Originally Posted by
kiknit
Texas Tech ended the season ranked 8th in the country in passing offense...which is actually the norm for them over the last couple of years. From '2002-2009, Tech has ranked #1, #1, #1, #1, #3, #1, #1, & #3 in passing Offense with a string of good passers: Kingsbury, Symons, Crumbie, Hodges, Graham, and now Potts. They finished with the 6th, 4th, 8th, 4th, 13th, 7th, 3rd, & 8th ranked team in scoring offense, this year they fell to 34th, scoring more than 35 pts just 3 times in lined games. QB Potts has thrown for 3,357 yds, 66%, and 31TD to just 9INTs (462 yds, 4 TDs vs Baylor) and Techs running game is 57 ypg better than LY (vs MichiganSt in the Alamo Bowl 41-31 for their first cover since 2004). They did hit a rough patch against Texas, Oklahoma State, & Oklahoma, but today sets up good for them.
Northwestern is playing in their 3rd straight bowl - having taken Missouri and Auburn to the last few minutes of the 4th quarter before losses (6 & 5 pt covers). They opened at 5-0 and were ranked 25th but that was it...ending the season at 7-5 with 1 win against an Illinois St team and 5 vs squads with a combined record of 17-43. Highlight of the season was the comeback win over Iowa (ranked 13th a the time) with QB Persa throwing for 2 TDs in the final 6:21 but he ruptured his Achilles following the final TD pass and that was it for Northwestern (Persa ended with 2,571 PYs, 76%, 15TD/4INT and 519 RYs (9 TDS) and 10th best rated QB in the nation). Northwestern finished out the season with 48-27 & 70-23 losses.
I know double digit bowl spreads are tough (line opened at 10 some places) but now that its down to 7.5 I think the Texas Tech Offense behind Potts is just too much for a Northwestern D that has been exposed and a lacking Northwestern O without Persa.
Texas Tech 45, Northwestern 20...just my $0.02