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4 defensive players to watch as Oklahoma takes on TCU

Oklahoma is in need of a bounce back defensive performance and to get it, these four Sooners are vital against TCU.

While the offense continues to find itself and find its quarterback, the Oklahoma Sooners defense will have to continue to show up. After a very poor performance in the first half of the Sooners win against the Texas Longhorns, Speed D found its footing and was absolutely lights out in the second half to hold up their end of the bargain in the team’s improbable comeback effort.

Timely stops, better coverage, and better tackling all led to better results in the second half of the Sooners’ win.

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch will be hoping they can carry that second-half finish with them as they return home.

They now turn their attention to TCU, who’s offense has been pretty good in 2021.

They are led by Max Duggan and lining up in the backfield with him is former five-star running back Zach Evans and another solid running back in Kendre Miller. Out wide Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis, and Taye Barber are their main threats.

Who are the key Oklahoma defenders in this match-up? Here are four Sooners that are vital to Oklahoma’s chances of slowing down the Horned Frogs offense on Saturday night.

Up Next: It all Starts Upfront

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How do the Oklahoma Sooners and TCU Horned Frogs stack up statistically?

How do Oklahoma and TCU stack up statistically heading into their showdown on Saturday night?

The Oklahoma Sooners and the TCU Horned Frogs face off Saturday night in Norman. The two squads meet for the 21st time in a series the Sooners have historically dominated. OU leads the all-time series 16-5 and is on a seven-game win streak dating back to 2014.

Both teams have scratched and clawed to secure winning records. While Oklahoma is undefeated on the year, the Sooners have won five of their six games by a touchdown or less.

After dropping the conference opener vs. Texas two weeks ago, TCU grabbed a 52-31 win at Tech to improve to 3-2 on the year.

Quarterback questions abound for each team. For Oklahoma, Lincoln Riley told the media he wouldn’t announce a starting quarterback between Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler until gameday. For TCU, Gary Patterson played the injury status of starting quarterback Max Duggan close to the vest, refusing to comment on whether Duggan or Matthew Downing will start under center this weekend.

With so much uncertainty surrounding Saturday’s game, we’ve put together a statistical primer of cold hard facts to get you ready for kickoff.

3 Offensive Keys to the game for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. TCU

As the Oklahoma Sooners get ready to play the TCU Horned Frogs, here are three keys for the offensive side of the ball.

On Saturday night, Oklahoma pushes forward and looks to take one step closer to an undefeated regular season. This week’s opponent will be the TCU Horned Frogs led by Gary Patterson. Patterson’s team is far from a heavyweight but they aren’t pushovers either. They come into the game with a record of 3-2 with losses to Texas and their big rival in SMU.

Defensively, they do not resemble the TCU defenses of the past. For years, TCU was a stingy, stingy defense that had impactful players at every level. While the talent isn’t bad, they lack the edge of TCU defenses from the past.

So, how does Oklahoma attack them when the Sooners have the ball? Let’s take a look at three offensive keys to put Oklahoma in a spot to come out victorious Saturday night.

Protect the Ball

Yes, it’s quite obvious. However, there is still uncertainty about who will be taking the snaps as starting quarterback. There has been no official word from Lincoln Riley about his decision but the point stands for either Spencer Rattler or Caleb Williams. Rattler was benched for his turnovers against Texas. A fumble on a scramble sealed his fate for that game and opened the door for Caleb Williams.

However, Williams has had some issues securing shotgun snaps. TCU quarterback Max Duggan is a veteran player and has the running and throwing ability to make Oklahoma pay if they give them extra possessions.

The Oklahoma Sooners are the more talented team. They can’t afford to let a team like TCU hand around by giving them good field position off of turnovers. Whoever the quarterback is the Saturday night has to protect the football.

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Big 12 Power Rankings after week 1 of the season

How does the Big 12 stack up after the first full week of college football action?

The Big 12 got off to a rough start in the first full week of action. Though they finished with a 9-1 record on the weekend, the games were much closer than they should have been. With just two Power Five matchups on the slate, the Big 12 struggled against Group of Five and FCS teams throughout the weekend.

It was a similar start to the season as last year when the Big 12 saw several upsets at the hands of FCS schools. It created a perception that teams like Iowa State and Kansas State weren’t very good, but they bounced back in the following weeks to come up with big wins in the conference.

These teams will likely look better as the season progresses, but it was an unfortunate start for a conference trying to prove it belongs among the Power Five with realignment on the horizon.

*Ranking is based on the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll – last updated Aug. 10.

Oklahoma Sooners Big 12 opponent expected to breakout in 2021

After an up and down 2020 season, Athlon Sports is projecting Max Duggan as a breakout candidate for 2021.

The defense has been slowly changing the narrative for the Oklahoma Sooners over the last couple of seasons. In 2020, as they finished the season allowing just 17 points per game over the last seven games, they found a level of success they hadn’t seen in a long, long time.

Their streak of success started with their matchup with the TCU Horned Frogs. In the three weeks leading up to their matchup in Fort Worth, the Sooners defense allowed 40 points per game to Kansas State, Iowa State, and Texas. They’d gone 1-2 in conference play to that point and hadn’t shown the promise of defensive improvement that many were expecting under Alex Grinch.

