On the Hardwood
Texas Tech announced game times and stations for men’s basketball and I don’t remember this being a story previously. I’m pretty much living day-to-day when it comes to looking at game times and future opponents. I find out the next game and time when I write “Up next?” in the Post-Game Thoughts after each game. Planning this far in the future is way too far in advance for me.
Texas Tech basketball general manager Kellen Buffington with former Red Raider basketballer and current Golden State Warrior Chance McMillian:
On the Gridiron
Cameron Dickey on ESPN last night.
Congrats to Cameron Dickey for being named the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week.
ESPN’s Heather Dinich with the college football playoff bubble watch. Texas Tech isn’t on the bubble right now, but upcoming opponent BYU is:
Spotlight: BYU. The Cougars needed a late-night double-overtime win at Arizona to stay undefeated and are on the path to face Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game. The question is if they can stay undefeated until the Nov. 8 regular-season matchup against the Red Raiders. BYU has its second-most difficult remaining game on Saturday against rival Utah, which is also in contention for the Big 12 title. BYU has a slim edge with a 51% chance to win, which would be a critical cushion considering back-to-back road trips to Iowa State and Texas Tech await. The Big 12 has also gotten a boost from Cincinnati, which has a favorable remaining schedule and could be a surprise CFP top 25 team. If BYU stumbles over the next three weeks, a road win at a ranked Cincinnati team would help its résumé. Speaking of the Bearcats …
ESPN’s Max Olson with the defensive stop rate of every team and Texas Tech continues to sit atop (which is the percent of drives that result in a stop of some sort) and Texas Tech’s rate is 84.1%
ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. has his big board with DE David Bailey at No. 20 overall (and 2nd in outside linebackers), DT Lee Hunter at the No. 5 defensive tackle, and DE Romello Height as the No. 7 outside linebacker.
CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford on the Texas Tech overhauled defense:
“It started with retaining the guys we had we felt were really good, keeping those guys and then going to get difference-makers up front,” McGuire said of Texas Tech’s recruiting plan. “If you’re really going to go all in and you’re wanting to challenge for the Big 12 and playoff, then the guys you’re going to be playing against there are going to be really good.
“Texas has been extremely good on the offensive and defensive lines. Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State for years and years. All those draft picks the last (few) years are all coming out of those rooms. It was a big emphasis for us, going to get those guys.”
Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde on the playoff race midseason with Texas Tech having a No. 5 seed thus far:
Seed: No. 5
Overall record: 6–0
Big 12 record: 3–0
Record vs. current AP Top 25: 1–0
Record vs. Power 4/Notre Dame: 3–0
Home record: 4–0
Road record: 2–0
Best win to date: at Utah
The portal kings are stomping people, winning every game by 24 points or more. The Red Raiders have the highest yards-per-play differential in the nation (7.41 yards on offense, 3.98 on defense), and are the only team in the nation that has scored more than 30 points every game while allowing fewer than 20 every game. Quarterback Behren Morton’s health is a chronic concern, but freshman backup Will Hammond has had some very good moments in relief.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams on Terrance Carter meeting Robert Griffin III:
“It would be a dream come true,” Carter said on Tuesday, Oct. 14. “I grew up an RG III fan. I wore the number 10 [Griffin’s number at Baylor] in high school playing quarterback. He’s from Copperas Cove. I’m from Killeen. It’s like 15 minutes away.
“I even went to camps while he was at Baylor. I don’t think I got to talk to him at the camp, but when I saw him on the field, it was like, ‘Aw, I have to say something to him.’ So yeah, it was a pretty cool little moment.”