Oklahoma Sooners 30, TCU Horned Frogs 29: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

How do you review a game like that? It’s a win. Survive and move on. Just ask Ohio State.

But what a terrible second half of football. 

The Great

The Defense (Mostly)

The D played three quarters of excellent football. OU forced turnovers, setting up the struggling offense in great field position. OU also generated three-and-outs, and at halftime, the Sooners looked like they were in great shape.

Samaje Perine

He proved why he is the best running back in the Big 12. His 72-yard, game-winning TD while hobbling on a bad ankle was elite.

The Good

Sterling Shepard

He made play after play at wide receiver. We will forget his terrible night fielding punts.

Baker Mayfield

In the first half, he made some big plays. If he had played the second half, OU wins going away. 

The Bad

Fourth Quarter Defense

The long touchdown pass... The long TD drive that almost tied the game...

OU stopped attacking and became too passive. No one made a play, save for Steven Parker on the two-point conversion to save the Sooner’s Big 12 title chances.

Joe Mixon's Dropped TD

Come on, Joe, a 27-7 halftime lead would have been very important in retrospect.

The Awful

*This is going to be harsh.

Trevor Knight

I hate pointing out a single player, but that’s the worst half of football from an OU QB since Knight’s last start versus Clemson.

He consistently misread zone read calls that put the offense in second-and-long situations. He locked onto targets and threw into double coverage. His accuracy was abysmal. He made poor decisions, like the delayed (?) screen pass to Shepard that cost OU yards on a third down. He threw a costly pick in the fourth quarter.

Bottom line is that Knight didn't play like a fourth-year QB with 15-plus starts. Based on this performance, OU should promote Cody Thomas to the backup.

Lincoln Riley's Playcalling in the Second Half

It’s hard to say what impact the back-to-back injuries to Perine and Mixon had on Riley’s playcalling. Still, he gave Knight way too much freedom to lose the game, and his lack of trust in the running game at times was just baffling.

Austin Seibert

Seibert did hit three field goals. However, his miss in the third quarter kept TCU in the game and nearly cost OU a win. Also, his botched handling of a bad snap gave TCU easy field position for a TD.

Additionally, Seibert  struggled to flip the field with his punting. TCU pinned down the Sooners in their end of the field for most of the third quarter and gained hidden yardage as the teams exchanged punts.

The Criminal

TCU Targeting Mayfield

TCU’s targeting play on Mayfield was maybe the worst targeting call I’ve seen this year. The TCU player should be suspended for the rest of the next game, as well. He clearly tried to hurt Knight and put him out of the game.

*Where does OU go from here? 

I have no idea how the College Football Playoff selection committee will view this win. Even so, OU should be in somewhere in the top five.

If Baker Mayfield can go and Mixon and Perine are healthy, then OU’s offense can put up the 40 type points needed to win in Stillwater.

OSU’s defense is bad against the run and the pass. In fact, without turnovers, it would appear the Cowboys cannot stop anyone. OSU has little running game, but the Pokes' deep passing could give OU fits.

It’s all there for OU. Win and OU wins the Big 12 outright basically, and has a great shot at a playoff spot.  Lose and Baylor or OSU wins the Big 12. 

-Atlantasooner