Does Tech believe in miracles? Yes!

OK, now that was exciting.

Texas Tech’s miraculous 39-33 victory over Texas was easily the best game of the college football season.

Many are calling Graham Harrell’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree the greatest play in the history of the Big 12 Conference.

I’m not sure of that. What I am sure of, though, is that I DVR’ed the game and watched the last-second play about 10 times. You know it’s an epic play when it’s still unbelievable on the 10th view.

I’d like to do my best Ron Jaworski impression and break down the last few seconds of this game. It’s even more incredible when you take these factors into account:

1. Tech shouldn’t have even had the opportunity to run the game-winning play because UT freshman safety Blake Gideon had a gift of an interception within his grasp with eight seconds remaining. Tech receiver Edward Britton tipped Harrell’s pass straight up in the air, perfectly setting up Gideon in stride for the interception. But the football somehow went directly through Gideon’s hands and the Red Raiders had one more chance.

2. There was great timing between the pattern Crabtree ran and the play clock. Harrell had eight seconds when the ball was snapped. Crabtree was double covered on the six-yardline and made a remarkable catch with four seconds left. Even if Crabtree was tackled inbounds, the Red Raiders had a timeout remaining.

3. UT freshman safety Earl Thomas took the wrong angle on Crabtree’s touchdown. Sophomore cornerback Curtis Brown defended Crabtree closely. Harrell just fit the football into a tight window and Brown couldn’t defend it. Thomas, from his position at safety, had an angle on the play, though. Instead of protecting the sideline, which was Crabtree’s path to the end zone, Thomas took an angle that had him running to the inside of his teammate Brown. Therefore, he was virtually out of the play after the catch. Crabtree had a clear path to the end zone because no one protected the sideline. Finally, the youth of UT’s secondary was costly. It hadn’t cost the Longhorns all season.

Moving onto the Week 10 awards; several tough decisions following an exciting weekend in the Big 12.

Co-Performers of the Week: Jake Sharp (Kansas) and Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State)

Sharp lit up the Kansas State defense for 257 total yards (181 rushing, 76 receiving) and four touchdowns in the Jayhawks’ 52-21 blowout. Bryant made the Iowa State secondary look silly with nine receptions for 171 yards and four scores in Oklahoma State’s 59-17 rout.

Most significant win of the week: Texas Tech 39, Texas 33

This was the biggest victory in Tech history and positioned the Red Raiders in the national title hunt.

Biggest surprise of the week: Kansas State’s performance, based on earlier statements

Granted, my predicted score was KU 40, KSU 24, so I didn’t expect the Wildcats to win, but come on. All that trash talk and not an ounce of evidence to back it up? I simply saw undisciplined players who need to learn how to keep their mouths shut. More specifically, here’s the lack of discipline I noticed:

Sign #1: The first sign of an undisciplined team is a team that can’t stop the run. And the bottom line is the Wildcats can’t stop the run. Kansas compiled 280 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

Sign #2: Zach Kendall’s pre-game comment that K-State had more heart than KU. That’s not what I saw. And how did Kendall know this? Was he secretly driving an hour-and-15 minutes east on I-70 to Lawrence and taking part in the Jayhawks’ practice drills, where he then noticed said lack of heart? Don’t say K-State has more heart just for the heck of it. K-State has now lost to KU three straight times.

Sign #3: Deon Murphy’s pre-game comment that he would take a punt return to the “crib.” Kansas only punted once (because of an undisciplined KSU defense) and Murphy returned it 11 yards. Nice call.

Sign #4: Rashad Harrell’s late hit on Todd Reesing when the KU quarterback was clearly out of the play. This occurred with just over 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter, after Reesing handed off to Jocques Crawford. Harrell’s blindside hit earned him a 15-yard personal foul. Noticing an undisciplined theme here?

Sign #5: Five turnovers.

Sign #6: Going for it on two separate occasions on 4th-and-long from inside their own 30 in the third quarter. Simply baffling.

Lesson to K-State players who talked trash: Don’t do it again. You just look like ignorant buffoons after a 52-21 Sunflower Shellacking.

The Sorrentino Scale will conclude this post. The number that follows in parentheses is what place the team was ranked last week.

  • 1 (2). Texas Tech (9-0): Lone unbeaten left in the conference.
  • 2 (1). Texas (8-1): QB McCoy with heck of a comeback effort.
  • 3 (3). Oklahoma State (8-1): Massive showdown at Texas Tech looms.
  • 4 (4). Oklahoma (8-1): Did Nebraska even show up?
  • 5 (5). Missouri (7-2): Barely escaped Baylor.
  • 6 (6). Kansas (6-3): Looked better than it did all year on Saturday.
  • 7 (7). Nebraska (5-4): Key North matchup vs. Kansas awaits.
  • 8 (10). Baylor (3-6): Losing, but not playing poorly.
  • 9 (11). Texas A&M (4-5): Suddenly two straight Big 12 wins.
  • 10 (8). Colorado (4-5): Have looked awful for four straight weeks.
  • 11 (9). Kansas State (4-5): at Missouri next weekend.
  • 12 (12). Iowa State (2-7): Tough year for Cyclones.

That’s all for now, friends. As always, discuss.