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Friday Fast Facts – Texas Tech Week
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Leading off …
— “T.I.P.S” … Our weekly preview postings are available for your review and comment. My weekly written preview, along with my predictions for CU’s trip to North Texas can be found here. The CU at the Game Podcast Review/Preview, looking back at the Cincinnati game, and previewing the Texas Tech game, can be found at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify … and … the podcast can also be found here.
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The Big Picture …
— Nine-for-Nine … The Colorado/Texas Tech game will mark CU’s ninth consecutive game this season played before a national television audience, with kickoff at 2:00 p.m., MT, on Fox. With CU’s next game (at home next Saturday against Utah, another Fox game, kicking off at 10:00 a.m., MT), and the Thanksgiving Weekend Black Friday game against Oklahoma State already set for an ABC telecast, there will be a minimum of 11 games on national television for CU this fall. (We will find out Monday if the November 23rd game v. Kansas, to be played in Kansas City, will make it 12-for-12 for the Buffs). For some perspective on the influence of Coach Prime, the national championship CU team in 1990 played before a national television audience … seven times;
— National coverage … With the latest Big Noon Kickoff appearance this weekend, CU is tied for third in combined appearances on College Gameday and Big Noon Kickoff in the last two seasons, appearing seven times, behind only Ohio State and Michigan;
— Another sell out … but … This weekend will mark the 19th time in CU’s 21 games under Coach Prime that the Buffs will play in front of a sold-out stadium. But … Neither of CU’s final home games – against Utah on November 16th or against Oklahoma State on November 29th, are sold out. (You can check out the seat map for the Utah game here) … And … There are many, many, many tickets available for CU’s game in Arrowhead Stadium against Kansas (check out the ticket availability map here);
— The ESPN Power Index … has long been a CU detractor, but has fallen in love lately with the Buffs. This weekend, the Power Index gives CU a 63.3% chance of winning, with the Red Raiders getting a 36.7% chance. CU’s last game, at home against Cincinnati, the Power Index gave CU a 68.1% chance of winning;
— Relevant late … Colorado has a 6-2 record overall, 4-1 in Big 12 play. The last time Colorado was tied for second in a conference without divisions? That would be November 18, 1995;
— The game will be telecast nationally by Fox, with Jason Benetti on the play-by-play, former Washington quarterback Brock Huard on the color, and Allison Williams on the sidelines. 850 KOA radio will have Mark Johnson with the play-by-play, and former CU head coach Gary Barnett as the analyst.
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Colorado & Texas Tech … historical
Texas Tech didn’t start playing football until 1925, so in the Winsipedia breakdown of all-time records Colorado (which played its first game in 1890) has a distinct advantage.
But even in categories which are comparable, the Buffs have advantages:
- All-time winning percentage: CU – .570 (729-546-36; 45th nationally); Texas Tech – .553 (603-484-32; 60th nationally);
- Weeks in the AP poll (which started in 1939): CU – 310; 29th nationally); Texas Tech – 141; 62nd nationally);
- NFL Draft picks (draft started in 1936); CU – 276; 28th nationally); Texas Tech – 168; 59th)
Texas Tech, though, does have an advantage in one historical category: bowl appearances. The Red Raiders have been to 41 bowl games in their history; the Buffs only 30. Both teams, with six wins already in the bank, will be going bowling this fall.
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CU & Texas Tech … on the field …
— Colorado and Texas Tech are tied in their all-time series … The Buffs and Red Raiders are tied in their all-time series, 5-5, with each team holding a 4-1 advantage on their home field. The first game in the series was played in 1962 in Lubbock, with Texas Tech prevailing, 21-12;
— Ranked v. Ranked … This weekend will mark the third time CU has played Texas Tech with a national ranking. In 1998, No. 19 Colorado defeated No. 22 Texas Tech, in 1998, 19-17, in Boulder, in the only game in the series in which the Red Raiders have been ranked. The Buffs also defeated the Red Raiders when playing as the No. 21 team in the nation in 2002. On that afternoon in Boulder, the Buffs man-handled Red Raider quarterback Kliff Klingsbury (65 passes; zero touchdowns; four interceptions), in a 37-13 CU rout.
