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#10 Texas Tech vs. #15 Oklahoma - 10/26/13

LUBBOCK, TEXAS-

38-30

Take back of few of the turnovers, horrible calls, or just have the ball bounce your way a few more times and maybe Tech would have come away with the victory. 

A loss is a loss but sometimes it's how you lose that says the most about your team and where they stand going forward rather than the final box score.  Trick plays, onside kicks, and other special teams trickeration kept Oklahoma reeling and Texas Tech on the verge, essentially, Kingsbury coaches football the same way a kid plays NCAA 14. Playing to win, and having fun while doing it. I don't ever remember feeling that way under Tuberville, the closest game-wise would probably be against West Virginia, but was that game really in doubt going into the fourth quarter? Granted, the season is not yet over but from what Tech has shown thus far in 2013 and with a cache of young returning talent I would expect the 2014 and 2015 seasons to be very interesting. 

Something tells me Tech isn't done making noise.

My "10 takeaways" from Saturday:

1. Officiating- Some iffy calls here with the most egregious being an offensive pass-intereference call on-- Jakeem Grant. Not even sure where to start on this one...
2. Uniforms- …and yet another new uniform combination. I have no complaints as it is a new day in college football and this is something teams like Texas Tech, Baylor, and Houston have been doing a lot of this year. Teams that aren't Penn State, Alabama, and Texas, etc. have to find niches and other ways to compete for recruits and national perception. Best example to date: Oregon.
3. Playing to win- The fact alone that Texas Tech has a coach and staff willing to do anything and everything to win a game is a relief in itself. I'm not sure that was ever said of the Tuberville regime, if anything I seem to remember a lot of conversations involving "mailing it in" play calling in blow-out losses. Running a draw on third and long against Oklahoma State comes to mind.
4. Penalties- Have been an issue for this team, last Saturday in Norman? Just three. 
5. Underrated- Trick plays.
6. Overrated- Oklahoma media/PR. There seemed to be some venom directed towards Texas Tech and specifically Kingsbury by way of the OU media department. I guess there isn't much to do in a double-wide.
7. Webb- The ceiling is high and good things are in store with Davis. Following the OU game Webb was made the official starter for Oklahoma State. Well earned.
8. Measuring stick- The Big XII is finally starting to take shape and Texas Tech has made their case for belonging in the top half of the conference. Their are no moral victories but the grit and fight shown on Saturday makes me feel better about the next two games.
9. Okie Lite- Next week is Oklahoma State. I wouldn't count on Tech coming out flat as this team should have plenty of motivation and bulletin board material accrued over the past few seasons. 
10. Game ball- Goes to Kingsbury and Co. Aggressive play calling and calculated risks let the Red Raider faithful know that the coaches were going to do everything possible to win. Fortune Favors the Bold.

The Battle for John Denver's Soul

#16 Texas Tech vs. West Virginia - 10/19/13

LUBBOCK, TEXAS-

The Mountaineers

It took a second half rally from a double digit deficit and a last minute touchdown but maybe Kingsbury and the Red Raiders are starting to make some noise.

Their perception nationally, at least, is reflective of what they have accomplished thus far. Ranked No. 10 in the BCS and No. 9 in the coaches poll Texas Tech is 7-0 for only the fourth time in school history, it's best start to a season since 2008.

I have yet to see the game in its entirety but what I did notice, and maybe it contributed to Tech ultimately winning, was that this team doesn't lay down or "quit". I have no idea if it was coaching or scheme but that wasn't something you could say about the Tuberville-- led teams. Morgantown isn't an easy place to play and I believe this game was only the third time in recent years that WVU had lost at home by double digits.

My "10 takeaways" from the game:

