A month earlier, Oklahoma football knocked off TCU 38-20 in Norman. How will the Sooners fare when they meet at AT&T Stadium in the revamped Big 12 championship?
One of the top defenses in the country gets a second chance to shut down the Heisman frontrunner when TCU squares off against Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon. The Horned Frogs head to Arlington for the first Big 12 championship game since 2010, where they take on the Sooners in a rematch three weeks earlier.
In that contest, Gary Patterson‘s defense conceded over 200 more yards of offense than they averaged against opponents throughout 2017. Baker Mayfield had a field day, throwing for 333 yards and three touchdowns as he completed two-thirds of his passes. Rodney Anderson added a 150-yard rushing day and a pair of scores.
Despite the 38-20 loss in Norman in November, TCU still managed to earn itself another shot at the Sooners. With an upset on Saturday, they could end Oklahoma’s dreams of reaching the College Football Playoff in Lincoln Riley’s first season after taking over for Bob Stoops as head coach.
Could the Horned Frogs win this time around when they meet up with the Sooners at AT&T Stadium? We will find out in a few days when they meet for a second time in 2017.
Here’s how to watch Saturday’s Big 12 championship between Oklahoma and TCU:
Date: Saturday, Dec. 2
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Arlington, Tex.
Venue: AT&T Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go
Keys to Victory
For Oklahoma, their shot at reaching the final four of the College Football Playoff comes down to whether Baker Mayfield plays as well as he has all season long. Even if the Sooners ultimately lose, Mayfield will almost certainly finish the regular season as the 2017 Heisman winner. The firepower that Oklahoma brings to the field on offense overpowered the Horned Frogs last time around, and they will merely need to do more of the same to win on Saturday.
TCU, meanwhile, will need its defense to look more like they have the rest of the season than they did in the loss to Oklahoma. But defense alone won’t get the trick. Kenny Hill will need to break out and outplay Baker Mayfield in the battle of transfer quarterbacks. He will also need to get relief from the tandem of Kyle Hicks and Darius Anderson on the ground.
In most Big 12 games, defense is at a premium. But defense wins championships, so the team that manages to stiffen up against the other team’s quality quarterback will come out on top.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of Sportsbook Review
Point Spread: Oklahoma -7
Over/Under: 63.5
Prediction
Baker Mayfield won’t get bottled up enough to lose out on the Heisman Trophy. Oklahoma will manage to win, but it will be a surprisingly low-scoring affair in a league where offense usually rules the day. Take the under and bet on the Horned Frogs to beat the point spread.
Of course, a low-scoring game is a relative concept when it comes to the Big 12. Both teams will get past 20 points on the scoreboard, but getting to 30 points will be much harder. If either team manages to do so, they will run away with the victory.
Next: Latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft entering Week 14
Ultimately, TCU won’t be able to do enough to pass the Sooners on the scoreboard. Mayfield will have some late heroics after Oklahoma gets an early scare, and the come-from-behind victory will be enough to put Riley’s crew into the College Football Playoff. The Horned Frogs will have to wait until their bowl game to see if they can get to 10 wins this season.
Final Score: Oklahoma 27, TCU 23