Can Sooners O Top Horned Frogs D?

It's a classic case of the irresistible force against the immovable object, and something has to give.

In a game that is basically a warm up for the Big 12 title game, No. 6 TCU travels to Norman to take on No. 5 Oklahoma. All that's on the line is the top seed in the conference's first ever championship game, as well as staying alive in the race for a College Football Playoff berth.

Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1) leads the nation in total offense, the only team in America averaging over 600 yards per contest. The Sooners are fueled by quarterback Baker Mayfield, the country's leading passer and favorite for the Heisman Trophy.

Kenny Hill (7) is one of the top dual threat QBs in America (KVUE.com)

TCU (8-1, 5-1) sports the nation's fifth leading defense, allowing just 4.4 yards per play and holding foes to just 26.7 percent on third down conversions.

"Obviously one of the best football teams in the country right now," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. "In my opinion, probably the most complete team we've played to this point. They're really tremendous."

The Horned Frogs lead the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 70 yards per contest. While Mayfield and the passing game have gotten the headlines, it's the Sooners running game that has made a lot of the offensive production possible. Oklahoma has scored three rushing touchdowns in each of the last three games, and averaged over 6.0 yards per carry in those contests.

Rodney Anderson has been the standout, averaging over six yards per carry and scoring five touchdowns, while freshman Trey Sermon has come on to become the team's leading rusher with 568 yards and four scores.

TCU plays a unique 4-2-5 set, which has been a staple of Gary Patterson coached teams through the years.

It has proven effective, and Riley knows his team will need to be firing on all cylinders.

"They're unique," he said. "You don't play a lot of people like them. I don't know that I'd compare it to playing the wishbone, but you just don't see something like them every week. So that makes it a little more difficult to prepare for."

TCU isn't nearly as prolific with the football as Oklahoma is, but the Horned Frogs have been able to put up points -- eclipsing 40 four times this season -- due in large part to an efficient ground game and a matured Kenny Hill at quarterback. After tossing 13 interceptions a year ago, Hill has just five this year. He also has 15 touchdown passes, though has gone without one in three of the last four games.

Darius Anderson does most the damage running the ball for TCU, amassing 726 yards and scoring seven touchdowns. Sewo Olonilua has added six scores and Kyle Hicks also gets his share of carries. The Horned Frogs will look to make plays against an Oklahoma defense ranked 87th nationally, and which has allowed over 200 rushing yards three times this season -- twice in the last three games.

TCU has victories against three top 10 offenses, holding each well below its season total, and have shown people that defense isn't a dirty word in Big 12 circles.

The Sooners aren't totally devoid of star power on defense, thanks to Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and his eight sacks. TCU counters with Ben Banogu, who has 6.5 sacks on the season. Both teams have been good protecting their quarterbacks, TCU allowing just 11 sacks and Oklahoma allowing 18.

Patterson knows that this challenge could be his team's toughest, and it will have to have laser-focus to stop the Sooners diverse attack.

"You can't let Oklahoma big-play you, and that's hard to do because they have a lot of people," Patterson said. "You've got to be able to give them different looks and you've got to have a group smart enough to do that and still play within the structure of the defense. Because any time you put the quarterback in play, it makes it harder."

Baker Mayfield has proven nearly impossible to stop in 2017 (SB Nation)

There is some history with "the quarterback" and Patterson, as Mayfield -- a Texas native -- claims TCU slow-played him in recruiting before deciding against taking him. He wasn't happy about it, and his father had harsh words for Patterson's program in a later magazine interview.

But the two have mended fences, with Mayfield saying of Patterson, "he's one of the best defensive minds in the game."

Patterson has reciprocated respect, saying what many non-Sooners fans feel.

"Baker's really done a great job," Patterson said. "He's one of those guys, if you're playing against him you probably don't like him. ... If you love competitors, you've got to admire the things he's been able to do. He keeps plays alive. He's tough to tackle."

Oklahoma won a 52-46 shootout last year in Fort Worth, and has taken five of the last six meetings.

As far as being a an appetizer for a Big 12 championship game main course, neither coach is thinking that far ahead.

"We've got a lot of work to do," Patterson said.

Riley, the youngest head coach in the FBS, knows that looking ahead could prove lethal to his team.

