Oklahoma State / Texas Tech Preview

On Saturday, the Pokes will play on of the biggest game in school history, and the same could be said for Texas Tech. With Big XII Championship stakes on the line, both teams are trying to come out with the victory. However, this game could also have BCS implications, considering much talk has been going around about the possibility of  a one-loss Big XII team playing in the National Championship Game.

Oklahoma State Rush Offense v. Texas Tech Defense

With 1,120 yards rushing on the year, Kendall Hunter is 4th in the nation in rushing and will be a key part in the Pokes tomorrow. With at least 90 yards rushing every game this season, Hunter has been able to run all over opposing defenses. He needs to have another big game tomorrow if the Pokes plan on upsetting the #2 Red Raiders. Texas Tech's rush defense has actually been pretty good thus far, holding opposing teams to an average of 99 yards a game. Although, wasn't Texas' run defense ranked #3 in the county two weeks ago when Kendall Hunter ran all over them for 161 yards?

Texas Tech's Offense v. Oklahoma State Defense

The Red Raider's offense has proven to be one of the most elite units in the country. With Heisman contenders in Harrell and Crabtree, TTU is ranked the #1 passing offense and #2 ranked total offense in the country. Averaging over 550 yards on offense per game this season, the Red Raiders have yet to be stopped or even slowed down. The Pokes' defensive unit, led by Orie Lemon and Andre Sexton, will need to put on the same display they did against Texas two weeks ago. A strong pass rush will be a necessity if the Pokes want to stop Harrell's 450-yard passing average. Tight coverage on Crabtree will also be essential in slowing down the Raider offense.

Crabtree v. Bryant

Thus far, both of these receivers have put up freak numbers. Dez's numbers are better; however, Crabtree has made more catches in big games when the team need him most. Crabtree doesn't receive the double or even triple coverage that Dez does though. In the Texas and Mizzou games, opponents put two or three defenders on Dez which basically eliminated his threat from the game. When defenders worry about Bryant too much, other receivers are left wide open. So even if he is covered, the team benefits in the long run. I think Dez will come out today with a huge game against the mediocre TTU secondary. He will also be a huge part on special teams.

All Games G Rec. Yards TD Long YPC YPG
Dez Bryant 9 60 1,054 15 80 17.6 117.1
Michael Crabtree 9 70 921 15 82 13.2 102.3

Big 12 Games G Rec. Yards TD Long YPC YPG
Dez Bryant 5 38 610 9 80 16.1 122.0
Michael Crabtree 5 41 464 9 47 11.3 92.8