The Most Anticipated College Football Games of 2009: #12, Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Tech Red Raiders

Location:
Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX
Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Kickoff: TBD (Hopefully a night game!)

Tech fans stormed the field after (and before) beating Texas. Twice. Actually, 3 times.

Why to watch:
If you watched Texas Tech's triumph over the Longhorns in Lubbock last year (and how could you miss it - Harrell to Crabtree has been replayed all off season), you know that a big game means everything to the Tech fans.  From Raiderville to Mike Leach's ridiculous comments to the media to the Red Raider jokers in the first row to the rushing the field (twice) before the end of the game, that was one of those special college football games that happens only ever so often for a program.  Their version of Rutgers-Louisville '06, if you will.  The Sooners will come in with all of the hype (as usual), especially if they're undefeated, and we'll see if the Red Raiders can hang with them, especially in the early going.  A big game in Lubbock means the world to them, and in the last 2 years the Techies have knocked off both of the big boys in Lubbock (Texas and Oklahoma both).

Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma 2007 (via bigtextech)

History:
Oklahoma has dominated this matchup overall, winning 12 of 16 matchups and dominating many of those games.  In the last 4 matchups, however, the series is split 2-2.  That means that Tech is due up for a victory this fall, if the pattern repeats.  Last year, the Sooners pulled a Sooner smash and absolutely destroyed any hope of Tech getting into the title game, while at the same time catapulting themselves into the national title race, eventually getting into the BSC Championship Game.

The matchup:
Oklahoma and TT crack our top 25 list for the first (and last?) time in 2009, and for good reason.  Both teams had extremely successful campaigns in '08, but both are headed in different directions going into '09.

Oklahoma returns pretty much everyone from a team that played in the title game.  Mr. all everything QB Sam Bradford returns for his senior season, along with 3 other would-have-been 1st round picks (DT Gerald McCoy, OT Trent Williams and big time TE Jermaine Gresham).  I'm sure that these 4 guys returning means the world to the underclassman at OU, giving the team leadership and stability at some pivotal positions.  They've got to replace their top receiver in Juaquin Iglesias, but with the softness of Big 12 Defenses coupled w/ Sam Bradford at QB, I'm sure that the Sooners will have a run and gun offense yet again.  Combine that with Chris "Run it run it" Brown and DeMarco Murray carrying the rock, and you've got the makings of another balanced, diverse attack for the Sooners.

Sam Bradford grabbing the Heisman.

On D, the Sooners return 9 of 11 starters, only losing their 2 safeties (Harris & Holmes).  That could pose a problem since the Big 12 (and Texas Tech in particular) is so pass happy, but they do return their two starting CB's in Dom Franks and Brian Jackson.  With the senior DT McCoy stuffing the run, and LB Travis Lewis flying all around the field, this should be yet another solid D, one of the best in the Big 12, and one capable of making another run to the BSC Title game.  It should also be stout enough to shut down a Texas Tech offense that loses their heralded stars at QB and WR, Harrell and Crabtree.

Speaking of the guns up offense over in Raiderville, the Tech O must step up and replace those 2 legends.  Looking to fill the void is Taylor Potts at QB and a trio of returning wide outs (D. Lewis, E. Britton and T. Swindall).  All 3 WR's got at least 500 receiving yards last year, and Potts (a former 3 star QB with big size - 6'5, 210 lbs) should do just fine in Leach's pass happy offense.  Tech also returns a slew of offensive lineman, which should bode well.  They also play the OL using wide splits (Tackles play further away from the guards), which caused problems for a lot of D-Lines last season.

Taylor Potts, the lumberjack, is ready to take on the Sooners and the rest of the Big 12

On D, it's not looking pretty, at least not on paper.  They only bring back one DB (CB Jamar Wall), but he can't hold the fort alone.  If Tech is to have a successful year in '09, and more specific to this post, beat the Sooners in Lubbock, the secondary will have to gel, and fast.  The Raiders play a more vanilla D, not really blitzing from the secondary too much, and relying on pressure from the front 4.  DE Brandon Williams is a huge loss for the Red Raiders, who need to find a way to sustain pressure on Bradford if they're going to have a fighting chance in this one.  Stay in it early and get pressure on Bradford, the way they did on Colt McCoy last year, and they've got a shot.  Allow Bradford to pick them apart, and it'll be another pasting at the hands of the Sooners.

Fun Facts / Stats:
The Sooners and Red Raiders met in the 1993 Sun Bowl, the only time the two teams have met in a Bowl game.
The Sooners and Red Raiders first met in 1992, and have met every year since.
The Red Raiders have only beaten OU in Normal once, back in 1996.

Prediction:
Although this game is in Lubbock, and the Red Raiders beat the Sooners last time they played there, I think that the Sooners will bring too much to the table.  I'm sure Tech will bring the offense, like they always do, scoring 3-4 touchdowns.  But against Sam Bradford and co, that won't be close to good enough.  Another video game-like performance by the defenses in the Big 12 leads to a Sooners victory in Lubbock in '09.
Oklahoma 42, Texas Tech 28.

Past matchups:

13. 10/10 - Bama @ Ole Miss

14. 11/28- Utah @ BYU

15. 11/28- UCLA @ USC

16. 9/26 - Iowa @ Penn State

17. 12/5 - West Virginia @ Rutgers

18. 9/18- Boise State @ Fresno State

19. 11/21- Penn State @ Michigan State

20. 9/7 - Cincinnati @ Rutgers

21. 9/3 - Oregon @ Boise State

22. 9/19 - Cincy @ Oregon State

23. 11/21 - OSU @ Michigan

24. 10/17 - USC @ ND

25. 12/12 - Army vs Navy