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Stats Worth Noting …
— Red Raiders have a porous pass defense … Probably not a secret to you at this point, but Texas Tech is 132nd in the nation in pass defense (second to last, giving up 307.2 passing yards per game), and is not good at what has proven effective at stopping the CU passing attack – sacks. Texas Tech is 126th in the nation in sacks, with 11 in nine games;
— But Texas Tech can outscore you … Offensively, Texas Tech is 22nd in the nation in total offense, at 446.9 yards per game (CU is 58th, at 404.5 ypg). The Red Raiders are scoring 36.4 points per game (20th nationally), so a shoot out may be in the offing Saturday afternoon;
— Strength against strength … Texas Tech takes advantage of its opportunities on offense. The Red Raiders are 6th in the nation in red zone offense, converting 95% of its opportunities (39 scores in 41 trips, including 28 touchdowns). The Colorado defense, meanwhile, is 16th in the nation in red zone defense, allowing 16 touchdowns and five field goals in 29 opportunities.
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Player Notes …
— Buffs in the Big 12 … Some of the rankings for CU players:
- Shedeur Sanders is second in the Big 12 in passing yds (2,591);
- Travis Hunter is fourth in the Big 12 in catches (60) (the three players ahead of Hunter have all played nine games). Hunter is also second in the Big 12 with eight touchdown catches;
- LaJohntay Wester is tied for third in the Big 12 with seven touchdown catches;
- Cam Silmon-Craig is fourth in the Big 12 in solo tackles (47)
— Quarterback Shedeur Sanders has 2,591 yards passing after eight games this season, 8th in the nation. Sanders is also ninth in total offense (2,573 yards) and third in passing touchdowns (21);
— Travis the Unicorn … Travis Hunter was added to his eighth award watchlist this season with the Maxwell Award. He is believed to be the only player to be named to an Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year award watchlist. He was also believed to be the first player to be named to the Biletnikoff and Thorpe award watch lists in the same season.
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Big 12 Notes …
— Four Big 12 teams ranked … BYU (No. 9); Iowa State (No. 17); Colorado (No. 21); and Kansas State (No. 22) are the only Big 12 teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 this week. In the first College Football Rankings of the 2024 season, the Big 12 rankings are almost identical: No. 9 BYU; No. 17 Iowa State; No. 19 Kansas State; and No. 20 Colorado;
— Revisiting the Big 12 preseason media poll … Conference records for the top and bottom 5:
- Top 5 (Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Arizona): 17-18; K-State is the only one with a winning record;
- Bottom 5 (Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Arizona State): 28-14; three of the five have winning records
Big 12 lines for Week 11: Colorado a 3.0-point favorite over Texas Tech
From DraftKings.com …
Big 12 games …
- West Virginia at Cincinnati … 10:00 a.m., MT, FS1 … Cincinnati is a 4.5-point home favorite … up from 3.5-points on Sunday;
- No. 17 Iowa State at Kansas … 1:30 p.m., MT, FS1 … Kansas is a 3.0-point home underdog …
- No. 21 Colorado at Texas Tech … 2:00 p.m., MT, Fox … Texas Tech is a 4.0-point home underdog … up from 3.5-points on Sunday;
- Oklahoma State at TCU … 5:00 p.m., MT, FS1 … TCU an 10.0-point home favorite … up from 8.0-points on Sunday;
- UCF at Arizona State … 5:00 p.m., ESPN2 … Arizona State a 3.0-point home favorite … down from 3.5-points on Sunday;
- No. 9 BYU at Utah … 8:15 p.m., MT, ESPN … Utah at 3.0-point home underdog … down from 4.5-points on Sunday;
- … Four Big 12 teams have byes … Arizona, No. 22 Kansas State, Houston and Baylor …
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