Can OU football keep its Big 12 Championship Game hopes alive vs. TCU?
NORMAN — The OU football team concludes its regular season with a home game against TCU at 11 a.m. Friday.
The Sooners (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) are fresh off a 31-24 road win over BYU in Week 12, while the Horned Frogs (5-6, 3-5 Big 12) earned a 42-17 home win over Baylor. Here's a look at some key points to watch Friday in the Big 12 showdown:
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3 players to watch for OU football vs. TCU
OU quarterback Dillon Gabriel: The redshirt senior suffered an upper-body injury during the second quarter of OU's win over BYU and didn't return. Head coach Brent Venables said Monday that he expects Gabriel to be available against TCU if he progresses well throughout the week. If Gabriel doesn't suit up, OU will turn to freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold.
OU wide receiver Drake Stoops: It's the final home game for the redshirt fifth-year wide receiver, who joined OU as a walk-on in 2018. Stoops boasts career highs of 66 catches, 755 receiving yards and nine touchdowns this season.
OU safety Billy Bowman: The junior returned an interception for a 100-yard touchdown against BYU. Bowman is tied for the most interceptions in the Big 12 this season (five), and he'll look to make his presence known once again on Friday.
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2 big questions for OU football vs. TCU
Can OU's defense contain Josh Hoover?: The redshirt freshman took over TCU's starting quarterback spot in Week 7. He's averaging 338.6 passing yards in the Horned Frogs' five games since then, and he'll surely test the Sooners' secondary on Friday.
Can OU stay alive in the Big 12 Championship race?: OU needs some help if it wants to reach the conference title game for the first time since 2020, but its top priority is taking care of business against TCU. If the Sooners do that, they'll keep their Big 12 Championship hopes alive.
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1 wild prediction for OU football vs. TCU
Gavin Sawchuk will run for multiple touchdowns: The redshirt freshman has yet to do that in his career, but he's due for it. Sawchuk is averaging 117.7 rushing yards in OU's last three games, and he has scored a rushing touchdown in all but one of those contests. I believe he'll get two against TCU on Friday.
—Justin Martinez, Staff Writer
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU vs. TCU football: Can the Sooners stay in Big 12 Championship race?
