The seventh-ranked Oklahoma Sooners host the (9) TCU Horned Frogs at Memorial Stadium and the victor will likely have a spot in the Big-12 title game. The game is set to go off on Saturday, November 11th at 8 p.m. EST and can be seen on FOX. As of now, the Sooners are a -6.5 point favorite and the contest’s over/under is 61.
The TCU Horned Frogs defense continues to be the best unit in the Big 12. In fact, they have held their last four opponents to just 27 total points combined. That’s pretty good considering the conference’s reputation for nothing but shootouts. Last week, TCU’s defense stymied the Longhorns while their offense did enough to get them a 24-7 win at home.
The Oklahoma Sooners found themselves in an epic shoot-out on the road against in-state rivals the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In that match-up, Heisman hopefull Baker Mayfield went off again, throwing for five touchdowns. As a result, the Sooners went on to outscore the Cowboys 62-52 and keep their Big-12 title hopes alive.
These two schools met up in Texas last year. In that game, the Sooners put up over 50 points and beat the Horned Frogs 52-46. Oklahoma has been victorious in their last two games against TCU and also has claimed wins in five of the last six match-ups.
(9) TCU Horned Frogs (8-1)
The defense benefited from a very even offensive attack that puts up nearly 435 yards per game. They record 242 yards passing and another 193 yards rushing. That same offense was surprisingly stagnant versus the Cyclones two weeks ago. Last week, they rebounded nicely in the win over the Longhorns and moved the ball effectively with the run and the pass.
Quarterback Kenny Hill has been superb in 2017. Last week against the Longhorns, he threw the ball for only 166 yards with no touchdowns. He also didn’t serve up a pick. Overall, the senior signal-caller has completed an impressive 68 percent of his passes for 2,009 yards with 15 scores and only five picks. He will need his best outing of the year if the Horned Frogs hope to keep pace with the nation’s best offense.
The Horned Frogs’ offense is as balanced as a team can get. They pass the ball with the same frequency that they run it. Two tailbacks create most of the yardage when taking to the ground. Darius Anderson and Kyle Hicks have combined for over 1,150 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns. Anderson leads the team with 726 yards and seven scores. Also, sophomore running back Sewo Olonilua is a beast in the red zone. The 6’3, 230-pound back has six trips to pay-dirt.
Like in the running game, the passing attack also features a plethora of receivers that contribute to the offense. Three of them have had at least 20 catches and all four have found the back of the end zone. Furthermore, two of them have are well over 300 yards receiving and another almost 400. All have benefitted in play-action situations because of the Horned Frogs solid rushing attack.
Defensively, the Horned Frogs are allowing only 13.9 points and 284 yards per game. Those stats are both sixth best in the country. The front seven has performed especially well, surrendering only 69 yards a game on the ground (1st). Linebacker Travin Howard leads the TCU Horned Frogs with 70 tackles, defensive end Ben Banogu has 6.5 sacks and Nick Orr has two picks.
(7) Oklahoma Sooners (8-1)
The Oklahoma Sooners have allowed four touchdowns on average per game. Unfortunately, that increased in a 62-52 victory against Oklahoma State. Obviously, the defense is continuing to struggle as the season moves forward. They also average over 608 yards per game, and Baker Mayfield is usually able to bail out the program.
Quarterback and Heisman candidate Baker Mayfield is one of the elite signal-callers in all of the Division I football. The experienced senior is having himself a year that most quarterbacks can only dream of. Coming into this home game, Mayfield has thrown for 3,226 yards with 28 touchdown tosses and only five picks. He is sixth in the FBS in passing yards and he leads the country’s first-ranked offense.
The Sooners will gauge their opponents via the ground attack as well as the pass. Three running backs pitch in to keep the offense balanced and put Baker Mayfield on third and shorts for most of the day. The threesome has combined for just over 220 carries for almost 1,600 yards and 10 touchdowns. Mayfield also can run with the rock, scrambling for another 181 yards and five more scores.
There is plenty of talent at the wideout position for rookie head coach Lincoln Riley to find plays for. Five wide receivers all see a lot of action and all five produce about equally. As a group, the five have brought in almost 200 passes for almost 3,100 yards and 21 touchdowns. Mark Andrews leads this bunch with 39 catches for 701 yards. Teammate Marquise Brown has another 38 catches for a team-high 743 yards and four more end zone appearances.
Defensively, the Sooners are as about an average of a squad as it gets in college football. That doesn’t bode well for the high-scoring Big-12 Conference. Their front seven sits 48th in the nation, allowing 150 yards a game. The back half is worse, giving up 262 yards through the air (109th). In all, the whole defense yields 28 points to opposing offenses which places them at 76th in the FBS. It’s safe to say that the secondary will be tested early and often in this match-up against TCU.
Prediction
A lot is riding on this conference battle this weekend. Not only for Big-12 title aspirations but it could give either school a significant advantage for their College Football Playoff argument. With the TCU defense continuing to play lights-out, they certainly will have their toughest task of the season against Baker Mayfield. With that being said, I still think that they can somewhat limit him and keep this game close. Therefore, I’m suggesting to my readers that they buy this up to 7.5 points take the Horned Frogs to cover on the road. Defense wins championships, so let’s hope that mantra comes true this weekend. #moneytreesgrow @EriktheHun
To make a play on this Big-12 match-up or any other this weekend, go to BetDSI Sportsbook.
Trends
The Horned Frogs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.
The Under is 5-0 in the Horned Frogs last 5 games overall.
The Sooners are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 home games.
The Over is 5-2 in the Sooners last 7 games overall.
Horned Frogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Oklahoma.
