Aaron Contemplate? Effective guess, however contaminated sport.
TCU made a flee at 62 components however dialed things serve within the 2d half, settling for an witness-opening 55-27 plot stop in opposition to No. 16 Oklahoma that ends the Sooners’ fundamental-bowl hopes and raises necessary concerns about how the leisure of this season will rush for OU and unusual coach Brent Venables.
Ranked as high as No. 6 within the US TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll merely two weeks ago, the Sooners possess dropped two straight to commence conference play for the 2d time in three seasons and can must roll off eight wins in a row to land in a Unusual Yr’s Six bowl.
Preseason favorites to plot stop the Monumental 12 despite some fundamental changes in coaching and personnel, OU is now on the backside of the conference standings, doomed by an ineffective offense and an incredibly inept protection.
Given Venables’ background as one in every of the tip coordinators of the century, this get of collapse is ample to plot stop eyebrows all the intention by the Bowl Subdivision: TCU racked up 668 yards, with an incredible searching 361 coming on the floor, and had four touchdowns of 60 or more yards in scoring doubtlessly the most components OU had allowed in a Monumental 12 sport since a 59-56 plot stop in opposition to West Virginia in 2018.
Going serve to final week’s loss to Kansas Issue, the Sooners possess given up 1,177 yards and 96 components in two games.
BIG GAMES: Every Prime 25 consequence from college soccer’s Week 5
The offense didn’t fare much greater in opposition to TCU. Even sooner than shedding beginning quarterback Dillon Gabriel to break — he left the self-discipline below his hang vitality after taking a violent blow to the pinnacle while sliding — the Sooners were unable to retain tempo with the Horned Frogs, who stay unbeaten below unusual coach Sonny Dykes.
It’ll get even worse for Oklahoma.
The Sooners are 0-2 in Monumental 12 play sooner than even taking on the toughest parts of this year’s schedule. That entails rival Texas, upstart Kansas and Iowa Issue in October. In November, OU hosts No. 14 Baylor and No. 7 Oklahoma Issue.
In space of being despatched to at least one in every of the tip bowls, if no longer the College Football Playoff, the Sooners might perhaps well salvage themselves in a middle-of-the-toll road bowl sport — and even teetering on the edge of bowl eligibility, might perhaps well serene Venables and the unusual crew no longer salvage a mode to get OU serve heading within the appropriate route.
The Sooners lead this week’s list of faculty soccer’s finest winners and losers:
Winners
Alabama
With a 28-0 lead decrease to 28-23 and with No. 19 Arkansas apparently rising to the event after a technology of grotesque losses on this series, the Crimson Tide answered with two immediate touchdowns to gain a 49-26 plot stop on this immense SEC West matchup. One fundamental subject of postgame conversation: What’s the anecdote on Bryce Young? The reigning Heisman Trophy winner left the game within the 2d quarter with sprained shoulder and used to get replaced by backup Jalen Milroe, who carried out with 91 speeding yards and two touchdowns. The Young-less offense turned to Georgia Tech transfer Jahmyr Gibbs, who ran for a occupation-most efficient 206 yards.
BIG LOSS: Alabama QB Bryce Young leaves sport with shoulder break
Kansas
The anecdote of the season keeps getting greater. Every weekend is expected to be the Jayhawks’ final as an unbeaten; every weekend, Kansas finds a mode to beat teams and form a case for the Prime 25. While a expedient September used to be built on a potent offense, Saturday’s 14-11 plot stop in opposition to Iowa Issue used to be pulled off by this technique’s most efficient defensive performance in practically a decade. The Jayhawks allowed merely 313 yards on 4.2 yards per play — each and every totals doubtlessly the most efficient in opposition to a Monumental 12 opponent since 2014 — and are a lock for subsequent week’s Coaches Poll.
Oklahoma Issue
The Cowboys are the favourite within the Monumental 12 and the league’s most efficient hope of reaching the playoff after successful 36-25 at Baylor. The rematch of ultimate year’s conference championship sport noticed one fundamental incompatibility: OSU quarterback Spencer Sanders had over 250 yards of total offense and two touchdowns after throwing four interceptions in his final meeting with the Bears. The loss drops Baylor to some-2 and, devour Oklahoma, into a difficult location by formulation of climbing serve to the tip of the conference.
