The Big 12 waited until Sunday to lock in the stage for what could turn into a shootout in Stillwater.
Oklahoma State and Texas Tech will kick off at 8:30 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN at Boone Pickens Stadium, a late-night slot for two teams that lit up the scoreboard in Week 10. The Cowboys enter at 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big 12 play, while the Red Raiders are 8-1 and 5-1 in the league.
The conference and its television partners held the announcement until Sunday, with most of the league sitting on a six-day hold to finalize the schedule. That delay came after Texas Tech’s game against West Virginia started at 8:30 p.m. central and stretched well past midnight eastern time.
The matchup has the look of one of the week’s most explosive games. Oklahoma State is coming off a 66-28 rout of Kansas State, a night in which the Cowboys piled up 49 first-half points and set a program record for points scored in Manhattan.
Caleb Hawkins crossed 1,000 rushing yards and scored four touchdowns, while Drew Mestemaker made Big 12 history by becoming the first player in the conference to throw four touchdown passes, rush for a touchdown and catch a touchdown pass in the same game. On the other side, LaDainian Fields picked off two passes and now leads the country with seven interceptions.
Texas Tech arrives after surviving West Virginia 53-48, a result that kept the Red Raiders in second place in the Big 12 after BYU’s loss to Utah on Saturday. Thomas Castellanos made his second straight start and delivered a big one, throwing five touchdown passes and running for 102 yards. J’Koby Williams added 160 rushing yards and a score.
Neither defense comes in spotless. Oklahoma State allowed 28 points to Kansas State, though it did hold the Wildcats under 400 total yards.
Texas Tech may present a tougher test after giving up 303 passing yards to Michael Hawkins and 149 rushing yards to Cam Cook in a game where West Virginia finished with 582 total yards. The Red Raiders, meanwhile, put up 638 yards of offense themselves.
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Still, the same depth that has boosted the Cowboys can also create some uncomfortable decisions once the season winds down. With roster spots getting tighter and playing time harder to come by, a few players could be weighing their options as they look for a clearer path, leaving Oklahoma State to manage not just the gains of its turnaround but the possible fallout from it. [Read more 🡒]