After the Red River Shootout, the Sooners traveled back to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to take on the Horned Frogs and put themselves back into the Big 12 title conversation.

Led by Max Duggan, the Horned Frogs played a solid game, but weren’t able to string enough drives together to put points on the board. The Sooners controlled it throughout, but Duggan established himself as a quarterback to watch completing 71% of his passes and throwing for 276 yards and a touchdown. The Sooners limited him to 18 yards on nine attempts, completely taking away a huge part of his offensive attack.

As the 2021 season approaches, Duggan remains a name to watch in the Big 12. Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports ranked his top 20 quarterbacks ready for a breakout season in 2021 and Max Duggan came in at number 13 on the list.

Duggan finished 2020 with just 10 touchdown passes and 1,795 yards, but considering he missed time leading up to the opener due to heart surgery, along with the other limitations of practice time last year, the gains from September to December provide promise for ’21. The Iowa native threw for 265 yards and ran for 104 in a Dec. 5 win against Oklahoma State and connected on 10 of 13 passes for 160 yards and a score in an easy win against Louisiana Tech the following Saturday. Duggan led the team in rushing with 526 yards and reached the end zone 10 times on the ground. An improving supporting cast should only help Duggan’s development this fall. – Lassan

In 2020, Duggan showed a ton of resiliency, helping lead the Horned Frogs to a come back win over Texas. He was up and down in his first season as a starter, but heading into 2021, is a player capable of taking over a football game.

The Sooners’ defense will be challenged by Max Duggan and the Horned Frogs. TCU is even a sleeper to challenge for the Big 12 title according to Josh Pate of 247Sports. In order to repeat as Big 12 champions, the Sooners defense will need to be on point when they face Duggan and the Horned Frogs.

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Ranking the Oklahoma Sooners’ 12 games on the 2021 schedule

2021 has a chance to be a fantastic season for the Oklahoma Sooners. Already one of the higher-ranked teams in the USA TODAY AFCA Coaches’ poll (3rd) and the AP Top 25 (2nd), the Sooners look destined for a remarkable season.

Before they can take their place in the College Football Playoff and contend for their eighth national championship, the Sooners must navigate a regular-season schedule that doesn’t look too bad on the surface but has some potential hazards.

With 18 days remaining until the Oklahoma Sooners take on the Tulane Green Wave, let’s power rank the schedule from the easiest matchups to the toughest.

Top returning offensive players for each Big 12 school

Looking at the top returning offensive player for each school.

The Big 12 conference is returning to the football field as spring football kicks off. Continue reading “Top returning offensive players for each Big 12 school”

TCU’s Gary Patterson says Chandler Morris hasn’t been released from Oklahoma

Former Oklahoma quarterback Chandler Morris still hasn’t been released from the Sooners.

Following the end of the 2020 college football season, the Oklahoma Sooners saw plenty of action in the transfer portal. Not just the incoming players from Penn State and Tennesee, but the outgoing talent as well. Continue reading “TCU’s Gary Patterson says Chandler Morris hasn’t been released from Oklahoma”

Locked on Longhorns Podcast: ‘Overreaction Monday after TCU loss’

The latest Locked on Longhorns Podcast brings you overreaction Monday after falling 33-31. Who is to blame and what is next for Texas?

The Texas Longhorns had an opportunity to take hold of their fate with a win over Texas Christian. After losing 33-31, the Locked on Longhorns Podcast discusses a frustrating game on Saturday. In the first segment, the topic of the offense. Who stood out on that side of the ball? Quarterback Sam Ehlinger had one of his worse games, not quite last year against TCU bad. So what is going on with the offense? Why didn’t Bijan Robinson get on the field?

In segment two it is all about the defense. The team looked different after Juwan Mitchell was ejected for targeting. It showed the lack of depth at the linebacker spot. One that needs to be corrected quickly with Oklahoma looming on Saturday. DeMarvion Overshown once again led the team in missed tackles. When will they get this fixed?

We discussed the Red River Shootout in the final segment. Is this a must win game for both teams. The Longhorns are 2-1 (1-1) and the Sooners are 1-2 (0-2), so who needs this game more? What will winning this game do for Tom Herman amongst the fanbase and locker room? We break it all down on this Monday edition.

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Texas Longhorns Football: Three reasons Texas lost to TCU

Saturday’s loss to the Horned Frogs was a frustrating loss where UT beat themselves all day. Here are three reasons Texas lost to TCU.

Death, taxes, Gary Patterson beating Texas. Since joining the Big 12 in 2012, TCU has dominated the Longhorns, winning seven of the nine matchups. Saturday’s victory made it two in a row for the Horned Frogs.

A frustrating day all-around, Texas will fall to 2-1 on the season and already behind in the Big 12 standings. In the three seasons Tom Herman has been the head coach in Austin, the Longhorns have never begun a season 3-0.

Since 2017, Texas has lost six games to an unranked opponent as an AP ranked team, the most in the country. While Herman continually shows up in the biggest games of the year, his teams struggle against teams they are expected to win.

Against TCU, the story was the same. The Longhorns beat themselves with penalties and poor moments from both the offense and defense. A lot will need to be fixed before next week’s Red River Shootout against Oklahoma.

Here are three reasons Texas lost to TCU on Saturday:

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