No. 4 Oklahoma hopes to get its playoff hopes back on track against Big 12 foe Texas Tech on Saturday. The Sooners left the college football world in a state of confusion by going down to the wire against lowly Kansas in Week 8, which would have been among the biggest FBS upsets of all time. The matchup was the first warning sign since Oklahoma inserted true freshman Caleb Williams in at quarterback, as the Sooners scored zero points in the first half for the first time since 2014.
On the other sideline, Texas Tech fired head coach Matt Wells eight games into his third season after blowing a 14-point lead in a 25-24 loss to Kansas State. The Red Raiders scored zero points in the second half but turned it over on downs twice and gave up a safety that ultimately cost them the game. Wells led the team to a 5-3 start, but the blown opportunity against K-State likely cost the Red Raiders their best shot at a bowl game.
Oklahoma has a 22-6 all-time record against the Red Raiders dating back to right before the creation of the Big 12. The Sooners have won nine straight against Texas Tech dating back to the 2012 season. Five of the wins were by three touchdowns or more, including a 62-28 victory over the Red Raiders in 2020. Texas Tech quarterback Henry Colombi threw a pair of interceptions in the loss.
Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech: Need to know
Tale of Two Sooners: Oklahoma entered the season as a popular national championship pick with major production returning on both sides of the ball. Once switching to freshman Caleb Williams at quarterback, the Sooners dropped 50 points in back-to-back games. In Week 8, however, the Sooners needed two miraculous fourth-down plays just to put away Kansas. Five of OU’s seven FBS wins have come by a single score, and the Sooners need to get things right as November brings the meat of the schedule.
Coach less Texas Tech: The matchup against Oklahoma is Texas Tech’s first since firing Wells after fewer than three seasons with the program. Offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie, a former Texas Tech quarterback, was named interim coach for the remainder of the season. The Red Raiders started the season 5-3 but face four straight ranked opponents to close the year. The good news is that, at this point, Texas Tech has nothing to lose.
Defensive woes: After Oklahoma accumulated serious gains on the defensive side of the ball in 2020, the pass defense has fallen off a cliff. The Sooners give up more than 273 yards per game and the 8.2 yards per attempt trails only Big 12 bottom-feeders TCU and Kansas. Texas Tech quarterback Henry Colombi has been inconsistent, but the Red Raiders boast one of the nation’s most dynamic receiving corps. The Sooners have to get consistent pressure against Colombi early to shake his confidence or the Red Raiders might be able to hit on explosive plays and make this game closer than it should be.
How to watch Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 30 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium — Norman, Oklahoma
TV: ABC | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech prediction, picks
Featured Game | Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech is in bad shape after firing a head coach and suffering key injuries throughout a disappointing season. While Kansas showed a game plan to compete with the Sooners, it’s hard to imagine that the Red Raiders can put together a plan on the fly to keep up with Oklahoma’s high-flying offense. Consider this a get-right game for the Sooners. Prediction: Oklahoma (-19.5)
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