Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Tech: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

If you’re looking for the brightside of Oklahoma’s 35-23 escape of the Kansas Jayhawks, it’s that this team continues to prove capable of overcoming adversity early in football games.

Sure, it was against Kansas, and a better team might have run away with that one. But we’ve witnessed this team do it several times this season. In the Texas game and against West Virginia, things weren’t going well, but Oklahoma found a way to win the game.

And while style points matter for playoff consideration and positioning, isn’t it just about wins? If the Oklahoma Sooners are able to win all of their games, they’ll have a chance to contend for the National Championship despite a perceived lack of style points.

Texas Tech comes into this one facing adversity with the recent firing of head coach Matt Wells. Sonny Cumbie takes the reigns as interim head coach for a team that has underachieved since starting the season 3-0. They’ve gone 2-3, alternating wins and losses in Big 12 play.

In their most recent loss, Texas Tech had a 24-10 lead on Kansas State at halftime only to be outscored 15-0 in the second half.

Texas Tech has been an enigma this season. They came back from a 14-0 first quarter deficit and trailed 21-7 at halftime against Houston before going on to win 38-21. Then the next week, they trailed Stephen F. Austin at halftime to comeback and win again.

In looking at how the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Tech Red Raiders stack up statistically, on paper Oklahoma’s clearly the better team. Of course they were the far superior team last week and we remember how that turned out.

To help get you ready for Saturday’s matchup, check out predictions from our Sooners Wire staff.

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Oklahoma 44, Texas Tech 27

Oklahoma is still searching for its first performance of the season where the Sooners can say it was a complete one on both sides of the football. On paper, last week against Kansas appeared the perfect spot for OU to hum on all cylinders.

That didn’t happen and it’s left the Sooners in a position to field questions about when or if that’s ever going to happen. Defensive reinforcements could help that process along.

Head coach Lincoln Riley expects defensive lineman Jalen Redmond to play against Texas Tech. That will be a big boost up front if he’s good to go. How many starters will Oklahoma have back in the secondary, though, or will they return after OU’s bye week?

That’s been the biggest problem area for the Sooners defensively. At this point, forecasting Oklahoma to suddenly put it all together on the back end of the defense versus anybody isn’t a ledge I’m comfortable walking out on.

Texas Tech quarterback Henry Colombi has thrown for just 124 and 148 passing yards in the Red Raiders’ past two games against Kansas and Kansas State. He’s also been intercepted in each of Tech’s last three games, so there’s plays to be made defensively. Still, it’s need to see to believe it time right now for this OU secondary.

Texas Tech ranks 100th nationally in scoring defense, so Oklahoma freshman quarterback Caleb Williams and the Sooners’ offense should be able to move the football and roll up points on the scoreboard. OU wins fairly comfortably because their offense with Williams running the show will give Tech’s defense fits, but the complete performance is at least a bye week away.

Contact/Follow Josh Helmer

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Oklahoma 48, Texas Tech 24

Last weekend of October. The Sooners are undefeated at 8-0 and yet, no one is doing any backflips.

Why is that?

Well, that’s what happens when you struggle with one-win Kansas for 60 percent of the game. And still, the Sooners made it out undefeated after putting things together in the second half.

With the possibilities of getting DJ Graham, Delarrin Turner-Yell, and Jalen Redmond back on defense the Sooners defense could be heading in the right direction.

Either way, they’ll have to show up and bounce back from their worst bit of football this entire season.

The offense comes out sizzling and this defense, with some reinforcements, plays a much better game. Caleb Williams dazzles, Eric Gray, Jadon Haselwood and Austin Stogner score and the Sooners head into the bye 9-0 ready to recharge and get set for the hardest three-game stretch of the season.

Contact/Follow Bryant Crews

Oklahoma 37, Texas Tech 30

I want to believe that this is the week the Oklahoma Sooners put it all together and put on a dominating performance over Texas Tech.

Unfortunately, I can’t get the images if that first half out of my mind.

Alex Grinch hasn’t been a fan of the way his guys have practiced or prepared. Does that performance against Kansas, where it took the offense scoring on every possession light a spark? I’m still skeptical.

The Oklahoma Sooners will win this game, but I get the feeling it will take more magic from true freshman quarterback Caleb Williams. After a subpar first half in which he threw a bad interception, Williams rebounds and plays electric.

Lincoln Riley gets Williams running the ball early to take the edge off and the offense puts on another efficient display.

Contact/Follow John Williams

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Tale of the Tape: How do the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Tech Red Raiders stack up statistically?