No. 7 Texas plays its Big 12 regular-season finale against Texas Tech
Texas director of football performance Torre Becton warms up the team in the hallway before taking the field to compete against TCU in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas. Credit: AP/Ricardo B. Brazziell
Texas Tech (6-5, 5-3 Big 12) at No. 7 Texas (10-1, 7-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Line: Texas by 12 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Texas leads 54-18.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
If Texas wins, the Longhorns will be the home team in the Big 12 championship game and stay in contention for the four-team College Football Playoff. They would fall out of the playoff conversation with a loss, but likely would still get into the conference title game despite a number of potentially complicated tiebreaking scenarios. Texas Tech has a three-game winning streak.
KEY MATCHUP
Texas Tech RB Tahj Brooks ran for a career-best 182 yards last week against UCF and is second in the Big 12 with 122.5 yards per game. Texas leads the league and is fourth nationally, allowing 82.7 yards per game. Brooks has eight 100-yard games this season and a seven-game streak with a rushing TD. The Longhorns have allowed only six scores on the ground this season, and their last five opponents finished under 100 yards rushing. Iowa State's 9 yards last week were the fewest allowed by Texas since 2009.
Iowa State linebacker Will McLaughlin (23) tackles Texas running back CJ Baxter (4) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Ames, Iowa. Credit: AP/Matthew Putney
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Texas Tech: Sophomore QB Behren Morton has won all five games he has started and finished this season, completing 71% of his passes in those games with nine TDs and three interceptions. Three-year starter Tyler Shough, sidelined by a broken leg since September, said this week he is going into the transfer portal.
Texas: True freshman RB CJ Baxter ran for 117 yards against Iowa State, the first Longhorns' game since 1,000-yard rusher Jonathon Brooks tore the ACL in his right knee. It was the first 100-yard game for Baxter, who started the first two games of the season before being limited by rib and foot injuries. Brooks then had four consecutive 100-yard games to take over as the starter.
FACTS & FIGURES
There are no more scheduled games in the series that has been played every year since 1960, first in the Southwest Conference and then in the Big 12 since 1996. ... Texas kicker Bert Auburn has made 14 consecutive field goals and has 23 total makes this season. Both of those figures are one short of matching school records. ... The Red Raiders have won their last six November games, their longest stretch since seven in a row from 2002 to 2004.
