Oklahoma-TCU: Our Picks

John Hoover

TCU coach Gary Patterson will have something special set aside just for Caleb Williams, perhaps a defensive scheme he hasn’t used in 10 years to make the freshman QB think and hesitate before he reacts. In their last 11 games against top-five opponents, Patterson’s Frogs have scored five upsets. Patterson is a master of surprise. Six of his nine Big 12 games against Oklahoma were decided by a touchdown or less. This one will be too. Horned Frogs running backs Kendre Miller (7.84) and Zach Evans (7.82) rank first and second among active FBS players in yards per carry. They both went over 100 last week against Texas Tech as TCU rushed for nearly 400 yards. Quarterback Max Duggan’s running threat makes them even more dangerous. Oklahoma’s defense (11th in the nation) will be stressed. The Oklahoma offense will counter with Williams, Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray. Williams changes the face of the OU rushing attack, and TCU ranks just 116th in the nation in rushing yards allowed,, and only 99th in total defense (117th in sacks). Oklahoma will overcome any surprises from Patterson with superior talent and survive another close game.

Final: Oklahoma 33, TCU 24

Ryan Chapman

Historically, Gary Patterson has been terrible head to head against Lincoln Riley, and he rolls potentially his worst rushing defense of the past decade into Norman on Saturday night. Caleb Williams will get the nod at quarterback for the Sooners, and while his performance against a complex TCU defense will be far from perfect, it won’t matter. The rushing attack between Williams and Kennedy Brooks will be too much for a Horned Frog run defense that ranks worse than Texas, and Oklahoma’s offense will look the best it has all season as a result. Zach Evans and Max Duggan should have some success against an OU defense that has struggled the past two weeks as it has missed key contributors to injury, but overall the Oklahoma defensive line will be too much for TCU, and they’ll assert their will as the game presses on. Saturday night will again spark a new era at Oklahoma, and the Sooners should roll TCU in style coming off last Saturday’s Cotton Bowl heroics.

Final: Oklahoma 41, TCU 24

Josh Callaway

All aboard the Caleb Williams hype train. It has to be him behind center this week after the show he put on in Dallas, and while there will likely be growing pains at times, especially against an experienced coach like Gary Patterson, it is so hard to expect anything other than another incredible display put on by the true freshman. This has the chance to be the Sooners’ most complete game of the year with the atmosphere the crowd will create for this one, along with the defense riding the momentum of a spectacular second half a week ago against the Longhorns. Williams does his thing, making big plays and Alex Grinch’s guys get some big turnovers to help OU jump out big at halftime and largely sit on it in the second half. After this game, the national perspective that Oklahoma is a legitimate title contender will start to resurface and Sooners fans will have high hopes once again.

Final: Oklahoma 48, TCU 23