1. Amaro- Wow, just wow. The guy was carrying defenders like they were peewee football players just trying to hang on. Tech has a huge asset in Amaro; a player whose skills and level of athleticism just seem unfair. I'll put it this way: Tech will have another "Michael Crabtree" before they have another Jace Amaro. 
2. The Student- Kingsbury went on the road, to a hostile environment and came away with a win against a former mentor and fellow Leach protégé.
3. The Mentor- I wonder if Dana Holgorson and the WVU faithful knew what they were in for once they found out they would be joining the Big XII. This isn't the old Big East conference, and I wonder if Holgorson's seat is getting any warmer. 
4. Falemi- I'm not a Division I athlete so I won't comment on his technique or ability to make the correct play. I would assume his poor play was the result of some mental/ confidence issues rather than anything else. WVU exploited him much the way Tech exploited OU's Gabe Lynn in 2011. 
5. Underrated- Webb's mettle. How many times have you seen a frosh quarterback go into a shell or lose confidence once they've made a huge mistake? The fumble on the  1- yard line was just a result of Webb trying to do too much. 
6. Overrated- Preseason predictions. Texas Tech is 7-0 and doing a lot better than any national media pundit predicted they would. They may very well lose 2-3 games but they have already gone above and beyond where they were projected to finish.
7. Defense- The Texas Tech defense probably hadn't been tested as much this season as it was this  past Saturday. West Virginia isn't some offensive juggernaut but they were able to make some explosive plays. Giving up the "big play" and failing on third downs won't be an option for Tech with upcoming games against teams like Oklahoma State and Baylor. 
8. Homecoming- Tech is 3-0 on home and away Homecoming games this year. Also, not sure it matters much but this coming game against Oklahoma is...their Homecoming.
9. Norman- I remember the last time Tech had lofty goals and an undefeated record heading into the Sooner state. It wasn't pretty and Tech may very well lose this game, however, I don't feel like this team will suffer from a lack of fight or confidence. 
10. Game ball- Goes to Jace Amaro. The fact that he actually delivered after telling Kingsbury to put the game on his shoulders says a lot.

Iowa State

Iowa State vs. #20 Texas Tech

LUBBOCK, TEXAS-

The Cyclones

It seemed that the entire week leading into the game against Iowa State all I heard about was how bad the Cyclones got jobbed against the Longhorns and how pissed off they were going to be coming into Lubbock.

...well.

I guess?

In my opinion the final score wasn't truly indicative of how close (or not close) the game really was.

If you take into account the points Iowa State scored off of the kick return (7), the botched Tech punt return (7) and Webb's INT (7) the game really should have been 31-7 at the half. This would also presume Bustin had made his FG and Marquez had not made an uncharacteristic fumble in the red zone. The reason Iowa State hung around for the majority of the game was because Texas Tech essentially gift-wrapped  points off of disastrous special teams play, an area where Tech had been playing fairly solid up to this past Saturday. The Tech defense once again did it's job and any worries that come with the musical-chair quarterback situation we have going should be set aside. Neither Webb nor Mayfield seem to have been wide-eyed or overwhelmed at any point this season. As such, Texas Tech racked up 666 yards of total offense; over double the amount of yardage Iowa State produced. Also, concerns over the ability of Tech to consistently run the ball should be lessened with the 251 rushing yards that came Saturday. That (the amount) was something Texas Tech had not replicated since 1999, against Iowa State. 

Go figure.

My "10 takeaways" from last night:

1. Officiating- Overall I have no qualms in regards to the referees from Saturday. However, the non-call "incompletion" by the ISU quarterback really bugged me. After I got over it not being a fumble I still didn't understand how it wasn't called as intentional grounding. An incompletion? Really? Who was he throwing to? The Fox? Jeez...
2. Special Teams- A few oddball gaffes and non-plays kept the box score from showing what otherwise "felt" like a blowout win for Tech but the concerns are still there. I don't want to rag on Foster as the dude is absolute money in Kingsbury's scheme, but it never quite seems like he catches the ball cleanly.  Whether he swats it down or drops it altogether I always have to have a "dear lord baby Jesus" moment before he catches the ball.
3. Tech Defense- The defense is nasty and seems to play with a speed and aggression that hasn't been here for a few years. 
4. Quarterbacks- Webb was name Big XII offensive player of the week while Mayfield recuperated and Brewer waited in the wings. I have to think that at some point this season he will get significant playing time. 
5. Underrated- Old lady cheerleaders and the crowd that showed up for an 11AM kickoff. Also: Baylor and people rooting for a Manizel injury. Love him or hate him, either way he's still a twenty-something year old athlete with a bright future ahead. Don't be "that guy".
6. Overrated- Bulletin board material. Whether it be Iowa State or West Virginia this coming Saturday, using revenge or anger as motivation only works when you actually show up and play. Iowa State probably should have won against Texas, but against Texas Tech did they ever seem threatening? Not in my opinion. As for West Virginia...apparently Dana Holgorsen has been making his team watch the 2012 beatdown they received. The transitive property almost never works in college football. Besides, I seem to think Kingsbury and Co.'s #TYFR works a bit better.
7. Eric Ward- I think there has been a lot of unwarranted grief directed towards No. 18, the guy decided to come back for his senior season and has really broken through with the last three games. Also, not sure if I was the only one that saw it but two plays before Tech's second TD Ward got absolutely cheap-shotted. The next play after is when he drew the 15-yard penalty for shoving the dude that hit him. Kingsbury called Ward over, said something and then bam Ward hauled in the touchdown. 
8. Branden Jackson- Good story.
9. The Run Game- The Texas Tech rushing attack got the job done exceptionally well on Saturday with the trio of Williams, Washington, and Foster all having explosive plays.
10. Jakeem Grant- Props to the little dude for being a matchup nightmare for every defense we've faced thus far. He took some hard hits on Saturday but stayed in the game. The combination of speed and shiftiness he has is unreal.

