IT'S USUALLY A WILD ONE WHEN TECH VISITS OSU...

The last time Texas Tech traveled to Stillwater, Okla., sparks flew both on and off the football field.

Tech and Oklahoma State combined for 1,328 yards and 94 points in the Cowboys’ 49-45 victory, which featured six ties, eight lead changes and plenty of fourth-quarter drama. OSU went ahead for good on a 54-yard touchdown reception by Brandon Pettigrew with 1:37 remaining, and then Mike Crabtree dropped what would have been a winning TD catch for Tech in the game’s waning seconds.

The postgame news conferences were just as wild as the finish. While OSU coach Mike Gundy was becoming a YouTube sensation with his “I’m a man. I’m 40!” tirade, in which he blasted a newspaper column about then-quarterback Bobby Reid, Tech coach Mike Leach went ballistic about a Red Raider defense that allowed 366 rushing yards.

It was just a Big 12 Conference opener, and each team finished league play at 4-4 that season, but the game could be considered a turning point for both programs. The Cowboys are a combined 16-6 in the last two seasons and have spent parts of both ranked among the national top 10, while the Red Raiders are 17-5 during that span and enjoyed arguably the most successful season in program history last fall.

It also was Lyle Setencich’s last game as Tech’s defensive coordinator, and under replacement Ruffin McNeill the unit has gradually gone from poor to respectable to pretty darn good. The Red Raiders are tied for fourth in the nation with 30 sacks this season.

“We became better the day that (McNeill) took over the defense,” Leach said on Monday, “(because of) the enthusiasm he brought and the ability of our players to tackle, and just the inspiration to play.”

Tech (6-3, 3-2 Big 12) and OSU (7-2, 4-1) will reunite at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday, and the game once again figures to be a turning point for both teams, at least in terms of how this season will play out. The Cowboys are second in the Big 12 South Division, one game behind undefeated Texas, while the Red Raiders are tied for third place with Oklahoma.

No. 17 OSU likely needs a win to remain in the top 25, while a win for the Raiders would almost certainly put them back in the rankings for the second time this year. And because each squad has the Sooners left on its schedule, this game is an opportunity neither wants to miss.

If the last few encounters in Stillwater are any indication, Saturday’s game – which is a prime-time matchup on ABC – should be another thriller. The last three Tech-OSU games there were decided by seven points or fewer, and the winning team scored at least 49 points in three of the last four.

“The games up there almost always take on a personality of their own, so it’s hard to say what will happen,” said Leach, who hasn’t won in Stillwater since his first trip in 2001. “We haven’t had any of them up there that weren’t pretty wild.”

The Raiders and Cowboys both average more than 34 points and 400 total yards per game, so look for more offensive fireworks. This time, though, let’s hope there aren’t any more explosions after the game

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com