A good win to make sure we are eligible for a bowl, and a big one for Leach.  Feel free to revel here.

[Note by Seth C, 11/21/09 3:11 PM CST ]  This is a bell-ringer sort of win.  Git Your Guns Up!

Oklahoma's OK

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If there's one Big XII fight song I can't stand, it's that of the University of Oklahoma.  It's bad enough that Rogers and Hammerstein had to write a musical about the state.  I don't need to here Boomer Sooner 487 times on Saturday.  And the only way to keep the band quiet is to make sure OU doesn't score, doesn't make any first downs, and is generally embarrassed during the game.  Here are my thoughts on how the Red Raiders save my ears the pain.  

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by David J. Phillip - AP

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What would you think if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.

I get by with a little help from my friends,
I get high with a little help from my friends,
Going to try with a little help from my friends.

                    -- John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Win as a team, lose as a team.  Or as the Beatles put it, "get by with a little help."  OSU may not be the world beaters people thought they might be at the beginning of the year, but the Cowboys are still a solid football team.  This game is very winnable for Texas Tech, but if the Red Raiders are to go in and pull off the upset on the road is going to take everyone chipping in and helping each other out.

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More photos » by Mike Fuentes - AP

Gigged.

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Q: What do fat little girlfriends and the 2009 Texas Tech - A&M game have in common? 

A) Ugly. 

B) Both are accompanied by a hangover the next morning.

C) You really just want to forget it ever happened.

D) All of the above.

Join me after the jump for a deeper look into the A&M game and what we must take from it to win against Kansas.

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Here they come

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It's that time of year again.  The wind starts blowing from the north, all of the ranchers make sure their sheep are pinned up, and the old army starts clambering for another new coach.  The toy soldiers are coming to town.  There was once a time when winning this game would ensure a Tech football coach another year on the job.  Those days are gone, but that doesn't mean this game should be taken lightly. Our first week in the rankings this season, and you can be sure that most Aggies don't think we deserve it.  Let's take a look at how we make sure to prove them wrong.

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More photos » by Nati Harnik - AP

2 months ago: Texas Tech's Daniel Howard (53) scores a touchdown after he picked up a loose ball, as Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee (5), gives chase, in the first half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

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I don't need to say it, but this was a good win for Texas Tech, though it came differently than I would have thought.  The defense carried the day for the Red Raiders, who were actually out gained offensively by Nebraska, though about half of NU's yardage came late in the 4th quarter.  In my opinion, the way this game played out hinged on 3 plays in the first quarter: 1) Lyle Leong's acrobatic catch on 3rd and 13 followed by 2) A long completion to Detron Lewis on 3rd and 17 in the first series.  3) is obvious: the loose ball recovered for a Touchdown by Daniel Howard.  These 3 plays allowed Tech to jump to an early 14 point lead, put Tech in control of the game, and once the momentum swung in Tech's favor, the Cornhuskers were not able to get it back.

It is interesting to me how many teams seem to get nervous when Tech scores on the first series of the game.  Similar to KSU last week, Nebraska, a running team, tried to beat Tech through the air, and actually threw more passes than did the Red Raiders.  Similar to last week, this was a function of Nebraska getting behind early and either the NU coaching staff or QB Lee feeling that they needed to push things to get back into the game.  This played into Tech's hands defensively, set the tone for the rest of the game, and set the stage for Tech's success.  Let's take a closer look.

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For those who may have repressed the memory of forgotten the 2008 University of Nebraska @ Texas Tech game, here is a quick recap: Texas Tech scores first and leads the Corn Huskers at halftime 17-7.  Nebraska's lone score of the half came on an 8 minute drive, and back-to-back holding penalties killed what looked to be another long scoring drive for NU, forcing a missed 53 yard field goal attempt. 

Nebraska leads off the second half with 7 minute drive for a field goal, and Tech responds with a touchdown in 2 minutes.  NU follows with another 7:37 drive and a TD.  Tech: 2 minute drive, punt .  Nebraska: 4 minutes, TD, Score is tied at 24.  Tech, 3:45 drive, TD.  NU 2:02 drive, TD.  Tie game. Overtime.

Tech gets the ball first and scores a TD, but the extra point is blocked.  Nebraska ball.  Ganz throws an incomplete pass followed by an interception to Jamar Wall.  Game Over. Tech  37, NU 31.  Over 40 minutes TOP for NU resulted in 21 points in the 4th quarter against a tired Tech defense.

Last week, the Huskers score 28 4th quarter points to beat Mizzou, after being shut out for the first 3 quarters.

Last year, we played in the Jones.  This weekend, we play in their house.  Join me after the jump for this week's Keys to the Game.

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When you win a game by 52 points, it is hard to be critical of anything.  Which is why I like to wait a couple of days before positing this article.  It gives me time to digest the good and bad and make a more objective assessment of how Texas Tech performed. 

In general, I think this was one of the better games that Tech has played.  This is the first game this season in which we put together a complete 4 quarters of football.  Not everything was perfect, but the guys seemed to be playing together as a team and to start to trust their abilities.

Before we all get ahead of ourselves, let's remember that this was K-State, not Alabama.  We are starting to dial things in on offense, and this should serve as a big confidence booster going into the rest of conference play.

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