Friday, October 5th 2012, 5:30 pm
It's not often the defining moment of a season comes just four games in, but that's exactly the scenario the Oklahoma Sooners are facing when they travel to Lubbock Saturday to take on Texas Tech.
Two weeks after losing their first home game against a ranked team in the Bob Stoops era, the Sooners head to a place where they haven't won since 2003.
If you're a Sooners fan, and you're nervous, you have every reason to be.
The Sooners have looked less than stellar in each of their first three games, but the struggles the Sooners have had are correctable mistakes at worst.
However, a hostile environment, such as the on awaiting the Sooners in Lubbock (Texas Tech is having a black-out), will put the efforts the Sooners have made to correct those mistakes to the test in the biggest way possible.
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Not only will the Sooners be facing a jacked-up crowd, but they'll be taking on the nation's No. 1 defense and No. 8 offense. Texas Tech's only opponent of note so far this season has been Iowa State, but compared to last season, their defense is very much improved, regardless of the opposition.
Despite the tough matchup for the Sooners on paper, the biggest battle might be against themselves. OU has plenty of talent to beat Texas Tech, maybe even beat them handily. However, the issues, whether it be youth, inexperience, or lack of execution, have prevented the Sooners from translating that talent into results.
10/04/12 RELATED STORY: Taking A Hard Look At The Oklahoma Sooners' Offense
Saturday against Texas Tech, the Sooners' season hinges on whether or not OU can take the talent and find success on the field on both offense and defense. The Sooners weren't awful against Kanasas State two weeks ago, but they weren't good either, and most certainly would have lost to a large number of teams.
If OU is unable to figure things out and come out of Lubbock with a win, it's time to start sounding alarm bells in Norman. Texas Tech may prove to be a good team, but they are far from the best team OU will face this season.
However, even though things don't look very rosy for the Sooners at this point in the season, their record after a loss under Bob Stoops is very impressive. OU hasn't lost two consecutive regular season games since the 1999 season, Stoops' first in Norman.
The Sooners had a bye week to prepare for Texas Tech and find themselves as a team. The extra week should pay big dividends for OU, and help turn the season around for the Sooners.
Prediction: Oklahoma 31, Texas Tech 24
October 5th, 2012
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