Longhorns Look to Clinch Big 12 Conference Title
Texas Tech vs Texas Football Game Will Determine Title
The Texas Longhorns can clinch the Big 12 Conference regular season title and a berth in the Big 12 Conference championship game with a win over Texas Tech on Friday. That should be all the incentive the Longhorns need. Typically, Texas Tech has a motivation edge here. It’s the biggest game of the year for the Red Raiders. But Texas viewed Oklahoma as its biggest rival. With the Sooners moving on to the SEC, that could change. The Texas Tech vs Texas football game sees the Longhorns favored by 14 with a total of 53.
Texas Tech Red Raiders at Texas Longhorns 
Day/Time: Friday, November 24, 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas
Streaming: ABC
Red Raiders Get Hot When it Matters
Regardless of what happens in this one, the Red Raiders will be bowling after the season is over. Naturally, their stock will go up greatly if they can pull off the upset. But Texas Tech has to be happy to have gotten that sixth win last week. The Red Raiders have won three straight and there’s no pressure on them here.
Texas Tech is slightly better than average offensively. The Red Raiders are scoring 28.6 points against teams allowing 27.5 points. On the ground, Texas Tech is gaining 171.1 yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry against teams allowing 4.5 yards per rush. The passing game is good for 233.2 yards per game and 6.5 yards per pass. There isn’t much difference in what the Red Raiders have done offensively compared to what their foes have allowed on the season.
You don’t typically think of defense when you think of Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders have been pretty solid this season. Texas Tech is allowing 24.3 points to teams averaging 27.9 points a game. The Red Raiders are allowing 4.2 yards per rush to teams averaging 4.7 yards a carry and holding teams below their season averages in the passing game.
Texas Tech is -5 in turnovers for the season, but is still an impressive 5-3 in the Big 12 standings. Eight NCAAF teams have already become bowl eligible and several more can get win No. 6 this week, so there aren’t many easy games in the conference.
Longhorns on Outside Looking In For Playoffs
The Texas Longhorns can wrap-up the regular college football season title and punch its ticket to the Big 12 title game with a victory. But there’s a good chance that won’t be enough to get Texas into the college football playoff field. At No. 7, Texas will need plenty of things to happen to crack into the top four. It’s possible. But it looks to be a longshot. The Longhorns haven’t been dominant lately, with just one of their last five wins coming by more than 10 points. That doesn’t help when it comes to college playoff voting.
For the season, the Longhorns are scoring 33.1 points against teams allowing 25.1 points. Texas runs the ball pretty well, gaining 4.8 yards per rush against teams allowing 4.2 yards. But the Longhorns’ biggest strength is its passing game, which throws for 276.3 yards and 8.6 yards per pass attempt. Texas gains 454.7 total yards per game against teams allowing 380.2 on average.
Defensively, Texas is pretty strong. The Longhorns allow 18.2 points to teams averaging 29.7 and are nearly impossible to run against. Texas allows 2.9 yards per carry and 83 rushing yards per game. The Longhorns aren’t quite as good defending the pass, allowing 253.9 yards per game and 7.2 yards per attempt.
What to Expect
Texas Tech likes to run the football. But that might not be the best idea against the Texas rushing defense. The Red Raiders are also decent in rushing defense, so the Texas Tech vs Texas football game could see a lot of passing. But Texas is a good enough rushing team to have a little success on the ground. But the Longhorns will use their ground game to draw the Red Raider defenders in and then look to make the big plays through the air. Despite playing in the Big 12 Conference, both college football teams are solid under teams against the NCAAF odds. The Red Raiders are 4-7 in totals and Texas is 3-8.
Who to Bet On?
The Texas Tech vs Texas football game is a tough one from a handicapping perspective. The Red Raiders could still be celebrating their bowl berth or they could come out looking to take down a rival. But Texas Tech has had a bit of good luck in its three-game winning streak, winning by a combined 11 points.
With the Red Raiders bowl eligible, the game takes on a little bit of added meaning for Texas. The Red Raiders may not be a great team, but wins over bowl teams never hurt when the playoff committee meets to rank the teams. From that perspective, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Texas end its lackluster play and post one of the more lopsided NCAAF scores today. Texas is probably the side you want to be on in this game.
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