"We'll worry about it when we get there," he said. "It'll take all we've got to play well and give ourselves a chance to beat these guys. We'll throw everything we can at 'em, and I'm sure coach Patterson would probably tell you the same thing."

No. 4 TCU Takes On Ranked Cyclones In Big 12 Battle

Who would have ever believed that Ames, Iowa, would be a place where meaningful football would be played in late October?

The last four seasons have produced a total of 11 wins -- no more than three in any one season -- and spunky Iowa State was tabbed ninth in the 10-team Big 12 in the preseason. But a season-changing victory at Oklahoma began a three-game winning streak, and now the 25th-ranked Cyclones have something very dangerous -- confidence.

TCU QB Kenny Hill has fueled his team's high octane offense (Dallas Morning News)

"Ever since the win at Oklahoma, our confidence is crazy now," top receiver Allen Lazard said. "We trust each other and we trust what the coaches are doing. Just knowing that we can rely on each other, it helps us keep our poise and be able to execute in critical situations."

ISU (5-2, 3-1) is ranked for the first time in 12 years, and will need to rely on that confidence and high-level play if it wants to knock off visiting fourth-ranked TCU on Saturday.

The Horned Frogs (7-0, 4-0) were, like Iowa State, something of an afterthought in the preseason, chosen to finish fifth in the conference. But dominating showings in their first three games led up to their defining moment of 2017 (at least thus far) -- a big win in Stillwater over favored Oklahoma State. That was followed by a nailbiter against West Virginia, but since then TCU has been operating with precision, including setting a conference record by allowing just 21 yards to Kansas last Saturday.

The lofty ranking is nice, but TCU can't just expect to waltz into Jack Trice Stadium -- where it is 3-0 since joining the Big 12 -- and think Iowa State will be a pushover.

"Right now we're 7-0 and we need to get to 8-0," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "This one will be tougher. I said before the season that Iowa State was going to be a tough ballgame, and that's not even knowing what I know now."

TCU has gotten it done with balance, averaging 466.3 yards per game and ranking ninth in scoring at 41.6 points per contest. Whether it's Darius Anderson and his 76 yards per game and six scores or the receiving tandem of KaVontae Turpin (23-238-1) and Jalen Reagor (18-298-4), the Horned Frogs have weapons everywhere.

They also have a quarterback in Kenny Hill to make it all go. His resurrection, from phenom at Texas A&M to being benched and eventually leaving College Station to arriving at TCU and writing a second chapter, has been the story for this offense, and the Horned Frogs wouldn't be where they are today without Hill's leadership and strong play.

Hill is 11th in the country in passer rating and is completing a ridiculous 70.2 percent of his passes. His decision-making has been exemplary, with 15 TDs to just three interceptions, and he has matured greatly.

He tossed five TD passes against Kansas, and said afterward, "Whatever it takes to win, that's what we're going to do."

The Horned Frogs defense is no slouch, ranking third in the country against the run (80.7 ypg) and ninth in points allowed (14.9). They are also first in opponents third down percentage (27.8), so if they can use that and their ability to keep Iowa State's big play offense on the sideline, their march to the Big 12 title game will continue.

Iowa State is the Cinderella story of the league, and while improvement was expected under second-year coach Matt Campbell, few believed the Cyclones would be in the thick of the conference race this late into the season.

Attention to detail and not making mistakes has been ISU's calling card, ranking 10th nationally in turnover margin.

"Our recipe for success is don't make mistakes, don't turn the ball over, force opponents to make some mistakes, and when they do, you got to do a great job of winning situational football," Campbell said. "We can look back for the last three weeks, that's what's worked for us. When we've lost, we've been the ones that made mistakes."

Iowa State has 25 plays between 30 and 59 yards this season, and much of has come in the passing game. The Cyclones average 279 yards per game through the air, with quarterback Kyle Kempt hitting on 69.7 percent of his passes since taking over starting duties three games ago. He has seven TDs to just one interception and isn't afraid to test defenses downfield, averaging 8.6 yards per attempt.

Iowa State WR Allen Lazard is a big play force (Iowa Student Daily)

In Lazard (33-371-5) and Hakeem Butler (16.4 yards per catch, three TDs) he has a pair of tall wideouts, which could pose problems for TCU's active but undersized secondary.

