Double-T Nation News:
Here's a couple of completely unrelated pictures. Up first, via Uncommon Sportsman, dude successfully surfs 41-foot wave:
I've never surfed in my life and I'm not sure what "Zen" means, but that would seem to me to be one of the most Zen moments ever.
Former Texas Tech Red Raider Tony Battie checks in and he's gettin' his guns up!
via f3.yahoofs.com
Texas Tech Football:
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LAJ's Don Williams on Texas Tech receiving excellent production from Oklahoma players:
Tech is getting a solid return on its investment.
Ratliff has started for three years, and Whitlock seems set to start for four. In true Oklahoma fashion, Whitlock has saved a special wrath for the University of Texas - a combined 18 tackles and six tackles for loss in his first two games against the Longhorns.
Redshirt freshman receiver Tramain Swindall from Oklahoma City Millwood has 33 receptions for 422 yards, and Moore returns kickoffs and gets playing time at cornerback. Until an injury sidetracked him early in the season, Muskogee product Pete Richardson also was competing at corner and on special teams.
None of the imports has been a bust, which Whitlock says is a reflection of the talent in Oklahoma high schools.
"I think it’s underrated to a certain point," he said. "Texas has more kids than we do, but I think the athletes we do put out are just as good or a little bit better than the Texas guys."
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LAJ's Don Williams writes that Texas Tech want another win against a top 10 opponent in Oklahoma State:
After such an emotional week that included a first-time visit from ESPN’s "College GameDay" show, will keeping their play at the same high level be a problem?
"I hope it’s not, but you worry," Tech coach Mike Leach said. "I just think we’ve got to be disciplined, and we’ve got to take pride in the process. We’ve got to keep doing the same stuff, and the players have to be committed to doing it, too."
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LAJ's Adam Zuvanich on Oklahoma State's ability to win on the road:
When No. 9 Oklahoma State takes on No. 2 Texas Tech today at Jones AT&T Stadium, it will be facing a top-three team on the road for the third time in five weeks. The Cowboys fared fairly well in the previous instances, knocking off then-No. 3 Missouri on Oct. 11 and nearly taking down then-No. 1 Texas two weeks ago.
"We had to go to Mizzou and Austin, and they were both in a big setting and there was a lot on the line, so hopefully the players will feel a little more comfortable," said Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, whose team is the first in the nation this season to face three top-five opponents on the road. "It’s hard to tell nowadays, but I think we’ve matured some as a team and we can handle those environments."
- LAJ's Tale of the Tape and Three Keys to Victory.
- ESPN Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin takes a look at third down differential (really interesting), how Texas Tech and OSU have grown from last year's shootout, picks Texas Tech to win a close one, and Empties out the Notebook
Texas Tech will be facing a huge challenge of facing a top-10 team the week after beating the No. 1 team in the country. Only once since 1965 has a team been able to beat a No. 1 team and then beat a top-10 team the following week.
That team was the 1984 Oklahoma team, which was coached by Barry Switzer and featured current Texas coach Mack Brown as its offensive coordinator.
- FWST looks at this week's Big 12 matchups and Dwain Prices writes about Rylan Reed and his incredible story:
To his teammates, Reed is just a big ol’ lovable kid who often becomes the butt of their jokes.
"They always give him a hard time," Moore said. "They asked him what’s it’s like growing up in the ’60s and how Woodstock was.
"But he’s not one of those guys off the field who tries to tell everybody how to live their life, or tell everybody don’t do this or don’t make this mistake. He’s just a college kid on the field."
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DMN's Chuck Carlton looks at the Big 12 South scenarios and previews the game:
Key matchup
Oklahoma State's defensive line vs. Texas Tech's offensive line. The Cowboys have the fewest sacks in the Big 12, but were able to pressure Chase Daniel in their upset of Missouri. Defensive coordinator Tim Beckman has developed a speed pass-rush package in the line. Only Air Force, which rarely throws, has given up fewer sacks than the Red Raiders, with their wide O-line splits. Tech has managed to avoid holding penalties, notably in last week's upset of Texas.
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RRS.com's Robert Giovannetti on the ironies of the Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State matchup:
Only the most star struck of fan would imagine that Ruff could change the defensive world in two months but change it he did. Sure there were hiccups but overall the defensive performance to close the season gave many people hope for ‘08 and beyond. And given a full month to prepare his charges, you could even make the argument that Ruff and his troops were a large reason you have a Gator Bowl trophy prominently displayed in the football offices.
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The AP's Jeff Jatzke, via the Chron, says that today's game is a matchup of two of the top Big 12 receivers:
Oklahoma State's star receiver has the perfect chance to get himself some publicity, when the No. 8 Cowboys (8-1, 4-1) face Crabtree's second-ranked Red Raiders (9-0, 5-0) on Saturday night, the latest in a string of Big 12 South games with national title implications.
"Every time I turn on the TV, all I hear is (ESPN analyst) Kirk Herbstreit talking about, 'He's the best receiver in the country.' That started to get to me a little bit, but I really don't let it get to me too much," Bryant said.
"It still does motivate me to go out there and play my hardest and to show him there is another guy out there.