Way Too Early to Tell: Oklahoma at TCU Horned Frogs

TCU was once the king of the Mountain West Conference. However, since they got the invite to the Big 12, the Horned Frogs haven’t been the same.

After two not-so-great years, like West Virginia, this may be TCU’s time to turn the corner in the league. It will be a challenge with some uncertainty at quarterback. Texas A&M’s Matt Joekel could be the starter if his transfer clears. However, the Frogs have Trevone Boykin returning to Fort Worth, who threw for 1,198 passing yards last season and seven touchdown passes.

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The Frogs have a lot of players returning on both sides, and they will only play three games before they meet Oklahoma thanks to two early bye weeks. Although, the Sooners will have their first bye week of the season prior to their trip to Fort Worth. This should make for an interesting game.

Best Case Scenario: Oklahoma takes advantage of the week off, and learns from their last few bouts with TCU to not let the Horned Frogs hang around. The Sooners have had some close calls, but the more mature defense should take care of the less talented offense, and OU’s offense at this point in the season should know a little bit about its identity. This is a game where a Joe Mixon or a Micaiah Quick could burst on to the scene and make a huge impact. Hopefully, the Sooners get a favorable kick-off time, such as a 2:30 pm start. Those 11 a.m. road trips are killer.

Worst Case Scenario: TCU finally gets the monkey off its back, and beats Oklahoma for the first time in nearly a decade. If Joekel is cleared and becomes the starter, this should be a good test for Oklahoma’s secondary. Hopefully, one they can pass. Gary Patterson is a great coach, and while the Frogs haven’t been the same, this could be the year things change. TCU’s defense looks to be solid, especially with its group at linebacker, and they’ve kept it close against Oklahoma the past two years. This would be a huge early home win for the Frogs, as they will try to avenge their dismal 2-7 conference record from last season.

Prediction: Oklahoma 27, TCU 21. I think it stays close yet again, and if Joekel is in the backfield, I think the Frogs have a shot to put up some points.