"We've got to contest every shot. It's like you're playing basketball," Patterson said.

David Montgomery is the bulwark of the backfield, averaging 91.7 yards per game with eight touchdowns. He loves picking up the tough yards up the middle and is a threat out of the backfield, with 21 catches.

TCU is active in its 4-2-5 and doesn't have a lot of real weak spots on that side of the ball. Ben Banogu leads the way up front with 4.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, and safeties Nick Orr and Travin Howard are among the biggest hitters in the conference.

Campbell knows that finding big plays against the Horned Frogs will be a major challenge.

“It’s hard to create matchups against a team like that,” Campbell said. “You have to make plays when they’re out there – and that’s easier said than done.”

Iowa State is solid against the run (120.4 yards per game), led by linebacker Marcel Spears Jr and his 8.7 tackles per game, but has sometimes had problems against good passing teams.

A victory would likely put TCU among the top four teams in the College Football Playoff rankings, which will be unveiled on Halloween night. But that isn't what motivates Patterson or his team.

"I have to win a ballgame for it to matter to us," Patterson said. "Maybe I'll think about that on Sunday. ... We need to make sure that we take care of our business, and we'll see what everybody has to say after that."

While a loss might harm the CFP hopes, it would not necessarily end TCU's goal of winning the Big 12 title. The top two teams will square off in a first-ever championship game, and TCU is very much in the picture for that race.

"If this team can work through and navigate this season with no or one loss ... playing on the road in places we have to go, things you have to do, it truly would be an amazing feat by this group," Patterson said. "It's hard to do."

Iowa State is just 1-10-2 in games where both teams are ranked, and the last time the Cyclones won as a ranked team at home was in 2002 against Missouri.

Mountaineers Bring High Octane Offense To TCU

TCU's defense has been the best in the Big 12 in 2017, but it will be tested by West Virginia this Saturday (USA Today)

TCU has shone brightly on the national stage already this season, so having ESPN GameDay on hand for a showdown with No. 23 West Virginia shouldn't faze the Horned Frogs one bit.

Gary Patterson's bunch, ranked eighth in the nation, has already taken down Oklahoma State in Stillwater a couple of weeks back, firmly entrenching TCU as a legitimate contender for the Big 12 crown. West Virginia comes to town sporting the highest scoring offense in the conference -- 48.8 points per game, second highest nationally -- while TCU has allows just 18.5 points per game, second best in the league.

"It's just another Big 12 ballgame -- you better pull up your pants and get ready to go," Patterson said of the contest, which kicks off at 3:30 p.m Saturday at Amon Carter Stadium. TCU is 50-14 at home the last 10 years, but five of those losses came in last year's forgettable 6-7 campaign.

TCU was blown out last year by the Mountaineers 34-10, but acted in kind the last time the teams played in Fort Worth, winning 40-10 in 2015. The three previous contests had two one point decisions and an overtime game won by three points. So these things can get tense.

The Mountaineers (3-1, 1-0) know they are the underdogs, and have nothing but praise for the Horned Frogs.

"I really think they're deserving of their Top-10 ranking, no question," Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen said."When you go into Arkansas and win the way they did, and go into Stillwater and win the way they did, yeah, that's a good football team. It's hard to go anywhere on the road and win in the Big 12."

Both teams have exceeded preseason expectations, and each keeps opponents on watch with balanced offenses. TCU averages 232.3 yards per game rushing, West Virginia 231 -- the top two figures in the conference. The Mountaineers throw the ball a bit better, and more often, and junior quarterback Will Grier leads the nation in passing yards on downfield throws (over 20 yards), with 649. So TCU's pass defense will be tested.
 
"You've got to find a way to slow them down," Patterson said. "You don't necessarily ever stop them.

"You can't allow the big play and you have to stop the run -- Grier runs around really well also, that that also dictates coverage and everything else that you do."

Grier has thrown 13 touchdowns to just three interceptions, and has what may be the best trio of receivers in the Big 12. Gary Jennings (29 catches, 438 yards), David Sills V (26-396-7 TD) and Marcus Simms (23.4 yards per catch on nine grabs) are a secondary's nightmare, which means TCU may need to get pressure up front to throw WVU off of its game. The problem with that is that Grier can scramble and throw on the run, and the offensive line has allowed just five sacks this season.

