NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP-CALIBER PLAY TODAY

Finally.......

A Texas Tech team rises to the challenge and plays up to expectations under the national spotlight.  The critics have been calling us out all year, as always, and to a certain extent they had a case to argue. 

Tech has perenially choked in big games where they needed to prove a point.  As much as it kills me to admit it, even the chronically delusional Beergut over at "I am the 12th Man" had a valid argument by prediciting

A loss to Kansas would show that "Typical Tech" is still alive and well.

Well, do you hear that?  The sweet sound of silence?  The critics have been silenced not by speculative predictions or strength of schedule or "tradition of winning" or anything else.  The critics have been silenced by a dominant performance on the football field.  And not just by our juggernaut offense but by our improved defense that no one wanted to believe existed.

But forget the critics, they've been wrong all year and now they'll jump on the bandwagon and say that Tech is for real.  The bigger picture here is an empty canvas signifying Tech's future and what can be accomplished.

Today we saw before our very eyes what we've been talking about being possible for years.  We saw the Texas Tech Red Raiders play up to FULL POTENTIAL. 

I really don't like to use the cliche, but we really were clicking on all cylinders today, and if we can somehow bring that intensity to the football field for the remainder of the season, this is a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP-CALIBER TEAM.  The talent is definitely there, with enough seniority and more than enough talent to fill virtually every position.  Its simpliy a matter of execution. 

Up to today's game, the execution has been poor.  Instead of overachieving like Tech teams have been doing for years, this year's immensely talented team had been underachieving horribly. 

And then, on October 26th, 2008, in Lawrence, Kansas, the sleeping giant was awoken and unleashed the full potential of its fury.  Complete, total, brutal domination. 

Touchdowns on 9 of 10 possessions.  556 total yards and 29 first downs.  2 forced and recoverd fumbles.  Three interceptions.  Constant pressure on the quarterback.

This Texas Tech team can beat ANYONE in this country if they play with the intensity and fire they showed today.  Its time we push the throttle to the limit and play every single down like it is the last. 

Ultimately our goal is a Big XII title and National Championship.  In order to achieve it, we have to play the remaining schedule with near perfection, something we have rarely seen at Tech.  If nothing else, today's game put  that perfection on a national stage and opened many people's eyes as to what this team is truly capable of.  Hopefully it will also infuse the confidence into this football team to steam roll with that same intensity from here on out.  If so, this is a very, very attainable goal.

Get those guns up, Raider faitfull, this is going to be a lot of fun.