NCAA Football Week 10: Texas Longhorns vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Colt McCoy & Graham Harrell are Heisman hopefuls but Brian Orakpo or Michael Crabtree will lead their team to victory.

Longhorns vs. Red Raiders Overview

A Texas shootout is set for Lubbock, and when the dust clears only one NCAA team will stand atop the Lone Star State. Fans with Texas Longhorns tickets know that in this gun-slinging matchup, the eyes of Texas will be on the leaders at quarterback, but the true story will be the sidekicks. With Texas Longhorns DE Brian Orakpo and Texas Tech Red Raiders WR Michael Crabtree each playing the role of Doc Holiday, the shootout will be decided by powerful forces outside the Heisman favorites.

Texas Longhorns Offense:
The spread offense of the Texas Longhorns gets arguably the most complete quarterback in Texas Longhorns history with Colt McCoy. Able to read a defense better than Vince Young and able to move better than Chris Simms and Major Applewhite combined, Colt McCoy has earned his way into the Heisman race with gutty runs and outstanding accuracy. Lifelong friend/WR Jordan Shipley is the favorite target of Colt McCoy, but fans with Texas Longhorns tickets will want to keep an eye on speed demon WR Quan Cosby, a veteran player with a National Championship ring. RB Chris Ogbonnaya is a versatile weapon in the passing game.

Texas Longhorns Defense:
Fans with Texas Longhorns tickets have basically built an entire temple to DE Brian Orakpo in Austin, and the beasty pass rusher must have the game of his life to achieve a victory. Drawing a ton of comparisons to Mario Williams, Brian Orakpo is a physical freak who delivers on the football field as much as in the weight room. DT Roy Miller is an excellent all-around lineman and makes his share of plays. LBs Roddrick Muckelroy, Jerad Norton, and Sergio Kindle are the leaders at the second level. Young CB Curtis Brown stepped up in the previous game.

Texas Tech Red Raiders Offense:
The ultimate pass-oriented spread offense is the basis for the entire Texas Tech Red Raiders team. QB Graham Harrell is perhaps the most cerebral signal caller in the NCAA and often calls the plays at the line of scrimmage. His main target in this system is the man believed to be the best receiver prospect since Randy Moss, WR Michael Crabtree. With speed, jumping ability, and crisp routes, Michael Crabtree is the ultimate open-field weapon. The Texas Tech Red Raiders have a slew of other weapons like WR Detron Lewis and RB Baron Batch.

Texas Tech Red Raiders Defense:
The Texas Tech Red Raiders finally have a defense to match their offense. The Tampa-2 style 4-3 is built for speed and is meant to hold a lead. Blessed with quick linebackers like Marlon Williams and Brian Duncan, the Texas Tech Red Raiders blanket the field with their zones. DEs Brandon Williams and Daniel Howard are excellent pass rushers, and their constant harassment of the QB is joined by other fast Texas Tech Red Raiders linemen. SS Darcel McBath is the leader of the Texas Tech Red Raiders defense and is a ballhawk in the secondary with five picks this year.

Texas Longhorns Keys to Victory:
With its Tampa-2 style, the defense of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is built to stop the pass with blazing speed, carefully constructed zones, and gap assignments. The Texas Longhorns can unravel this plan by running right at it. The smaller linemen of the Texas Tech Red Raiders should be easily pushed around on running plays, and the linebackers can be taken out with downfield blockers. QB Colt McCoy might take a back seat in this game as his scrambles will be contained by the speed. RBs Chris Ogbonnaya, Vonrell McGee, and Cody Johnson could have big games.

The best way to stop a pass-oriented spread offense is not good coverage but an unrelenting pass rush. DE Brian Orakpo has nine sacks on the season already and has come up huge in every big game he has played in. While Brian Orakpo is double teamed, the other Texas Longhorns players will have to get their own pass rush, with DE Henry Melton and LB Sergio Kindle being the main weapons. The Texas Longhorns secondary is raw and cannot be expected to cover Michael Crabtree and company for long. The pass rush is the key battle of the game.

Texas Tech Keys to Victory:
Running back Baron Batch is a skilled runner, but the Texas Tech Red Raiders do not run the ball much. However, with Brian Orakpo across the line from Graham Harrell, the Texas Tech Red Raiders may look to establish the run early. Getting Baron Batch on screens will also be key to disrupting the pass rush. WR Michael Crabtree already has 14 touchdowns and is impossible to cover in even double coverage. With the young secondary of the Texas Longhorns suffering from some injuries, a protected Graham Harrell can cut them apart like a surgeon.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders defense is built to nurse a lead rather than totally stop an offense. Since they always jump up to an early lead, the run defense is never tested. The Texas Longhorns rarely use traditional run attacks, but the Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive line and linebackers are small and vulnerable to the direct run. If the run can be stopped, then the Texas Tech Red Raiders can get after Colt McCoy from the edges. The Texas Red Raiders must stay true to their gap assignments and zones to prevent Colt McCoy from gaining big yards on the ground.

Longhorns vs. Red Raiders Outlook:
After the Red River Rivalry, this has been the game that fans with Texas Longhorns tickets have had circled on the calendar. The Oklahoma State Cowboys had an explosive offense, but they did not match the fireworks capable of Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree. With the game in Lubbock, Texas, a historical trap for the Texas Longhorns, history is against Mack Brown and the No. 1 Texas Longhorns. The Tampa-2 scheme of the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the pure team speed is also made to stop the spread offense of the Texas Longhorns.

The Texas Longhorns do have two advantages that the Texas Tech Raiders do not, and that is Brian Orakpo and a running game. The Texas Tech Red Raiders can get after the quarterback but have no single weapon to cause fear between the two great offensive tackles of the Texas Longhorns. The mere presence of Brian Orakpo will change the passing attack of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and it doesn’t matter if Michael Crabtree is wide open if Graham Harrell is on his back. Fans with Texas Longhorns tickets will be holding their breath through this close battle.