In early October, Iowa pulled from 37-30 surprises in Oklahoma, giving the Sunners their second consecutive major loss for the first time in more than 20 years in the process. The result led to chaos at the Big 12. Could this year in which No.10 slump Oklahoma, could it be a step back, paving the way for another spotlight-stealing program?
Yes and no. Oklahoma rebounded the following week against Texas and didn’t look back. Six-time winners in a row, quickly looked like the 12 best teams we have known over the years under coach Lincoln Reilly. The bigger story was to improve defense under Alex Greensh. It has been one of the top 10 defense since November and the Defensive Front are turning the lights off. Imagining Oklahoma with a legitimate defense is terrifying and this team has been scary lately.
Meanwhile, Iowa No. 6 is in a position to win its first conference championship since 1912. Hurricanes overcame Oklahoma early in the year when the Sunners team was weaker and defeated Texas at Austin over the Thanksgiving weekend, making It put them in 2nd place -1 against the other big teams of the Big 12. Matt Campbell’s team had a window in 2020 to claim the title and capitalized on it.
There is nothing old in this match. Oklahoma and Iowa are playing great football right now, and hurricanes are peaking just in time. However, they are unable to make double-digit progress in three quarters.
Here’s how to watch Saturday’s game as well as storylines to watch in the second half.
Storylines
Oklahoma: This is the Sooners’ fourth straight game for the Big 12 title, but for the first time since the game’s return in 2017, their defense may be leading the way. The tandem of D-line’s Isaiah Thomas and Ronnie Perkins made it one of the best teams in the Big 12. They, along with Legion Backs, would be instrumental in slowing down the running backwards Breece Hall, who has every American of the season and is likely to get some Heisman votes Also. Hall lobbed at least 91 yards and down every game, so minimizing his impact is a key point for Oklahoma.
Iowa: Despite all the chatter about Hole – and she’s more than worth it – quarterback Brooke Purdy is finally spending the season many thought he would. In his last three matches, Purdy has completed 76% of his passes at 858 yards, seven assists and no picks, while he was an active part of the running game as well. He was extremely accurate in his last regular season match against West Virginia, being 20 to 23. There is a lot of balance in Iowa State pass-through with seven plays scoring at least 15 receptions, including three wide receivers, three narrow endings and Hull. The pass was not traditionally an Iowa game, but it was more effective in the second half of the season.
Display information
Event: Big 12 championship game
HistorySaturday 19 December | time: Appeared and
Your site: AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas
Television: ABC | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try for free)
Oklahoma vs. Iowa State Predictions, Picks
The only hiccup in Oklahoma’s winning streak was the 27-14 win over Baylor. The bears’ defense confused the Sooners, showing that, yes, this group could still be made to appear human. Iowa has some excellent defenders at the three levels and got the best of Oklahoma the first time around. Winning or losing here, Iowa played well enough either side of the ball to keep Oklahoma in guesswork again. Choose: Iowa +5.5
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