Games To Watch: Week 11

One week after playing the biggest game in school history, Texas Tech now plays … the second-biggest game in school history.

Because if the second-ranked Red Raiders can’t beat No. 9 Oklahoma State this week (8 p.m., ABC), everything they accomplished last week against Texas will have been for naught.

The Cowboys certainly won’t be an easy out for the Raiders. These aren’t the Cowboys of old. No, this team has legitimate Top 10 talent. Quarterback Zac Robinson (2,082 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes) doesn’t get near the press of his fellow Big 12 signal callers, but as his numbers suggest, he probably should. Receiver Dez Bryant (60 catches, 15 touchdowns) has NFL scouts salivating. And tailback Kendall Hunter (1,220 rushing yards) might be the best back in the Big 12.

Texas Tech, of course, will counter with the offensive fireworks of quarterback Graham Harrell and receiver Michael Crabtree.

The Red Raiders are definitely talented enough to win this one. They proved as much last week. But whether or not coach Mike Leach will be able to get this team emotionally ready for such a huge game, one week after the hugest game, well, that remains to be seen.

Here are the other games worth watching in college football’s Week 11:

• Clemson at No. 22 Florida State (3:30, ABC): Obviously, this is an important game for Florida State. Win it, and the ‘Noles stay right in the mix of the ACC title race. But you’ve also to figure Bobby Bowden wants to win this one for his son Tommy, who was fired earlier this season by Clemson.
• No. 11 Ohio State at No. 24 Northwestern (Noon, ESPN2): Last week, Northwestern backup quarterback Mike Kafka rushed for a Big Ten record 212 yards in his team’s upset win over Minnesota. But now, starter C.J. Bacher is back, and coach Pat Fitzgerald faces a tough decision. Besides, how do you keep Kafka on the sidelines after a performance like that? It will be interesting to see how Ohio State—and especially quarterback Terrelle Pryor—responds in its first action since the disappointing loss to Penn State two weeks back.
• No. 1 Alabama at No. 16 LSU (3:30, CBS): I still can’t figure out what the pollsters see in LSU. Here is a team that truly hasn’t beaten anybody of note. The Tigers have given up 50-plus points twice in the past three weeks. Their offense has been stuck in neutral all year. And we’re supposed to believe this is a good team? Please. Just as Georgia and Florida did, Alabama will run all over a bad LSU defense.

Photo: Oklahoma State Zac Robinson will challenge the Texas Tech defense this week. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)