KU/ISU

LUBBOCK, TEXAS-

Late Night

I have a suspicion that the area of 66th street between Slide and Frankford has become some kind of weird Twilight zone. 

I purchased a fixed-gear bicycle a few weeks back in my attempt to complete the hipster transformation. I already have the facial hair, ironic t-shirts, and comic book collection, now I just need to start listening to "cool bands you've never heard of" and wear really deep V-neck shirts, so on and so forth...

Sarcasm aside, the real reason I got the bike was to make sure I stay active doing something. During the summer going to the gym was a great option because apart from work and online classes I really just had a lot of free time. However, now that school is in full swing I don't have nearly as much time or energy to make it out there and pump iron with all the pretty people and their neon yellow matching workout outfits. Having the bike has given me something to tinker with late at night in both the riding sense and also the I-like-to-take-things-apart sense. Due to my nature as a night owl or maybe just because I'm weird the only times that I have ridden the bike thus far have been at night...which leads me to my "Twilight zone 66th street" experiences.

There are seriously some strange people that walk around in the middle of the night. In the few weeks I've been riding I have seen/met: drunkards speaking (to themselves? or someone else?), clandestine meetings outside really shady apartments (pretty sure drugs were involved), little kids walking around the park IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, and people staring at me like they've never seen a fat dude riding a bike.

What I haven't seen?

People riding bicycles.

Texas Tech Football

I only watched the first half of the Kansas game this past Saturday and have yet to really see the game in its entirety since then. I'll keep this short, so... 

My "10 takeaways":

1. Late to the party- I'm going to go ahead and attribute the slow start by Tech to the 11AM kickoff or some kind of weird hangover from the poor offensive performance versus Texas State. However, I wouldn't put too much thought into it as Tech and Kansas always seem to play really, really, really weird games. (Tech was down 21-0 at one point in 2011, and also went to double OT in 2012 after being up 21-7). When we play them weird shit usually happens.
2. Who doesn't like?- To score? After going into a 10-0 hole early on Texas Tech came back and scored 54 unanswered points. As I said before, weird stuff happens when these teams meet.  
3. Tech Defense- The defense took a quarter and a half to settle in but once it did the Jayhawks were never going to come back. Snuffing out a fake punt, INT to start the third quarter and TFL. The defensive front seven were always the known quantity, but now I believe the secondary is also coming into form. Kansas wasn't some kind of offensive juggernaut but they have the skill players to make you pay if you don't keep them honest. 
4. Bad Raider- A month ago the idea of playing Iowa State didn't bother me much if at all. Now though? I'm fairly concerned. I was at the game in 2011 and I was questioning reality all four quarters. Tech has the talent edge and a better defense. Webb, Mayfield or Brewer need to help out by not throwing INTs. It's going to be a tough game. Ugh...
5. Underrated- Kansas, they are probably the worst team in the Big XII but they will beat someone worth a damn this season.
6. Overrated- Punters. What was the Jayhawk punter thinking when he tried to fake it on 4th and 13 from inside his own 30 yard line?? 
7. Quarterbacking- I wouldn't be too surprised if Michael Brewer saw significant playing time on Saturday. I think Mayfield is Kingsburys guy and Webb has shown flashes of greatness but the end goal is to win the game at hand. Brewer will be rusty but he's a steady hand that has been in the system longer than his counterparts. 
8. Red River- Bye Mack Brown!
9. Not a morning person-11AM kickoff? Not as bad as it sounds, however I would assume Tech doesn't set another attendance record on a Saturday.
10. Prediction- Tech wins a close game with the defense being the difference overall.  31-28 Texas Tech.

Random: The Cotton Bowl will be the site of an orange cow massacre, while Oregon will roll past Washington and the Baylor scary Bears will throttle the lavender Wildcats.