Texas Tech's Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

The stage is set for yet another Texas-based team to overcome a seemingly insurmountable table of opponents. After Texas completed its rigorous schedule against the elite, best of the best teams, it culminated in a showdown of two giants and the horns fell short.

Graham Harrell was calm and collected throughout the game and McCoy simply wasn't. Harrell came out firing on all cylinders while Texas stood watching, almost as if they were caught off guard.

Some could argue that the stretch of the past four weeks was too much too handle, while others may say they were beaten by a better team. Unfortunately, I agree with the latter.

Contrary to my prediction, I now believe the better team was Texas Tech in many respects.  Yes, I know it's easy to say now that they have won but premier teams play best when challenged and we saw it against Texas. 

People argued that Tech hadn't played any standout teams; The truth is they hadn't been tested and put into the spotlight.

Who could argue now? Not only did Harrell make adequate use of multiple receivers, not solely relying on Crabtree, but also Tech's defense came alive from the get go and put pressure on McCoy that he hadn't seen to date.

So the strenuous road begins for Texas Tech. This week, they face a fast and ferocious Oklahoma State team that nearly knocked off Texas the week prior.

Here's the stats: Oklahoma State has a quick defense; A testament to the Texas game that pressured McCoy into some miraculous throws. The offense includes a action-packed trio of Robinson, Hunter, and Bryant. Hunter is second in big 12 rushing averaging 135 yards a game and Robinson runs an explosive spread that has taken defenses by surprise.

Texas Tech: Where do you begin? Texas believed the best route to slow the dynamite Tech offense was to double up on Crabtree. Well, Harrell showed that talent can be found in more than one wide out. Williams and Britton combined for over 300 yards receiving, each alone putting up more yards than Crabtree.

A strong O-line, fast defense, and, oh yeah, even when they have problems with special teams, they recruit a "contest winning" kicker to fill in.

Still, the finish was tribute to the explosive duo of Harrell and Crabtree.  They are the most explosive combo in college football and come through exactly when needed.

So it begs the question, is this the opportunity of a lifetime?  Tech hasn't had a record this good since 1939.  The next few weeks will tell if these men will forever go down into the Tech history books.  First, they must get past OSU.

Can Tech handle the daunting road that led to Texas's demise? This week's prediction: 38-24 victory for TT as they take one step closer to the BCS title game.