Thursday night prime time served Texas Tech well after a showcase of incredible defensive effort. “Texas Tech is a defensive team!” coming from ESPN’s commentators will echo in our minds for a good while. Offensively, Jett Duffey was able to grind and pull out a win despite missing key linemen and notable wide receiver TJ Vasher.

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The product was ugly but hard-fought football. The reward? A 4-2 record. Now we’re in week eight and looking down the barrel at some tough (but breakable) cookies! The only way we can get to those guys, though, is if we go through a truly daunting and truly impressive but possible push over: theeee....

KANSAS BASKETBALLERS IN PADS

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Hear me out. This should be #respectKansasweek because, unlike our overly proud neighbors in the capital, we don’t want to end up with an embarrassing scar on our athletic program. The basketballers in pads have been cause some strain this year for teams. No, not scares (not yet) but they have refused to go away by putting points on the board every quarter. It will certainly be no sleeper as Tech takes on Kansas for homecoming weekend, with a game at Iowa State looming after - but who really cares, they’re two easy dubs! Let’s talk about the important.

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DRINKING?

If you’ve been keeping tabs on the weather in Lubbock, it has plummeted from an appropriate summer-85 to the inappropriate “hell-to-the-no” of dead ass winter. Seriously, do we still own the toughest weather city award? Saturday won’t be unbearable by any stretch, as it shows mid sixties as a high - but dang it we’re having a drink that’ll warm you up anyways! THE BOILERMAKER! No, not Purdue - well, kind of but I bet you can’t even tell me what a boilermaker is. Not the drink! The person! NO, NEVERMIND, JUST READ MY WORDS. A Boilermaker is a beer-cocktail of sorts in that you order yourself a fine beer and bring it together with a fine whiskey (or trash and trash, we don’t judge). In some places I’ve seen people chug the beer then chase it with the whiskey but I’m 101% positive that the best way to do this is drop the whiskey in the beer and chug the entirety. The beer will give you the liquid carbs and courage to stand outside in mild weather and the whisky well.. does stuff that whisky does. Pick up at your local bar today.

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE EATING?

Honestly, why not. CHILI IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY ON MILD DAYS. You may think that you have a good chili and you’d probably be at least a little bit right, but do you have a great chili? No. I have a great chili, but because I’m not going to give you my recipe for chili success what better second than Kevin Malone’s chili recipe! There’s an excellent series called Binging with Babish which culminates all the steps in an easy to watch and not read structure, because who has time for reading (except you, who has made it this far in the AP).

WHATS THE BEST PART OF THE GAME?

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The best part of this game is going to be watching the defense play a Kansas team that has been able to put up points against Oklahoma State and West Virginia. The basketballers in pads are certainly no push over, and Tech has an opportunity to build their defensive resume by holding Kansas scoreless or as close to it as possible. The homecoming game will also serve as a good opportunity to build more momentum as the team goes up to Ames next weekend to take on a hot Iowa State team.

5 REASONS TO DISLIKE KANSAS

1. Even if you beat them 10000000 - 0 they’ll always be able to say “pff, see you in basketball” and you’re going to be legitimately fearful. (Except maybe not this year!)

2. They were able to pull off an overtime win extraordinaire against famed Texas Longhorns but haven’t been able to do anything sense.

3. They have an athlete in Pooka Williams but despite winning mid-season awards Kansas will still find a way to waste Williams’ talent.

4. What even does the state of Kansas do for the United States? Buffer zone between eastern and western states?

5. Spooky SZN, folks

AT THE END OF THE DAY

This is #respectKansasweek so we’re just hoping that both teams can go out and have a good time on Saturday. Kansas has an athletic program and they compete with other legitimate athletic programs in the Big 12. We respect their presence. And we hope this game gets our players ready for Iowa State. RESPECTFULLY. Respectfully. Don’t be a University of Texas.