The Red Raiders are set to host the Sooners of Oklahoma Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Jones AT&T Stadium, a matchup Texas Tech hasn't won in a decade and haven't won at home against Oklahoma since 2009.
The Sooners haven't been the team of the past few seasons this year but still have quite a bit of talent. With both teams sitting at 6-5, they both have a chance to jump in the Big 12 standings for a better bowl game,
The RedRaiderSports.com staff takes a crack at predicting the result on what's supposed to be a chilly senior night in the Jones.
Vegas Odds: Oklahoma (-2) @ Texas Tech; Over Under: 64.5
Ben Golan:
A lot of pressure was lifted off the shoulders of both programs when they picked up their 6th win of the season last week respectively. That makes this weekend's game more unpredictable. Still, Texas Tech has more to play for here.
Winning this game and finishing with the first winning conference record since 2009 would be a big deal. Beating Oklahoma would be a big deal.
OU’s offense is dangerous, and when they’re clicking they’re tough to stop, but they’ve been incredibly inconsistent. Defensively they don’t scare you. Tech should be able to score on Saturday night.
Joey McGuire’s program has been money at home save for one night in late October. I see that continuing.
Score prediction: Texas Tech 39, Oklahoma 33
Brandon Soliz:
Give me Tyler Shough to have one of his best running performances here. Oklahoma plays aggressive on defense (Hunter goes in-depth on that over on the message board.)
To me, the Red Raider defense has been your consistent winner all year and they'll need one of their best performances against the Sooners to finish off the season.
Not having Tyree Wilson is a huge loss once he did get hurt, although everyone is understanding of his situation, but selfishly I would love to have seen him one more time. Nonetheless, Jesiah Pierre and the other slew of pass rushers will need to be on point on Saturday if history is to be made.
Right now, I'm sort of expecting a tough defensive game even with Oklahoma's offense being explosive. Which defense do I like more though? This will tell you –
Score prediction: Texas Tech 27, Oklahoma 21
Justin Apodaca:
It feels like the Red Raiders have some life in this one, and what an accomplishment it would be for Joey McGuire and Co. to secure wins over Texas and Oklahoma in their first seasons.
The Sooners have been up-and-down all season but that doesn't take away from the talent they have on the field. The Red Raider offensive line is in for quite the test, while Tahj Brooks, SaRodorick Thompson, and Cam'ron Valdez are going to have to move the ball pretty well.
I really want to pick the Red Raiders here, but I think the Oklahoma pass rush will be too much for an offensive line that's somewhat turned a corner. Tech should keep this one close, as they have all season.
Score Prediction: Oklahoma 31, Texas Tech 28.
Trevor Cobern:
The Sooners have been a weird team this year.
Dillon Gabriel, Marvin Mims, and Eric Gray highlight a great Oklahoma offense, but the defense has been more of a question mark throughout the season and Texas Tech could be in for a big day in that area. The home crowd will give the Red Raiders a boost and it just seems like the momentum is in Tech's favor heading into Saturday's game.
Give me Texas Tech by six.
Score Prediction: Texas Tech 38, Oklahoma 32
Chase Champlin:
This one should be an interesting one as both teams just secured their sixth win of the season and are now both bowl eligible. I think the Oklahoma offense is a darn good one but the defense has been very inconsistent this season and with the Red Raiders being back at home, I don’t see there being too many issues with Texas Tech being able to score. I also think the Red Raider defense can make some noise too though. It’s the last regular game of the season and it would be a huge win to beat the Sooners who always seem to beat Texas Tech. With that being said, I think this one means more to the Red Raiders and they will get their seventh win of the season during Coach McGuires first season in Lubbock.
Score Prediction: Texas Tech 31, Oklahoma 24