Oklahoma buries TCU's defense in 38-20 win
NORMAN, Okla. — With a first-half onslaught, No. 7 Oklahoma (No. 5 CFP rankings) blew out No. 9 TCU (No. 6), winning 38-20. Here are three takeaways from Saturday:
1. When it’s humming, which is much of the time, Oklahoma’s offense is the nation’s most dangerous, and it might just be good enough to carry the Sooners past any opponent.
Baker Mayfield and the Sooners scorched one of college football’s best defenses, putting up 38 first-half points — more than TCU had allowed in a game — en route to the victory. TCU brought the nation’s No. 1 rushing defense, No. 6 scoring defense and No. 6 overall defense into Norman — and then the Sooners dissected the Horned Frogs. Mayfield had 299 passing yards by halftime (he finished 18 of 27 for 333 yards). The Sooners had 533 total yards.
And although Mayfield will get the headlines (see the next takeaway), sophomore running back Rodney Anderson was the big producer. Anderson had 151 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries and five catches for 139 yards and two more touchdowns.
The pace slowed in the second half, though some of that was by design; with the big lead, Oklahoma bled clock. But coupled with a 62-point performance a week earlier against Oklahoma State, it’s becoming clear that despite an iffy defense, Oklahoma in the Playoff would be a load for any opponent.
2. Go ahead, hand Baker Mayfield the Heisman.
We know, there’s still football left (though, hey, suddenly there’s not a lot left). But Mayfield might have cemented his grip on the bronze statue in the first half, when he was 15-for-21 for 299 yards and three touchdowns. The senior quarterback turned in big play after big play as the Sooners pulled away. The highlight was a 13-yard pass to tight end Grant Calcaterra late in the first quarter, a perfectly feathered bolt into the back of the end zone.
3. This didn’t settle anything in the Big 12.
The question isn’t whether Oklahoma will move into the College Football Playoff’s top four when the next set of rankings is released Tuesday — it’s how high they’ll go. None of that matters, of course. Not yet. And when it comes to the conference race, there’s still much left to be determined.
TCU is almost certainly out of the Playoff race with two losses (unless chaos comes to college football). But the Frogs are probably still headed to the Big 12 championship game. There, because of the league’s brand new double jeopardy format, they could knock Oklahoma out of the Playoff mix. TCU will be favored to beat Texas Tech and Baylor. Oklahoma will be favored to beat Kansas and West Virginia. Let’s reconvene in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 2 and do it again.
Oklahoma buries TCU's defense in 38-20 win
NORMAN, Okla. — With a first-half onslaught, No. 7 Oklahoma (No. 5 CFP rankings) blew out No. 9 TCU (No. 6), winning 38-20. Here are three takeaways from Saturday:
1. When it’s humming, which is much of the time, Oklahoma’s offense is the nation’s most dangerous, and it might just be good enough to carry the Sooners past any opponent.
Baker Mayfield and the Sooners scorched one of college football’s best defenses, putting up 38 first-half points — more than TCU had allowed in a game — en route to the victory. TCU brought the nation’s No. 1 rushing defense, No. 6 scoring defense and No. 6 overall defense into Norman — and then the Sooners dissected the Horned Frogs. Mayfield had 299 passing yards by halftime (he finished 18 of 27 for 333 yards). The Sooners had 533 total yards.
And although Mayfield will get the headlines (see the next takeaway), sophomore running back Rodney Anderson was the big producer. Anderson had 151 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries and five catches for 139 yards and two more touchdowns.
The pace slowed in the second half, though some of that was by design; with the big lead, Oklahoma bled clock. But coupled with a 62-point performance a week earlier against Oklahoma State, it’s becoming clear that despite an iffy defense, Oklahoma in the Playoff woul
d be a load for any opponent.
2. Go ahead, hand Baker Mayfield the Heisman.
We know, there’s still football left (though, hey, suddenly there’s not a lot left). But Mayfield might have cemented his grip on the bronze statue in the first half, when he was 15-for-21 for 299 yards and three touchdowns. The senior quarterback turned in big play after big play as the Sooners pulled away. The highlight was a 13-yard pass to tight end Grant Calcaterra late in the first quarter, a perfectly feathered bolt into the back of the end zone.
3. This didn’t settle anything in the Big 12.
The question isn’t whether Oklahoma will move into the College Football Playoff’s top four when the next set of rankings is released Tuesday — it’s how high they’ll go. None of that matters, of course. Not yet. And when it comes to the conference race, there’s still much left to be determined.
TCU is almost certainly out of the Playoff race with two losses (unless chaos comes to college football). But the Frogs are probably still headed to the Big 12 championship game. There, because of the league’s brand new double jeopardy format, they could knock Oklahoma out of the Playoff mix. TCU will be favored to beat Texas Tech and Baylor. Oklahoma will be favored to beat Kansas and West Virginia. Let’s reconvene in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 2 and do it again.