On my blog post “Oregon goes down” Thursday night, I predicted that there would be an upset Saturday similar to the one that befell the Ducks. In response to that, I received this e-mail:
“You have got to be kidding right? Tech and OU has upset potential???????Not this year buddy, not in this lifetime the way I see it. Come on man you might as well just crown OU national champion.”
It’s not polite to post an “I told you so.” But it is nice to be right.
_ Wendell Barnhouse
The big news in the Big 12 this week was Texas Tech Mike Leach being fined a record $10,000 for criticizing the officiating in last week's loss at Texas. One of Leach's comments criticized instant replay.
With the Red Raiders leading 34-20, they got the benefit on a replay call when Oklahoma came close to scoring a touchdown on a fourth-down pass into the end zone. The replay was inconclusive but the review was handled in record time.
Maybe Leach got his money's worth.
_ Wendell Barnhouse
In what was their best half of the season, the Texas Tech Red Raiders scored on five straight possessions to take a 27-10 lead over Oklahoma at the midway point of Saturday's game.
Tech quarterback Graham Harrell passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Alex Trlica kicked field goals of 51 and 38 yards to lead the Red Raider attack. On Tech's three other first-half possessions, they only punted once.
But their other two possessions led to OU's only two scores of the first half.
OU cornerback Lendy Holmes ran a Graham Harrell interception back 63 yards for a TD and a 7-0 Oklahoma lead with the game just 1:35 old. Then, while Tech was at the OU 36 and trying to pad its 27-7 lead, Red Raider running back Aaron Crawford caught a pass from Harrell and fumbled the ball when it was jarred loose by one of his own teammates. Cory Bennett recovered for OU at the 40, and the Sooners marched 58 yards.
However, OU failed to get a TD after it had second-and-goal from the 1. They ultimately had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Garrett Hartley.
OU quarterback Sam Bradford went out early in the game with a mild concussion and did not return.
-- Dwain Price
Regarding the Heisman Trophy, if it truly went to the nation's best player, Florida's Tim Tebow would be getting some serious competition from Texas Tech redshirt freshman wide receiver Michael Crabtree.
Nothing against Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, but how about an offense with Tebow at QB throwing to Crabtree?
_ Wendell Barnhouse
Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell became the sixth player in NCAA history to pass for over 5,000 in a season when he passed for 150 yards in the first period of Saturday's game against Oklahoma.
Harrell now has 5,028 yards passing with three quarters left against OU. He joins the other 5,000-yard passing club, which includes Texas Tech's B.J. Symons (5,833 in 2003), Hawaii's Colt Brennan (5,549 in 2006), BYU's Ty Detmer (5,188 in 1990), Houston's David Klinger (5,140 in 1990) and Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury (5,017 in 2002).
_ Dwain Price
What's gotten into Texas Tech coach Mike Leach? After bypassing a fourth-and-10 and having Alex Trlica kick a 51-yard field goal early in the first period Saturday against Oklahoma, Leach bypassed a fourth-and-6 from the Oklahoma 21 and sent Trlica in to kick a 38-yard field goal.
The kick was successful, drawing Tech to within 7-6 with 6:42 remaining in the first quarter.
_ Dwain Price
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach did what no one thought he wouold do. With his team down 7-0 and facing fourth-and-10 from the OU 34, Leach ordered Alex Trlica to go out and attempt a 51-yard field goal. For most of this season, Leach would have gone for it on fourth down.
But Leach decided to change his tune, and it worked. Trlica was successful on the field goal, drawing the Red Raiders to within 7-3 with 12:07 left in the first period.
On the next defensive series, the Red Raiders had some confidence and stopped OU, forcing a punt.
_ Dwain Price
If Texas Tech can't stop Oklahoma from running the ball, what you saw happen to the Red Raiders during last week's 59-43 loss to Texas will happen again tonight against the Sooners.
There was no rush for UT to pass the ball last week when there were repeated gaping holes for the Longhorns to run through, as they wound up with 283 yards rushing. If those rushing numbers are repeated tonight, it will be a long night for the Red Raiders.
-- Dwain Price
Ah, the wonders of the Internet.
Moments after I read colleague Dwain Price’s blog post on Texas Tech coach Mike Leach blowing up at the Big 12 referees, I showed the post to Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe. He’s attending the Kansas-Oklahoma State game in Stillwater.
Beebe was interested in reading Leach’s comments. Rest assured that those quotes will be reviewed and dissected. By Monday, expect the conference to reprimand Leach for his comments.
I saw two of the plays that had Leach steamed. The TD catch that was overruled on the replay review was an incompletion; the replay showed the ball hit the ground. The holding call that wiped out a TD pass on the same possession also appeared to be a no-brainer call.
-- Wendell Barnhouse
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is mad as you know what and said he's not going to take it any more.
Leach felt the referees played an extreme pivotal role in his team losing to Texas last year, 35-31. So when Leach saw what he thought was some suspect calls against his team on Saturday when Tech played Texas in Austin, he blasted the officiating crew after the game and said the replay system and officiating system needs to be completely overhauled.
"There were some bad calls in Lubbock last year, atrociously bad -- probably even a shade worse than this year,'' Leach said after the Longhorns dismantled Tech 59-43.
Leach felt since Randy Christal lives in Austin, he had no business refereeing Saturday's game. But Christal was indeed the head referee of Saturday's game.
"For one, I don't think people that live, or alumni of the team, needs to officiate,'' Leach said. "I think there are some people (referees) that have proven to struggle in key situations that need to be eliminated.
"National championship games have actually ridden on these things by missed calls and bad officiating. If I wasn't convinced that it wasn't ridiculously obvious for you guys to go back, TiVo the game and see it, I wouldn't bring it up.''
Saturday's loss dropped Tech to 7-4 overall and 3-4 in the Big 12. Texas improved to 9-2 overall and 5-2 in the Big 12.
Leach said he's not worried about being fined or suspended by the Big 12 for his outburst.
"My willingness to look the other way for years at a time and not see what part I can do -- even if it costs me, even if it hurts me or whatever -- I'm not willing to take the back seat anymore.''
Asked if he thought there was a bias against Texas Tech, especially since so much bowl money rides on the outcome of regular season games, Leach said: "It may be incompetence, bias, I don't know. Maybe it's something as simple as guys sitting over the water cooler -- perhaps in their office in Austin -- talking to their friends about the great game they're going to see, the great players they're going to see, and then perhaps the preconceived notion has developed how it's going to come out.''
Leach was livid the Red Raiders had a long, nifty one-hand catch by Michael Crabtree reviewed and called incomplete, and had two touchdowns called back. All three plays came on the same drive and could have drawn the Red Raiders within 35-27 with 4:12 left in the third quarter.
Leach, who said he has never directly commented on the officials in his eight years at Tech, hinted that some folks with power probably want Texas in a higher bowl game than the Red Raiders. Leach said he hasn't ruled out whether the bias is completely against Tech or for Texas.
"That could be argued in a variety of directions,'' Leach said. "Perhaps there's one for Texas, perhaps somebody that's higher bowl-wise that stands to make more money has a level of preferential treatment.
"I can't guess at the motivation, but I know it needs to solved. If we get nicked like this again, we're all going to have another talk.''
Tech ends the regular season next Saturday at home against Oklahoma, and Leach said, despite his outburst, he fully expects to be on the sidelines coaching.
"And if it's atrociously bad as (the UT game), we'll talk about it some more. But I'm not standing for this.''
-- Dwain Price
