OU football: Sooners' win streak against TCU should continue this season in Fort Worth

Aug. 13—Editor's Note: This is the sixth installment in a series looking at Oklahoma's schedule for the 2022-2023 season. The Transcript will rank all games by evaluating their significance, difficulty and entertainment value. This article previews Texas Tech, which is ranked No. 7 in the series.

Oklahoma currently holds a win streak of at least eight games or more against three different Big 12 teams.

TCU is one of them, along with Kansas, West Virginia, Texas Tech.

Simply put, the Horned Frogs haven't had much success against the Sooners since joining the Big 12 in 2012. The Sooners have won 10 of 11 matchups between the two teams in conference play, including a 41-17 drubbing in the 2017 Big 12 title game.

TCU's one victory in conference play came in Fort Worth, Texas in 2014, beating the Sooners 37-33.

The series started out with competitive games. The first four games, from 2012-2015, were all settled by four points or fewer. It's been a different story since then — only one game in the last six matchups has been settled by fewer than 19 points.

New coach Sonny Dykes is tasked with turning things around for a program that has struggled in recent years. TCU hasn't made a bowl game since 2018; the Horned Frogs finished last season 5-7 and fired long-tenured coach Gary Patterson midway through the year.

Expectations aren't any higher this season, as the Horned Frogs finished seventh in the conference preseason poll. But they have been capable of surprises, most notably their shocking 17-10 win in 2005 over the Sooners in Norman. They also knocked off Baylor 30-28 last season, the Bears' only loss in conference play.

"TCU is about winning championships," Dykes said during Big 12 Media Days last month. "There's a high level of expectations. Obviously I knew that when I took the job. I appreciate that. I want to coach in this kind of environment where there has been that level of success and there's that level of expectations, as well."

Here's an overview of the Sooners' game against TCU and what to expect from the Horned Frogs:

Quick facts

—When and where: Saturday, Oct. 1 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. Kickoff time has not been set.

Last season

—Offense: 28.7 points per game (65th nationally)

—Defense: Allowed 34.8 points per game (118th nationally)

Season series

OU holds a 17-5 advantage over TCU in the all-time series record, including last season's matchup 52-31. The Sooners won the previous matchup in Fort Worth in 2020, 33-14.

Overview

Dykes arrives in Fort Worth after a three-year stint as the head coach at SMU. His previous positions include receivers coach and offensive coordinator at Texas Tech and as offensive coordinator at Arizona. He also served as an offensive analyst at TCU in 2017.

A key decision for Dykes will be choosing a starter at quarterback. Max Duggan was the primary starter last year, who played 10 games and finished with over 2,000 yards passing and 16 touchdowns while completing 64 percent of his passes. But Chandler Morris, former OU quarterback, also returns and saw action last season, throwing for 717 yards and three touchdowns in four games last season.

The offense lost running back Zach Evans but Kendre Miller has been productive in limited reps, averaging 7.4 yards per carry for his career. Quentin Johnston is a key returner for the team's receiver group, averaging 20.4 yards per reception.

The defense struggled mightily last season, but it's a whole new ball game now. Joe Gillespie was hired as defensive coordinator during the offseason, and his 3-3-5 scheme will be a big departure from the 4-2-5 scheme the Horned Frogs ran under Patterson for more than 20 years.

Summary

Road wins are always tough to come by, but TCU has struggled in recent years to keep up. The Sooners should be able to march into Fort Worth and pick up a victory.

Jesse Crittenden is the sports editor of The Transcript and covers OU athletics. Reach him at jesse@normantranscript.com or at 405-366-3580