FORT WORTH, Texas – Oklahoma and TCU were the class of the Big 12 last season and met in the conference's first title game since realignment in 2010, but both have some work to do over the next month in order to make it happen again in 2018. A pair of conference heavyweights coming off three-point losses hope to avoid falling further behind in the conference race Saturday when the 10th-ranked Sooners visit the Horned Frogs.
TV: Noon ET, ABC. LINE: Oklahoma -7.5.
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Despite erasing a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit in less than six minutes, Oklahoma allowed Texas to drive 52 yards in nine plays and convert a 40-yard field goal with nine seconds left in a 48-45 setback on Oct. 6. "To get it back there in a tight game and have a great chance to win a football game says a lot about what we have in the locker room and says a lot about the culture that we have here at Oklahoma," coach Lincoln Riley told reporters. TCU had its heart broken as well, allowing first-time starter Jett Duffey to score the go-ahead touchdown on a 38-yard quarterback draw midway through the fourth quarter in a 17-14 defeat on Oct. 11. The Horned Frogs held the Red Raiders' FBS-best offense 31 points and 238 yards below their season averages, but it wasn't enough to avoid their first home loss in nine outings.
ABOUT OKLAHOMA (5-1, 2-1 Big 12)
The Sooners are averaging 8.9 yards per play - a mark that would break the FBS record they set last year (8.3) - and are led by Kyler Murray, who has posted a league-best 227.8 passer rating (second in the country) and ranks sixth in the conference with 377 rushing yards. Marquise Brown is tied for the Big 12 lead with seven receiving touchdowns and ranks second in receiving yards (675) and yards per game (112.5) despite getting shut out Sept. 22 against Army. No defensive duo in the country averages more tackles per game than Oklahoma's Curtis Bolton and Kenneth Murray; Bolton ranks third in FBS with a Big 12-high 12.5 and Murray is fourth in the nation with 12.3.
ABOUT TCU (3-3, 1-2)
KaVontae Turpin moved into eighth place on the school's all-time receptions list with 140 after posting six catches against Texas Tech; he needs eight more to move into sole possession of seventh place. Sophomore Jalen Reagor boasts a team-high 37 receptions (seventh in the conference) and topped 1,000 receiving yards for his career in his 20th game versus the Red Raiders - tied for the fourth-fastest Horned Frog to accomplish the feat in the Gary Patterson era (2000-present). Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Ben Banogu had two sacks as part of an eight-tackle effort against Texas Tech; his 4.5 sacks on the season are tied for the fourth most in the Big 12.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Five of the seven meetings since TCU joined the Big 12 have been decided by seven or fewer points. Oklahoma's two victories last season (38-20 on Nov. 11 and 41-17 in the conference championship) are the two exceptions.
2. The Horned Frogs fell to 111-5 when allowing 17 points or fewer in 116 games under Patterson following the loss to Texas Tech.
3. The Sooners have won 17 consecutive true road games - the longest active streak in the country. Their last such loss came in a 38-33 decision at TCU in 2014.
PREDICTION: Oklahoma 34, TCU 24