TCU entered the season unranked but fought hard enough to make the Big 12 Championship game. In the end, however, Oklahoma dominated Saturday with a 41-17 win over TCU.
Here are five takeaways from the game.
1. Oklahoma has something special.
Frog fans may hate to say it, but it is what it is. The Sooners are a playoff-ready team. Take the third quarter, for example. Oklahoma's first play coming into the second half was an easy touchdown pass; its next drive, another touchdown on a quick two plays.
The Sooners' offense is what will carry them through. They have a talented quarterback in Baker Mayfield, who finished 15-of-23 with four touchdowns and no interceptions; an explosive running back in Rodney Anderson, who ran for 93 yards on 24 carries; and an arsenal of reliable receivers. The Sooners took on the Frogs' top-ranked defense with poise, ending the day with 461 yards on offense.
2. Clean play matters.
TCU beat itself in a couple ways. One is an issue it's struggled with all season — penalties. The Frogs' seven cost them 70 yards (contrasted with the Sooners' three penalties for 30 yards). It especially hurts after would-be big plays, like running back Kyle Hicks' big run in the third quarter, taken back by a holding penalty. The drive eventually ended with a turnover on downs.
3. The offense is (a bit) balanced, at least.
A change from the beginning of the season, running back Darius Anderson's injury led TCU to move away from a run-heavy offense, instead balancing both the passing game and the run game. And TCU's receivers have improved, albeit slowly. Before the season started, quarterback Kenny Hill came in having the most dropped passes in the nation. Now, Hill is able to spread the ball around among John Diarse, KaVontae Turpin, Desmon White, and Jalen Reagor.
4. The run game...not quite there.
On that note, TCU's run game Saturday was not up to par. The Frogs finished with a meager 83 yards — the leading rusher being the quarterback (Hill had 51 rushing yards on the day).
5. It's not over yet.
Yes, a Big 12 title would've been nice, but TCU came up short. Really short. But the Frogs still have a solid 10-3 record, and there's still a nice bowl game waiting for them. So keep your chin up, Frog fans. It's not over yet.