Texas 41, Baylor 0

TEXAS 41, BAYLOR 0

TOP 10 SIGNS YOU WEREN'T TAKING BAYLOR SERIOUSLY:

10. Traded your Baylor tickets for some baseball cards, bag of marbles and a stick of gum.

9. Skipped the tailgate to go do some early Christmas shopping.

8. Asked your wife if there was a wedding or baby shower you could be attending instead.

7. Renounced your Baptist upbringing and converted to Catholicism.

6. Started Chance Mock over Chris Simms on your fantasy football league team.

5. Snuck a flask full of Nyquil into the game.

4. Dumped Gatorade on yourself halfway though the first quarter.

3. Faxed resume to Baylor A.D. requesting interview for head coaching position.

2. Told the rickshaw driver to take the scenic route to the stadium.

And the #1 sign you weren't taking Baylor seriously:

1. Put a C-note on the Horns to cover the spread against Baylor – for the next 10 years.

THE GAME

41-0, starters pulled in the 3rd, Baylor head coach Kevin Steele fired last Tuesday - enough said.

NEXT GAME

Do you remember that hell hole in Star Wars where that Obiwan guy went looking for Han Solo and Luke almost got his ass kicked by some dude with a death sentence on Uranus? Maybe not so much, but that scene in the movie is very reminiscent of what playing a road game in Lubbock aginst the Red Raiders is like. And I should know, I've been there twice - as a player and an opposing fan. In 1996, I made the travel squad for the Tech game and all I can remember were the frozen tortilla projectiles and the exposed steam and water pipes in our makeshift locker room that were so loud that Mackovic just said "forget the pre-game speech." Oddly enough, I think that was the most fired up the team came out for any game that season. Anyway, I went back to Lubbock as a fan to see the Horns take on Tech in 2000 and, let's just put it this way, that poor Aggie wasn't too far off when he called the Raider fans a bunch of "classless clowns." While I was there, one friend got hip checked in the bathroom which set off a bar fight later and another friend got the back window of his car bashed in because it had a Longhorn sticker on it. Anyway, the point is, Lubbock's a tough place to play and Mack and the Longhorns better be ready for a fight (their fans, too).

Tech features an extremely potent offense lead by Senior QB Kliff Kingsberry. They've averaged over 400 yards and 50 points when playing at home this season. Look for Texas to stay in their dime package most of the game, dropping up to 6 defenders back in coverage. Coach Leach likes to use quick passes and play action screens to set up the long ball. It should be a great match up considering Tech boasts the Big XII's best passing offense and the Horns are ranked first in the Big XII when it comes to passing defense. Another key to containing Kingsberry is going to be the pass rush. In the first-half against Iowa State, the front four wasn't getting much heat on Seneca and he was able to pick our secondary apart. In the second half, Reese started sending a blitzing linebacker to force the issue. Kingsberry is a better passer than Wallace and if Redding and a slightly injured front four continue to get blocked, look for Reese to start blitzing a linebacker again. With no pressure, Kingsberry will easily move the ball and put points on the board. But the best defense of all for the Horns is to play good offense.

Texas Tech's main weakness this year has been their defense, especially against the run. Look for the Horns to again try and establish the running game early with Benson. Running the ball keeps the clock running and limits the number of opportunities Tech can go on offense. I'd love to see 15-20 play scoring drives all day. I'd also love to see Selvin Young get some more carries. He's not as punishing a runner as Benson is, but he seems to hit the hole faster. And, playing both backs may cause problems for the Tech defense and disrupt their rhythm as it did with Baylor. The windy conditions on the high plains also make success in the running game crucial. Simms will be able to throw those short outs with no problem, but judging the long ball will be difficult, especially when throwing against the wind. Crowd noise and the occasional flour frisbee will be a factor, but the Horns can lessen the impact by scoring early and often. The longer they allow Tech to stay in the game, the more the crowd will play a role and the more the probability of an upset will start to take on a life of its own. A&M's unlikely win over OU last weekend is a perfect example. So can the Horns keep the BCS dream alive with another tough road win? On to the...

UNPREDICTABLE PREDICTION

Red Raider, Red Rover, let Texas Tech bend over...because Bevo's about to get medieval on Raider Reds "lubbuttocks." (UT 42, TT 24)

TAILGATE UPDATE

This weekend, it's off to the high plains (drifter on over) to see the Longhorns (the Mack Attack) take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders (I prefer rivalry refugees) at Jones SBC Stadium (the big phone booth). If for whatever reason (jogging with Forest Gump), you happen to find yourself in the greater Lubbock metropolitan area ("who run Barter Town?") this weekend, stop on by the Conference Cafe (home of the Big 12" hot dog) located at the corner of 4th and Indiana ("what's up Knight?"). It's within walking distance (100- meter mosey) of the stadium and is considered THE place (tip your waitress not your cow) to party before home games. We'll be there about 10:30am (just B(C)S-ing) and plan on leaving for the game (Monster Tech Rally) around 2pm.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND

"Would you pick up a 12-pack of Bud Light for the tailgate?"

"Just a 12-pack - obviously, you're not taking Baylor seriously."

"You're right, better get a case."