College Football Game of the Week: No. 13 TCU vs.No. 8 Oklahoma State
In a week with some of the season's most anticipated matchups, the one seemingly the most improbable is the Big 12 clash of undefeated teams. The No. 13 TCU Horned Frogs (5-0) battle the No. 8 Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-0) in Fort Worth in what could be a preview of the conference championship game.
After being left out of the preseason AP Top 25, the Horned Frogs find themselves in their highest position since they were No. 4 in Week 8 of 2017. This is a huge accomplishment alone, but to do it with a first-year head coach in Sonny Dykes is extraordinary.
Dykes spent the last four seasons as the head coach of SMU, where he led them to a 30-18 record. TCU decided to make a change after 21 seasons with Gary Patterson, and considering the team has missed out on a bowl game the last three seasons, it appears they made the right choice.
On the other side, Oklahoma State has been one of the most consistent programs in the Big 12 over the past few seasons as they've been ranked at some point in every year since 2008. The Cowboys are playing with a bit of hate in their hearts this season after coming within a few inches of a conference championship and a College Football Playoff appearance.
Looking at the two signal-callers for this matchup, both have a lot of starting experience. Max Duggan and Spencer Sanders are in their fourth year as starting quarterbacks after being given the reins as freshmen.
Max Duggan has performed exceptionally for TCU and is only two passing touchdowns behind his career-high through only five games. After throwing 12 interceptions last year, Spencer Sanders has done a great job protecting the football for the Cowboys, as he's given the ball away just twice this year.
In complete Big 12 fashion, both teams are in the top 5 in scoring offense and outside the top 50 in scoring defense. This game appears to have all signs pointing to a high-scoring affair.
The difference maker for both teams could be the run game. Both teams average around the same passing yards per game, but TCU averages 6.6 yards per rush which are second in the nation behind Alabama.
Each team is coming off a scary game that could have ruined their perfect season. TCU held off No. 19 Kansas in Lawrence after Jayhawk quarterback Jaylon Daniels left the game in the first half with an injury. Oklahoma State defeated Texas Tech 41-31 in a game that was tied in the fourth quarter.
Neither team is perfect, and the nation has learned to expect a high-powered offense and a middle-of-the-road defense from most Big 12 teams. But both defenses have to show up, especially for the Cowboys, as TCU leads the nation in yards per play.
A player to watch for on the TCU defense is linebacker Dee Winters. The senior has 3.5 sacks, a career-high, and five tackles for loss, which both lead the team.
For Oklahoma State, linebacker Mason Cobb has seemingly come out of nowhere to lead the Cowboy defense. After waiting in the wings for two seasons, the junior stepped up and now leads the team in tackles and tackles for loss. If they want to keep Duggan on the field, TCU must account for him.
With this being a home game for a TCU team that has been riding high all year, it's going to Oklahoma State. Max Duggan has improved too much, and the running game has been too dominant. TCU comes away with this one and upsets the Cowboys 38-31.
The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. EST on ABC.
JC Colavita is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jrc6383@psu.edu.
