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How much will Texas Tech football beat Oklahoma State by in Week 9? Our prediction
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- How much will Texas Tech football beat Oklahoma State by in Week 9? Our prediction
Here we are again, folks, breaking down another Texas Tech football game .
Just to keep things on the level, this is not going to be your typical breakdown of the Red Raiders ' next matchup, which comes Saturday inside Jones AT&T Stadium against Oklahoma State. There's no disrespect intended to the 1-6 Cowboys, but both teams in this game have much bigger fish to fry.
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Texas Tech (6-1, 3-1) has to get rid of the stink that was a disappointing showing against Arizona State , which made the mighty Red Raiders seem mortal (shocking, right?) and try to reclaim their space at the forefront of the Big 12 Conference. In doing that, they are getting served up an OSU program in a mid-season rebuild, looking for a new coach after the firing of Mike Gundy, and trying to sort out just who will even be on the roster from week to week.
Oh, and something about tortillas , but I forget.
So let's get into the nitty-gritty of the Red Raiders and Cowboys —the only way we know how: by being honest about the circumstances.
How do Texas Tech football and Oklahoma State stack up?
Here's the basic summary: Texas Tech ranks first in the Big 12 Conference in points scored per game, points allowed per game, total offense, and total defense. Oklahoma State ranks 16th in each of these statistical categories in the conference.
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For those playing at home, it's the Big 12's best offense and defense (Texas Tech) going against the conference's worst offense and defense (Oklahoma State).
Surely there has to be something Oklahoma State does at least moderately well, right?
Each week in the game notes, Texas Tech's intrepid sports information department does a statistical comparison for Tech and its opponent. Among the 22 stats included in this breakout, one stat shows the Cowboys rank in the top half of the Big 12, and they actually rank higher than Texas Tech in that area.
What's that stat? Net punting. The Cowboys rank sixth in the Big 12 (and 26th in the nation!) with an average of 42.1 yards per punt. Wes Pahlhas gotten a whole lot of work in this season, averaging 45.2 yards per punt on 39 attempts.
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A whopping eight different players have attempted at least one pass for the Cowboys this season. A total of 12 have at least one rushing attempt. Keep a roster handy to track all the names coming in and out of the game.
What Texas Tech football needs to show against Oklahoma State
Another new section to this week's breakdown, but there's a good reason for it.
Suffering the loss to Arizona State doesn't change what Texas Tech can accomplish this season, though it changes the math of how it can get done. Namely, the Red Raiders' margin for error is essentially gone, and if they want to still be in contention to at least host a College Football Playoff game (should they get there), the team cannot afford to play with its food.
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Style points matter in this college football landscape. Letting the Cowboys hang around too long or being in a nip-and-tuck game won't look good for Texas Tech.
Wild as the concept may be, Texas Tech needs to treat Oklahoma State like Kent State. Like Oregon State. Like Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Put up a whole bunch of points, build a 40- or 50-point lead, and get the starters out of there. The Red Raiders have lost some important pieces over the last few weeks, so no need to risk further injury.
Score prediction for Texas Tech football vs Oklahoma State
Texas Tech 56, Oklahoma State 10:The Cowboys have scored more than 20 points just twice this season and have lost their last three games by an average score of 43-15.6. Add another couple of scores and allow one less than this average, and Texas Tech can call it a successful day at the office.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: How can Texas Tech football bounce back against Oklahoma State?
