Knee-Jerking: Oklahoma Sooners 30, TCU Horned Frogs 29
I realize this is a couple days late, but figured I’d chip in a quick two cents about OU’s nail-biter against TCU this weekend.
*Great coaches like Gary Patterson can be sneaky dangerous in one-off situations in which they’re forced to improvise. Since the pressure is off, they can play more loose with new stuff they’ve cooked up in the lab.
I have no idea if that played a role in TCU’s performance this weekend, but it would be interesting to see how the Horned Frogs’ approach to this game differed from others this season.
*I thought TCU did an especially good job of putting the ball in Aaron Green’s hands in space and giving a chance to make plays. Green hasn’t received enough credit for the blossoming of the Horned Frogs’ offense.
*OU’s defensive issues in the second half illustrated the effect that one side of the ball can have on the other. In this case, the offense really hamstrung the D.
Of OU’s 10 drives in the second half, only one produced points. Six lasted four plays or fewer. Additionally, six went for under 10 yards.
Maybe it’s a matter of the D getting gassed. It could be that the defenders get frustrated when the O isn’t moving the ball. Whatever the case may be, it seems to be a real phenomenon.
*No denying that Trevor Knight looked completely inept in taking Baker Mayfield’s place in the second half of the game. I feel somewhat bad for No. 9, who got pushed into running a zone read scheme that OU was afraid to actually use and now doesn’t really have the proper accuracy to run the Air Raid.
If Knight has to play this weekend, the coaching staff would be wise to put some option and bootlegs into the offensive playbook.
*Love Orlando Brown’s nasty streak, but it has been overly nasty for the last two weeks.
*OU fans won't want to hear it, but I think it’s perfectly fair to ask questions about how the medical team evaluated Mayfield after he sustained a nasty helmet-to-helmet hit in the second quarter.