Even though 7th-ranked Oklahoma State crushed the Longhorns and No. 9 Baylor in consecutive weeks, Texas still has an outside shot to win the Big 12 if they win the next two games and the Cowboys fall at home to Oklahoma on Dec. 7. The biggest “if” of the two is whether the Longhorns have the manpower to not only beat seven-win Texas Tech at home Thursday, but how on Earth they’ll contend with the Baylor Bears in Waco a week-and-a-half later.
For the Cowboys, winners of seven straight and looking reborn under replacement starting quarterback Clint Chelf, it’s conceivable that they could flush their Big 12 title down the drain with an upset home loss to Bob Stoops‘ 20th-ranked Sooners. But given how OU has incurred lopsided losses to both Texas and Baylor by a combined score of 77-32, the safe money is on another Oklahoma State romp – this one to clinch the conference title.
Nonetheless, Texas’ hope for that same title is hanging by a thread, but alive all the same. The prospect of leapfrogging the 9 -1 Cowboys begins Thanksgiving night at DKR against Texas Tech, possessors of a seven-game winning streak to start the season, a four-game losing skid since, and the nation’s 8th-ranked offense under first-year head coach – and former Tech quarterback – Kliff Kingsbury.
Like many in modern day college football with a high octane spread offense, the Red Raiders own a paper-thin defense that even Case McCoy should be able to have a field day against. Texas’ defense, depleted of several key bodies along the front sevens, still has the anchors of the nation’s 21st-ranked passing defense intact with cornerbacks Carrington Byndom, Quandre Diggs, and safety Adrian Phillips.
McCoy isn’t a QB you’d customarily trust in a shootout – he’s lobbed more interceptions than touchdowns this month by a 2-to-1 ratio – so the secondary’s challenge will be to contain Tech quarterback, former Lake Travis standout Baker Mayfield, enough to allow the offense to keep pace.
With Baylor looming nine days later, it feels like a win over Tech is Mack Brown‘s last genuine opportunity to buy himself another year, or more. Though the Longhorns are 0-5 against Top 10 teams since 2011.
It may not feel like it, but a conference title is still in play. Texas needs to just win, baby – and get a little help from Boomer Sooner.
This article appears in November 29 • 2013.