offensive side of the football as well. Sophomore Max Duggan is one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the country. He's mobile, gritty and intelligent, and he's surrounded with a plethora of capable weapons.

Duggan bears more than a passing resemblance to Sam Ehlinger in the way that he plays the position. But given the way that the Oklahoma front seven bottled up Ehlinger for much of the Red River Showdown two weeks ago, the Sooners are confident they can adequately keep tabs on Duggan.

“It gives us a lot of confidence," said defensive end Isaiah Thomas of the performance against Ehlinger and Texas. "I think we found out that we can push our limits, that we have more in the tank than we think we have.”

The Sooners racked up six sacks in that 53-45 victory over the Longhorns, using Nik Bonitto in a role that Grinch called the "mug" to take scrambles away from Ehlinger. The mission remains the same this Saturday in Fort Worth, as Duggan is by no means afraid to tuck the ball and run if there's no viable target.

“With the help of the guys up front, we’ll be great at keeping him inside the pocket," said linebacker David Ugwoegbu.

However, the secondary has to hold up their end of the bargain as well, especially with the Frogs' wealth of receiving weapons. Tight end Pro Wells earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2019, and Nebraska transfer J.D. Spielman (coming off an injury) was a three-time All-Big Ten selection with the Huskers. Meanwhile, 6-foot-4 true freshman Quentin Johnston has already clawed his way to the top of the depth chart and looks like a star in the making.

“I think that they have a really great receiving corps," said Oklahoma defensive back Woodi Washington. "I know outside, for sure, we got to get hands on them early and try to stay as square as possible.”

Can Grinch's maligned bunch go toe-to-toe with Patterson's defense, a unit led by preseason All-Americans Trevon Moehrig and Garret Wallow? For their part, the Sooners are certainly confident.

“I think the way we’ve been practicing, we’ll have our eyes right and we’ll be ready to succeed in that part of the game," said Thomas. "If they throw a punch, we’ll throw one right back.”

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