Travin Howard is the top defender for TCU, making 26 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. Safety Nick Orr can create havoc in the secondary, amassing 22 stops and two tackles for loss.

TCU is excellent against the run (94.8 yards), but West Virginia will test with running back Justin Crawford, who averages 7.4 yards per pop and has six touchdowns.

Will Grier has brought stability to WVU's passing attack (Charlotte Observer)

Holgorsen knows what to expect defensively from TCU, so it's merely a matter of executing against it.

"They've been doing the same thing defensively for 20 years and it doesn't look any different now than it has back when they were really good a decade ago," he said. "That's (Patterson's) stamp on the program and his stamp on college football. They have a lot of guys on his staff that speak the same language that he does, so I have a ton of respect with what they're doing.

"They're deep; their front is always good. They rarely have to out-number you in the box, which is a different type situation than what we're usually used to. They just do a really good job of just coaching their guys up with technique and them playing with high motors and doing a great job of getting off blocks. They're as sure of tacklers as we're going to see out there. And their coverages, they read routes better than anybody. They're going to know exactly what positions they're going to have to be in and they're rarely out of position."

TCU (4-0, 1-0) is no slouch offensively, especially since quarterback Kenny Hill has found his groove in his final season of college football.

The former Texas A&M star is completing nearly 73 percent of his passes, and has nine TDs to just three interceptions. He isn't afraid to push the ball down the field, averaging 8.2 yards per attempt, and has the talented KaVontae Turpin as his favorite weapon. Turpin -- also a dangerous kick returner -- has 14 catches and averages nearly 10 yards per grab, and is money on third down. Jalen Reagor is a big play threat, averaging 16.8 yards per catch.

West Virginia employs a 3-3-5 scheme, with the defensive backs asked to do a lot of heavy lifting. That's why four of the top five tacklers reside in the secondary, including spur Kyzir White, who has 19 tackles and a pair of interceptions. Middle linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton has been solid, with 36 tackles and six tackles for loss.

The game could come to down West Virginia's ability to stop the run, something it hasn't been very good at in 2017.

The Mountaineers allow 226 yards per game on the ground, a figure that ranks 115th nationally. That has to make Darius Anderson's eyes light up, as he may see more daylight in this game than any this season. Anderson averages over 105 yards per game rushing and has six trips to the end zone. Holgorsen knows the importance of slowing him down, and that his team will need to have better run fits on Saturday if it wants to win.

"It ain't scheme because we've been pretty good against the run these past two years," Holgorsen said. "We've got to do a better job up front of holding gaps. So you didn't see me sweat about it. We need guys to step up and be real dudes."

TCU's win over Oklahoma State brought prominence and spotlight, but Patterson realizes that he can't allow the team to believe that victory was the high point of the season. There is a lot of football yet to be played, and its his job to keep his players on task.

"You can't get too high for one ballgame and then win one, lose five," Patterson said.

The similarities with the programs are many -- they were the last two to join the Big 12, they both have transfer quarterbacks making good on senior seasons, and they both have offenses that can put a ton of points on the scoreboard.

Holgorsen sees a few others, as well.

"I just think if you look at the similarities in the two programs, it builds a lot of interest in this game," he said. "Winning as many games as both West Virginia did and TCU did in their respective conferences prior to the Big 12, both won a ton of games in Group of Five conferences and were always in the BCS discussion and all that good stuff. It's just neat playing this game based on the fact of what the past was and then going into the Big 12 at the same time.

"You've seen both programs go through the process of building their teams pretty similar, I think, as far as some early struggles with some big wins to building some depth to the point where I think both teams are pretty good football teams at this point."

Confident TCU Prepared To Give Cowboys A Battle

James Washington is one of many offensive weapons for Oklahoma State (NewsOK)

 A story came out earlier in the week about Oklahoma State's schedule being a potential pitfall toward gaining a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The No. 6 Cowboys have looked nearly invincible through three games, but only a road win at Pittsburgh can be called impressive. It's the only victory over a Power 5 team for Mike Gundy's squad, but things definitely begin to ramp up as TCU comes to Stillwater for a Big 12 showdown of unbeatens this Saturday.

