TCU @ Oklahoma preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 1, 2012 ) Oklahoma 24, Texas Christian 17

Tenth-ranked Oklahoma is coming off a milestone victory over Notre Dame and looks to avoid a letdown when it hosts dangerous Big 12 rival Texas Christian on Saturday. The Sooners posted a 35-21 victory last week for its second win in 11 attempts against the Fighting Irish and are viewed as the favorite in the conference race. The Horned Frogs have fared well away from home by winning 20 of their last 23 road games.

Texas Christian lost to Texas Tech in its lone Big 12 contest and can’t afford a second conference defeat. The Horned Frogs certainly have the Sooners’ attention. “We have to be even more focused than we were against Notre Dame because we cannot let TCU come in here and beat us,” Oklahoma senior linebacker Corey Nelson said. “That’s when teams get beat – when you take teams lightly.” The Sooners are averaging 34 points and 480.3 yards per game.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Fox. LINE: Oklahoma -10.5.

ABOUT TEXAS CHRISTIAN (2-2, 0-1 Big 12): Junior strong safety Sam Carter shares the team lead of three interceptions with weak-side safety Chris Hackett and is coming off a mammoth performance against Southern Methodist in which he had two interceptions (one returned for a score), forced a fumble and recorded a sack. The defense has piled up a Big 12-leading 15 sacks and has allowed 59 total rushing yards over the past two games. Sophomore quarterback Trevone Boykin has passed for 625 yards and four touchdowns and has 158 yards on the ground, third-best behind sophomore B.J. Catalon (214 yards, four touchdowns) and senior Waymon James (177 yards, three scores).

ABOUT OKLAHOMA (4-0, 1-0): The Sooners are allowing 12 points per game – sixth-best nationally – and sophomore middle linebacker Frank Shannon (team-best 27 tackles) and Nelson (21) are leading the charge. The two overlapped as high school teammates in Dallas and are thriving together with the Sooners. “The chemistry is there and is at an all-time high right now,” Nelson said of the unit. Junior quarterback Blake Bell has been sensational by completing 71.2 percent of his passes for 683 yards and six touchdowns but redshirt freshman Trevor Knight (44.9 percent and three interceptions to go with four scoring passes) will likely again see playing time.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oklahoma leads the series 8-4, including a 24-17 road victory last season.

2. Senior RB Brennan Clay leads the Sooners with 339 rushing yards and is averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

3. Catalon is averaging 29.9 on kickoff returns and TCU junior Brandon Carter is averaging 15 yards per punt return.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 27, TCU 17