Just how good is the Mountain West Conference?So far, it’s looking really good. Mountain West teams absolutely embarrassed the Pac-10 a couple of Saturdays ago, and even the worst team in the conference, San Diego State, almost won at Notre Dame.But I think the first major test of what kind of conference the Mountain West really is will come on Saturday, when No. 24 TCU visits No. 2 Oklahoma. The Horned Frogs are 4-0 and have had an average margin of victory of more than 35 points a game. Their defense is No. 1 in Division 1-A in both rushing yards allowed per game and total yards allowed per game.Of course, the first four games on their schedule have been just a wee bit easier than a trip to Oklahoma. And as much as I’d like to think that the TCU-Oklahoma match-up is going to make for an exciting game on Saturday, the reality, I think, is that Oklahoma has exactly the kind of approach on to make everyone forget how great TCU has looked on defense so far this season.
Said Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson, “You’re not going to stop Oklahoma’s offense; you have to try to control it. You can’t let them have the big play or throw the ball over your head. If we can do what we’ve done offensively, get some turnovers, get some short fields — that’s the only way you beat Oklahoma in Norman.”
If TCU could beat Oklahoma in Norman, that would do a lot for the reputation of the Mountain West. But I don’t see it happening. I like Oklahoma to win big.
