ousooners182
9/26/2008, 08:00 AM
Big 12 Game of the Week
TCU (4-0) at Oklahoma (3-0), 7:00 EST Fox Sports
Why to watch: September 3rd, 2005. Oklahoma was coming off a loss to USC for the 2004 national title and had won 26 of its previous 29 games. TCU opened up the 2005 season by pulling off a shocking 17-10 win. That was only Oklahoma’s second home loss since 1998 (a 16-13 gaffe to Oklahoma State at the end of 2001 was the other), and it was the first loss to a team from outside the BCS since a 51-31 loss to San Diego State in 1996. This year, TCU is flying under the Mountain West radar compared to BYU and Utah, but it has the nation’s leading defense and leads the nation in run defense. It hasn’t played a top-notch offense yet, but now it’ll get its chance to show whether or not it really is ready to handle the big boys. Oklahoma has arguably been the nation’s most dominant team over the first few weeks, winning its first three games by a combined score of 164 to 42. It’s the nation’s best scoring offense vs. the nation’s No. 3 scoring defense. It’s the Mountain West getting a shot at another big feather in its cap after spending the first few weeks ripping up the Pac 10. It should be an interesting tell-tale battle no matter what happens.
Why TCU might win: The lines. TCU doesn’t have the offensive and defensive lines that Oklahoma has, but they’re playing extremely well. The offensive front has allowed just three sacks in four games, while the defensive front has come up with a whipping 36 tackles for loss and is eighth in the nation in sacks with 14. This is a typical, aggressive, productive Gary Patterson defense that swarms to the ball and gets to the quarterback. If nothing else, this will be the most pressure OU QB Sam Bradford has faced all season.
Why Oklahoma might win: It’s not like TCU has faced a brick wall of a run defense. The Horned Frog running game has been impressive so far, but the best run defense it has dealt with is …. New Mexico? The TCU passing attack hasn’t had to do much, and it hasn’t exactly been efficient even with everyone keying on the ground game. You can’t beat Oklahoma if you’re one-dimensional. TCU might be fourth in the nation in tackles for loss, but OU leads the country averaging ten per game.
Who to watch: TCU quickly reloaded on its defensive front with Matt Panfil and Cody Moore going from out of the spotlight to superstar status. Panfil, a 232-pound senior end has tremendous quickness and has blown up now that he’s the No. 1 guy. He has come up with 3.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss, while Moore, a tremendously quick tackle, has cranked out 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. These two are disruptive forces who have to play big roles to pressure Bradford.
What will happen: TCU will start out well for a few drives and should keep OU in check for a quarter, and then the Sooner offense will be the Sooner offense. TCU’s passing game won’t be able to do enough to offset the lack of a running game, while OU will go on a big run for about ten minutes to put the game away.
CFN Prediction: Oklahoma 27 … TCU 10 ... Line: Oklahoma -17.5
Must See Rating: (5 Debate No. 1 - 1 The 2008 Primetime Emmys) … 4
TCU (4-0) at Oklahoma (3-0), 7:00 EST Fox Sports
Why to watch: September 3rd, 2005. Oklahoma was coming off a loss to USC for the 2004 national title and had won 26 of its previous 29 games. TCU opened up the 2005 season by pulling off a shocking 17-10 win. That was only Oklahoma’s second home loss since 1998 (a 16-13 gaffe to Oklahoma State at the end of 2001 was the other), and it was the first loss to a team from outside the BCS since a 51-31 loss to San Diego State in 1996. This year, TCU is flying under the Mountain West radar compared to BYU and Utah, but it has the nation’s leading defense and leads the nation in run defense. It hasn’t played a top-notch offense yet, but now it’ll get its chance to show whether or not it really is ready to handle the big boys. Oklahoma has arguably been the nation’s most dominant team over the first few weeks, winning its first three games by a combined score of 164 to 42. It’s the nation’s best scoring offense vs. the nation’s No. 3 scoring defense. It’s the Mountain West getting a shot at another big feather in its cap after spending the first few weeks ripping up the Pac 10. It should be an interesting tell-tale battle no matter what happens.
Why TCU might win: The lines. TCU doesn’t have the offensive and defensive lines that Oklahoma has, but they’re playing extremely well. The offensive front has allowed just three sacks in four games, while the defensive front has come up with a whipping 36 tackles for loss and is eighth in the nation in sacks with 14. This is a typical, aggressive, productive Gary Patterson defense that swarms to the ball and gets to the quarterback. If nothing else, this will be the most pressure OU QB Sam Bradford has faced all season.
Why Oklahoma might win: It’s not like TCU has faced a brick wall of a run defense. The Horned Frog running game has been impressive so far, but the best run defense it has dealt with is …. New Mexico? The TCU passing attack hasn’t had to do much, and it hasn’t exactly been efficient even with everyone keying on the ground game. You can’t beat Oklahoma if you’re one-dimensional. TCU might be fourth in the nation in tackles for loss, but OU leads the country averaging ten per game.
Who to watch: TCU quickly reloaded on its defensive front with Matt Panfil and Cody Moore going from out of the spotlight to superstar status. Panfil, a 232-pound senior end has tremendous quickness and has blown up now that he’s the No. 1 guy. He has come up with 3.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss, while Moore, a tremendously quick tackle, has cranked out 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. These two are disruptive forces who have to play big roles to pressure Bradford.
What will happen: TCU will start out well for a few drives and should keep OU in check for a quarter, and then the Sooner offense will be the Sooner offense. TCU’s passing game won’t be able to do enough to offset the lack of a running game, while OU will go on a big run for about ten minutes to put the game away.
CFN Prediction: Oklahoma 27 … TCU 10 ... Line: Oklahoma -17.5
Must See Rating: (5 Debate No. 1 - 1 The 2008 Primetime Emmys) … 4