 TCU (3-0) has looked impressive, beating up on Arkansas in Fayetteville and blasting rival SMU by three touchdowns last weekend -- a win that Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson was not terribly impressed with.

 He knows what's ahead for his squad, which has lost four of the last five games in this series, including the last three in Stillwater.

 "You always want to play against really good people," Patterson said. "To find out what you're like and what your level is -- what you can play at. Oklahoma State definitely puts us into that category, and we're going to have to play at a very high level if we want an opportunity to win.

 "You're going to have to score some points on Oklahoma State to be able to win the ballgame. We know that."

 The Cowboys have been an offensive machine, averaging 54 points per game, fourth best in the nation, and 607 yards of total offense, third best nationally.

 Quarterback Mason Rudolph has established himself as a legitimate Heisman candidate after completing over 72 percent of his passes and averaging 378 yards per game through the air. He has also been very disciplined with the football, tossing 11 touchdowns to just one interception.

 "The kid is a workaholic," Gundy said of Rudolph.

 Rudolph, who had the numbers to leave school a year early, decided to stick around Stillwater for another season because he knew what the Cowboys had coming back. Running back Justice Hill has speed and elusiveness, and averages 83.3 yards per contest with three touchdowns. Top wideout James Washington has been unstoppable, averaging 28 yards per grab on 13 catches, and finding the end zone three times. Marcell Ateman, Jalen McCleskey and Dillon Stoner all have at least 11 grabs, so TCU will definitely have to pick its poison if it is to come away with the upset.

 "I'm excited about my team," Patterson said. "We got ourselves to 3-0, got ourselves in a position where we feel like we have a very mature football team. We're excited for the challenge."

 TCU has some weapons of its own, namely quarterback Kenny Hill. After bursting onto the scene as a freshman at Texas A&M in 2014, Hill's star dimmed in College Station, so he transferred to Lubbock. He was up and down last season, completing just over 61 percent of his passes and throwing nearly as many interceptions (13) as touchdowns (17).

TCU QB Kenny Hill has matured into a leader (Chat Sports)

 Hill has learned to value the football much better in this, his senior season. The mobile signal-caller has completed 75 percent of his passes with eight scoring tosses and just two picks. Patterson said his decision making has improved by leaps and bounds, which is a big reason the 16th-ranked Horned Frogs have been able to average 43 points per game.

 Darius Anderson has been a nice complement in the backfield, averaging 87.3 yards per game with three scores. Desmon White has two receiving touchdowns while KaVontae Turpin has added 12 catches for 118 yards and a score.

 Patterson lauded the Cowboys defense -- which many believe is its weak link -- noting that it has six takeaways in three games. Linebacker Justin Phillips has two interceptions and leads the team in solo tackles with 10, and is also the heart and soul of a stop unit that is craving respect.

 The Cowboys defense isn't flashy, but thus far it has been able to get the job done.

“They’ve been committed to each other since the bowl game in January,” Gundy said. “They understand the importance of preparation and focus.”

 TCU leads the nation in third down conversions at over 65 percent, and hanging on to the football means that the Cowboys offense won't be able to score.

 Patterson believes that his team won't be fazed by the hostile atmosphere of Boone Pickens Stadium, and in fact thinks that being battle-tested will help calm any nerves. The visitor has won just twice in the last 12 games in this series.

 “If there’s any advantage to me going into the ballgame, we’ve played two teams that have had a high level of something,” Patterson said. “I think that’s the only advantage that we have going into Oklahoma State — going in that we’ve had to be in two battles."

 Oklahoma State has won 10 games in three of the last four seasons but has yet to finish ahead of arch-nemesis Oklahoma. Gundy felt special about this team from the beginning of fall camp, and believes the maturity, leadership and talent is there to make a run at not only the Sooners, but loftier goals.

“I think I’d go back to what I said in August,” Gundy said. “We’ve got an experienced team, a quarterback who buys into the system. The defensive guys are working hard and buying into the system. I felt good about them coming into the year, but it doesn’t mean it’ll work out that way. But so far, I’ve been pleased."