'We Control Everything!' Texas Tech Makes Top 10 in New AP Rankings

LUBBOCK - Texas Tech's late-night fireworks Saturday night to defeat West Virginia 53-48 have resulted in the Red Raiders rising in both national rankings going into the final three weeks of the season.

As unveiled Sunday afternoon, Texas Tech sits at No. 10 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the US LBM Coaches Poll.

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Aside from the Red Raiders' high-powered offensive showing, the biggest conference result came from the Holy War matchup in Salt Lake City.

Utah defeated BYU 28-20, and the Utes have risen to No. 2 in the rankings, joining just one other undefeated team (UCLA ranks No. 4). The Cougars slid from No. 9 to 12 in both polls.

Now, the Red Raiders, at 8-1 and 5-1 in Big 12 play, sit second in the conference standings.

Joey McGuire knows his team's destiny lies in its own hands.

"Whenever Utah did win, that put us back in the boat that we control everything," McGuire said postgame. "So, we got to be ready for a great Oklahoma State team."

McGuire continued his rhetoric about whether the College Football Playoff will debate giving a 3-loss SEC team an at-large selection over a 1-loss Big 12 team.

"That's gonna be interesting what people do," he said.

Next week, it's a matchup against an explosive Cowboys offense that is receiving votes in both national rankings. Oklahoma State is coming off a 66-28 win on the road over Kansas State.

The Cowboys (6-3, 4-2 Big 12) are favored by three points over the Red Raiders ahead of their Nov. 14 meeting in Stillwater.

McGuire raved about OSU star Drew Mestemaker, a presumptive top quarterback selection in the upcoming NFL Draft.

"He is really good," McGuire said. "They [also] got a great running back, really good receiver... Oklahoma State's one of the best in the country on offense. ... Eric [Morris] has got their offense really rolling, and at different times they've played really good defense, so it's probably going to be a slugfest next week, too, at Oklahoma State."

"We're playing there, so we've got to go 1-0."

Texas Tech visits Baylor and returns home to face TCU in the last two games of the regular season. Assuming Utah wins out, the Red Raiders can book their ticket back to Arlington by ending the regular season 11-1.

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"So, it's going to be a war every week, but I think it's going to be like that, you know, all the way throughout the country," McGuire added. "Man, there's big games ... every single week in college football right now, anybody can beat anybody."

That includes the newly top-10-ranked Red Raiders getting an "upset" as road underdogs next week.