Barack Obama ran for President of the United States with the campaign slogan of “The Change We Need.” The No. 2 Texas Tech Red Raiders are looking to be the team for change on top of the Big XII South.
With a win against the No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners, the Red Raiders can clinch the Big XII South and advance to their first Big XII Championship.
Since the Big XII began in 1996, the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners have represented the Big XII South 10 out of 12 championship games. The Texas A&M Aggies are the only other school to represent the Big XII South.
The Aggies made it to the 1997 and 1998 Big XII Championships. A&M lost 54-15 to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 1997 and won against the Kansas State Wildcats 36-33 in double overtime.
The Longhorns have played in four Big XII Title Games: 1996, 1999, 2001 and 2005. Texas has split those four championships: they beat the Cornhuskers 37-27 in 1996, lost to the Cornhuskers 22-6 in 1999, lost to the Colorado Buffaloes 39-37 in 2001, and beat the Buffaloes 70-3 in 2005.
The Longhorns have split their bowl games in those four years. Penn State beat Texas 38-15 in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl. Arkansas won the 2000 Cotton Bowl 27-6, The Longhorns won the 2001 Holiday Bowl 47-43 over Washington. Texas beat Southern Cal 41-38 to win the 2006 Rose Bowl and the National Title.
The Sooners have played in six Big XII Championships: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007. Oklahoma is 5-1 in the title game.
They beat Kansas State 27-24 in 2000, Colorado 29-7 in 2002 and 42-3 in 2004, Nebraska 21-7 in 2006 and Missouri 38-17 in 2007. Kansas State beat Oklahoma in 2003 35-7.
The Sooners are 2-4 in bowl games following the Big XII Championship. They beat Florida State 13-2 in the 2001 Orange Bowl and National Championship Game and Washington State 34-14 in the 2003 Rose Bowl.
Oklahoma lost 21-14 to Louisiana State in the 2004 Sugar Bowl and National Championship Game, Southern Cal 55-19 in the 2005 Orange Bowl and National Championship Game, Boise State 43-42 in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and 48-28 to West Virginia in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl.
Nebraska and Colorado have won the most Big XII North titles with four apiece. Kansas State has won three and Missouri won last season and this season.
Tech along with Oklahoma State and Baylor are the only schools that have not won a Big XII South Title. Kansas and Iowa State are the only teams who have not won the Big XII North.
The Red Raiders (10-0) can win their first Big XII South Title if they beat Oklahoma this Saturday. If they lose to Oklahoma the Red Raiders can clinch by beating Baylor on November 29, and Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State.
The Sooners (9-1) can win the south by beating Texas Tech this Saturday, beat Oklahoma State next Saturday and finish higher than Tech and Texas in the BCS Standings.
In addition, the Sooners could win the South by beating Tech and Oklahoma State, and Baylor upsets Tech and A&M upset Texas.
The Longhorns (10-1) will need Oklahoma to beat Tech, beat A&M on Thanksgiving and finish higher in the BCS Standings than Tech and Oklahoma.
If the Red Raiders, Longhorns and Sooners all have one loss after the final week of the season, the team that is higher in the BCS will win the South.
The Missouri Tigers (9-2) clinched their second Big XII North title last week in a 52-20 victory over Iowa State. The Tigers will face the Red Raiders, Sooners or Longhorns for the Big XII Championship Dec. 6 in Kansas City.
The question of the Big XII is will Tech clinch the Big XII South title this week or will the race go on for another week?
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