1. Can TCU overcome the obstacle that has been Big 12 conference games at the Carter?
Answer: Ultimately, no. The Frogs end the 2012 campaign 0-4 in conference play at home. It was a familiar story on Saturday, as TCU battled to the end, but fell just short. It must be noted that TCU has had stout competition in its home games this season: a sneaky Iowa State team in a game only two days after the DWI heard ‘round the world, a Texas Tech team that came to Fort Worth playing its best football of the season, and two teams that finished in the top 12 nationally in Kansas State and Oklahoma. But, TCU had chances in each of those games, and simply could not close.
2. How effective can Trevone Boykin be in the passing game?
Answer: It seemed that the TCU coaching staff went for a similar formula to the one that carved up the Longhorn defense on Thanksgiving – without much success. Boykin was not relied on very much in the first half, and when he was called on to throw, it was not effective. Boykin was 5-of-11 in the first half, and a pedestrian 17-of-31 in the game. One Boykin pass accounted for 80 of his 231 yards through the air. The redshirt freshman was boxed in to a pass-heavy offense while playing from behind in the second half, and the offensive woes continued. The Frogs never established a consistent rushing attack, and Oklahoma was able to key in on the aerial attack.
3. Will TCU see the same benefit from a long week of preparation as it did last week?
Answer: It’s tough to say what can be attributed to any fatigue and what was simply a result of game plan and execution, but the Horned Frogs came out with a dreadfully slow start on offense. TCU punted on its first six possessions, and its first scoring drive came from six yards out after a Sam Carter interception. The defense was energized, and, outside of one 66-yard touchdown run to open the second half, held the Sooner offense in check.
4. How well can TCU contain the Sooner passing attack?
Answer: Landry Jones did not repeat the success he had in the Oklahoma State game on Nov. 24. He completed only 55 percent of his passes for 244 yards against the Horned Frog defense. Jones did connect for two scores in the first half, but a defensive unit shouldn’t hang its head after allowing that total to the nation’s fifth-ranked passing offense that also ranks no. 12 in scoring. TCU’s defense put together a well-rounded performance in containing both facets of the Sooner offense. Sixty-six of the 412 total yards allowed came on the aforementioned rushing touchdown in the third quarter.
5. What will the energy level be at kickoff?
Answer: The third-largest crowd in TCU history, totaling 47,501 people, filled the Carter on Saturday. The environment was loud from the start as the game began in a back-and-forth fashion. A strong showing of Oklahoma faithful packed the northeast corner of the stadium, and crimson shirts were scattered amongst the sea of purple. The energy of the crowd didn’t translate into high-octane offense, but both teams took the field with something to play for.
