OU

#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.