Now bowl eligible, Texas Tech and Oklahoma face off with two different perspectives

With Oklahoma, a bowl was viewed as a given and a mere prelude to a lot greater and higher issues.

Somehow, Tech and OU discovered themselves in the identical place with one sport to go within the common season, desperately making an attempt to safe that all-important sixth win for bowl eligibility.

Each succeeded, with Tech getting previous Iowa State in frigid Ames 14-10. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 28-13 in what can be one of many final video games within the Bedlam Series, because of OU’s transfer to the SEC.

Tech’s victory was one other key step in sustaining momentum in Joey McGuire’s first season. While few coaches could also be a optimistic as McGuire, the mindset was examined when Tech (6-5, 4-4 Big 12) misplaced 4 of 5 video games halfway by means of the season to drop below .500 and put its postseason hopes in jeopardy. The Red Raiders had already began every of its three prime quarterbacks due to accidents and holes on protection and the offensive line have been uncovered.

“I always talk about how hard we practice and how much we’re improving,” McGuire mentioned. “It doesn’t always show up; we had a couple weeks back-to-back where that didn’t show up. But we come back to work and have a great week of practice, so for them to be rewarded with a bowl game is huge.

“We ask a lot of them and we’re extremely demanding, but we like to have fun when we’re all together, too.”

Now, Tech is headed someplace most decidedly hotter than Iowa State was Saturday, with a game-time temperature of twenty-two levels.

Not fairly the Ice Bowl however nonetheless fairly awfully chilly for a workforce from Texas. McGuire gave props to his workers for preparation of each precaution identified to trendy know-how or folks knowledge.

“I thought we had a great plan on how we were going to stay warm, from hot cocoa and chicken broth, to heated benches and Vaseline on everything,” McGuire mentioned. “I think our equipment staff did an amazing job of having everything those guys wanted.”

The greatest guess is that Tech could wind up within the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix or possibly the Texas Bowl in Houston, not a foul comfort prize.

The Red Raiders will get 15 extra practices, which can be as essential for subsequent season as it’s for the bowl sport.

Another win or two – relying on what occurs this week in opposition to Oklahoma – could possibly be a pleasant launching pad for McGuire and Co.

The temper was far different at Oklahoma (6-5, 3-5). While nothing will actually salvage Brent Venables’ first season, at the very least OU obtained a win over its in-state rivals and proved they’ve improved from nightmarish early season losses to TCU and Texas. A late-season skid in opposition to Baylor and West Virginia known as that progress into query.

Instead quarterback Dillon Gabriel accounted for 289 yards and three touchdowns. The protection had 4 interceptions. Michael Turk averaged 49 yards on 11 punts and then proposed to his girlfriend, standout OU shortstop Grace Lyons, on the sphere afterwards.

“Developing a mindset first and foremost is what we’ve been trying to do,” Venables mentioned. “Why can’t we? There’s a bunch of guys been scarred up. There’s not an easy thing to heal some of those wounds. But our guys have just kept their heads down. This is just another opportunity, another moment for us, this game. Really again, I think we have an opportunity that we can take off again.

“We got a long ways to go but tonight was definitely a step in the right direction from a development standpoint and a belief standpoint.”

Takeaways and lookaheads from the week in school soccer:

— Texas closes the common season Friday in opposition to Baylor with longshot hopes of reaching the Big 12 title sport in opposition to TCU. The Longhorns should beat the Bears and hope Kansas can upset Kansas State.

— Even although TCU kicker Griffin Kell had missed an additional level try earlier, his teammates had full religion he would join in opposition to Baylor on the finish. Quarterback Max Duggan mentioned his solely thought was: “Griff’s gonna go win the game.”

— Looking for a cause for Baylor’s drop-off this season? After going 7-0 at McLane Stadium in 2021, Baylor went 3-3 at residence this season, dropping its remaining two video games to Kansas State and TCU.

Twitter: @ChuckCarltonDMN

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