Alex Grinch defends Oklahoma football’s ‘pretty good defense’
By John Buhler
Alex Grinch believes his Oklahoma football defense is better than what the numbers show.
Oklahoma football’s defense has been much-maligned this season, but defensive coordinator Alex Grinch thinks they’ve played pretty well for long stretches.
The Oklahoma Sooners are 2-2 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 play this year largely because of his defense. Though offensive-minded head coach Lincoln Riley’s Air Raid attack has not been Grinch’s friend this year, his defense is supposedly built to complement this up-tempo offense. It worked with the Washington State Cougars, but Grinch defended his unit that ranks No. 20 in the nation in total defense and No. 41 in scoring defense on the bye week.
Alex Grinch’s defense better be ready to play in two weeks vs. TCU.
In three Big 12 games, Oklahoma has the third-worst scoring defense in the conference. The Sooners have allowed 120 combined points vs. the Kansas State Wildcats, the Iowa State Cyclones and the Texas Longhorns. While that margin is inflated a bit due to the Red River Rivalry going to overtime, only Texas and the Texas Tech Red Raiders are statistically worse defensively.
Though Oklahoma has the second-best scoring offense in Big 12 play 118 combined points in three games, the Sooners are -2 in point differential. Of teams that have played three conference games, Oklahoma must go against the TCU Horned Frogs in two weeks. They have allowed 89 points in conference play. Only K-State and Iowa State have been better than TCU defensively.
What Oklahoma and TCU have in common is that they’ve both lost to Kansas State and Iowa State this season, with their lone conference win being over Texas. With programs like the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Kansas State and Iowa State looking like the three best teams in the Big 12 in 2020, this one going down in two weeks in Fort Worth may decide the Big 12’s second tier.
We know Gary Patterson usually fields a great defense. He rarely has the on-field talent to compete with the likes of Oklahoma, but that hasn’t stopped TCU from going 7-2 vs. Texas since the Horned Frogs joined the Big 12 back in 2012 along with the West Virginia Mountaineers. In short, Grinch shouldn’t be cocky about his defense when his team is about to face TCU’s defense.
Ultimately, this has been nothing short of a frustrating season for Oklahoma. The Sooners aren’t going to the College Football Playoff. They aren’t playing complementary football and they are becoming a Texas Tech-level Big 12 redundant pillow fight cliche of a team. Riley, Grinch and the Sooners need to win in Fort Worth in two weeks or there will be major issues coming in Norman.
Not letting TCU score five touchdowns on the Oklahoma defense would be a great start for them.
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