TCU’s Patterson calls postgame question about Baylor ‘no big deal’

TCU coach Gary Patterson said it was no big deal that he asked West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen after their game last week, “What are our chances against Baylor?”

A microphone caught Patterson speaking into Holgorsen’s ear during their postgame handshake.

“You’ll win. You have a more complete team,” Holgorsen answered.

Patterson said it’s a common practice.

“I ask that question. I call and ask coaches all the time and ask the same question,” Patterson said. “I ask it just because they played them last. I ask that question all the time. I’ve asked that question against every person we’ve played this year, except for the first couple. I get phone calls all the time asking the same question.”

Patterson called it a private question that “everybody wants to make a big deal of, and it’s not a big deal.”

Asked if he thought Baylor might take offense, Patterson said, “It doesn’t matter. I’m not in charge of Baylor.”

Patterson said people would be surprised at how often coaches ask each other similar questions.

“Even from the conference, you get people, especially at the end of the year when they’ve already played people and you’ve got people coming up, asking how you match up, how you do things,” Patterson said. “I mean, we’ve got what, four or five guys that have been through Oklahoma State that are on our staff, that know people there?”

Asked if coaches are honest in those exchanges, Patterson said, “As a general rule.”

Asked if he and Baylor’s Art Briles have those exchanges, Patterson said, “No.”

Best front

Patterson called Oklahoma State’s defensive front, with defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, the best the Horned Frogs will have seen yet.

“Obviously, he’s had a sack in a bunch of games. He’s relentless, he comes after you,” Patterson said. “They’ve got big corners, they’ve got secondary guys that can play man on you. They’re a challenge all the way up and down the field.”

Ogbah has 13 sacks this season and is OSU’s career leader in quarterback hurries. He won the Big 12 defensive player of the week honor for a third time last week.

TCU has allowed only six sacks of Trevone Boykin this year.

Two QB plan

Patterson said preparing for Oklahoma State’s two quarterbacks is a challenge, but it’s happened before in the conference.

“Kansas State had that a couple of years ago,” Patterson said. “They can both run the offense, they both carry the football. One probably runs a little bit better, and they both throw it.”

Patterson noted that J.W. Walsh threw a go-ahead touchdown against Texas Tech last week, “and he’s considered the running guy.”

This story was originally published November 3, 2015 at 7:00 PM with the headline "TCU’s Patterson calls postgame question about Baylor ‘no big deal’."