College football鈥檚 top 5 matchups of Week 13
4. Texas Tech vs. No. 7 Texas – Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
The Big 12 is Texas鈥� to lose going into the final weekend of the regular season and a matchup with Texas Tech will be one of several important games across the conference in Week 13. In the 72 games these programs have played against each other since 1928, the Longhorns have won 54 of them which includes 16 victories in the series鈥� last 20 matchups.
Texas Tech was able to pull off a win in the battle for the Chancellor鈥檚 Spurs trophy last season, however, and will create chaos across the Big 12 if it can do so again. The Red Raiders are 6-5 this year, but have rebounded nicely following a 1-3 start with their biggest win coming at Kansas two weeks ago. Texas Tech鈥檚 greatest weapon is halfback Tahj Brooks who has run for 1,352 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
Stopping Brooks will be key for a Texas defense that has been suspect at times throughout the season鈥檚 second half. However, the Longhorns鈥� 15th-ranked total offense has helped them to a 10-1 record, even despite injuries to quarterback Quinn Ewers and running back Jonathon Brooks. Ewers will look to produce another solid outing Saturday night where a win would lead the Longhorns to the Big 12 Championship game and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. A loss, however, could lead to a four-way tie at the top of the Big 12, and could even knock Texas out of the conference title game.
