It shouldn’t take divine intervention to get a win Saturday night, but the football gods might need to weigh in to get the Frogs over the Lincoln Riley hump.
Well, at least we are coming off of a win.
A win streak, though? That might be too much to ask for.
Yes, the Horned Frogs will travel to Norman Saturday night, hoping to break a six year losing streak to the Sooners and an 0-for-Lincoln-Riley record. But as 13.5 point underdogs, the odds are stacked firmly against the road team.
Can they pull off the upset?
Sure.
Will they?
Well…
If they are to come away with a win, here are a few things to focus on that just might get them on the right side of Saturday night.
Caleb Williams, true freshman QB, meet Gary Patterson, defensive genius.
Yes, this TCU defense is not nearly the product that we are used to seeing on the field for the Horned Frogs, and sure, it doesn’t feel like they could slow down Kansas let alone Oklahoma, but Gary Patterson is still writing the game plan and he sure as hell still has some tricks up his sleeve.
We have seen Patterson send just about anybody on a blitz, and it will be up to the wizard to keep Williams guessing where the pressure is coming from Saturday night. With Khari Coleman and Ochaun Mathis looking more and more like the 1-2 punch we anticipated at the beginning of the season weekly, there’s certainly hope that the line can spend some serious time in the backfield in Norman. But it will take more than just guys coming off of the edge to prevent Williams from getting over the top of a TCU D that has struggled — to put it nicely — defending the big play. So expect to see a lot of safety play near the line and more of the Dee Winters blitzes that were so successful against Cal.
1-2 punch right to the heart (of the defense)
Zach Evans might be questionable according to GP, but there’s not doubt in my mind that he will suit up Saturday night. Well, very little doubt at least. According to reports, Evans was in a boot for a few days, but is back to walking on his own two feet — though not a participant in practice to this point. It’s going to take a healthy, and healthy dose of, Evans to have a shot at the Sooners, and sprinkling in Kendre Miller will be just as critical.
The two backs were too good against Texas Tech, but the Sooners are a much different animal; that being said (and if Max Duggan is indeed questionable), Evans and Miller absolutely have to BRING IT Saturday in the potential biggest game of their collegiate careers thus far. The dynamic duo flirted with 400 yards a week ago, and they’ll probably need 250 together to have a shot — a big ask against an OU D that all but shut down Bijan Robinson in the second half last week. But to beat this offense, you have to keep it off the field, and to do that, you better run it.
Additionally, this is on the offensive line; they did a masterful job against a bad front line in Lubbock, can they pave the way in Norman, too?
And what of the QB?
Well, at first I thought it was smoke and mirrors, but now it seems there might be a little more than trickery at play as Patterson calls QB1 “questionable”.
If Max can’t play, or he does at less than 100%… that’s a problem for the Frogs. And if it isn’t going to be Duggan, should the Frogs go with the guy that’s been in the system, or roll out the guy familiar with the opponent’s system?
We all know that the fans would love to see Chandler Morris if Duggan is indeed unavailable… and you have to admit, that storyline is delicious.
But also please be okay, Max.
A little divine intervention
Well, the football gods might have something to say to the Sooner fanbase, a unit that was booing their (former) starter last time this team played at Memorial Stadium, but looks prescient after the former clipboard holder led their program to a rivalry win in come from behind fashion.
But maybe, just maybe, there’s penance to be paid, and maybe, just maybe, that will be in the form of the Frogs playing the near-perfect game it will take to knock off the demons that have haunted them in OKC since 2005.
So, thoughts and prayers (and Frogs) up, TCU fans.