Mississippi
The No. 11 Rebels are in actuality 5-0 for the fundamental time since 2014 and poised for a fundamental rush up the Coaches Poll after beating No. 8 Kentucky 22-19. The plot stop confirmed how Lane Kiffin and this offense possess moved forward without ragged quarterback Matt Corral by focusing intention more on the operating sport and leaning on a vastly improved protection. The Rebels are in actuality operating the ball 63.6% of the time — and at 5.6 yards a elevate, operating it intention more efficiently — while the protection is giving up merely 4.6 yards per play, one in every of the tip rates within the Vitality Five.
Kansas Issue
One other week and one more solid Monumental 12 plot stop for Kansas Issue pushed by the mix of quarterback Adrian Martinez and operating serve Deuce Vaughn. After scoring five touchdowns in final Saturday’s plot stop at Oklahoma, Martinez carried out with 287 yards of total offense and four rankings because the Wildcats held on to beat Texas Tech 37-28. Vaughn must be a fundamental player within the Heisman Trophy debate after operating for 170 yards to present him 638 yards by five games.
Wake Woodland
Wake Woodland rebounded from final week’s extra time loss to No. 5 Clemson with a 31-21 plot stop at No. 22 Florida Issue that enhances the Demon Deacons’ potentialities of closing atop the ACC Atlantic. While practically crippled by the loss to the Tigers, those odds would’ve dropped appropriate down to practically zero had No. 21 Wake no longer chewed up practically seven minutes of clock within the fourth quarter with an 18-play pressure that ended in a self-discipline aim, giving the Demon Deacons a two-possession lead. Quarterback Sam Hartman threw for 2 rankings and has 12 touchdowns without an interception in three games in opposition to Vitality Five competition.
Losers
Texas A&M
The Aggies are by leaps and bounds doubtlessly the most disappointing crew in college soccer. Plagued by doubtlessly the most frustrating Vitality Five offense this facet of Iowa, A&M will limp into subsequent weekend’s matchup with Alabama — handiest weeks ago doubtlessly the most anticipated sport of the conventional season — at 3-2 after shedding 42-24 to Mississippi Issue. The list of disorders is lengthy and detailed, with none more pressing than the disclose of an offense that does practically nothing upright. How much longer can Jimbo Fisher retain modify of this facet of the ball sooner than the scenario turns into untenable?
Wisconsin
The Badgers can not flee the ball, can not throw the ball and can not stay turning the ball over. The entirety else goes massive, though. This sentence merely keeps getting worse: Wisconsin managed merely two speeding yards on 24 carries and committed three turnovers in a 34-10 loss to Illinois and ragged coach Bret Bielema. The program’s worst speeding performance since 2015 underlines how Wisconsin has ignored its window for being a playoff contender and now sits someplace within the midst of the pack within the Monumental Ten.
Minnesota
With Wisconsin and Iowa shedding again, No. 23 Minnesota had a likelihood in opposition to Purdue to in actual fact put a stranglehold on the Monumental Ten West — the Gophers might perhaps well’ve moved just a few games in entrance of those two preseason favorites and earned the pinnacle-to-head tiebreaker in opposition to the Boilermakers. As a change, Purdue made a immense interception within the quit zone leisurely within the fundamental half and dominated within the fourth quarter to pull off a 20-10 plot stop that can throw the division into chaos and forged Minnesota out of the Prime 25. Five of the seven teams within the Monumental Ten West are 1-1.
Kentucky
Missed alternatives in opposition to Ole Scuttle over might perhaps well lead to Kentucky missing out on a Unusual Yr’s Six bowl. What helped gas the Rebels’ plot stop? The Wildcats committed two turnovers within the crimson zone, at the side of one fumble leisurely within the fourth quarter by quarterback Will Levis. On special teams, Kentucky ignored a further level and a 39-yard self-discipline aim. The offense used to be additionally to blame for a security after being pinned stop to the aim line by a 58-yard Ole Scuttle over punt.
