By Wendell Barnhouse
Big 12 Sports.com Correspondent
LUBBOCK, Texas - Same time, another Saturday Night Lights in West Texas.
Same channel, ABC was on hand to televise the game to 82 percent of the country (the other 18 percent got to watch paint dry: USC 17, California 3).
Same result, a Texas Tech victory.
A week after beating a No. 1 team for the first time in their history and rising to No. 2 in the Bowl championship Series rankings, the Red Raiders had little trouble breathing the thin air that comes with such lofty accomplishments.
Texas Tech is 10-0 for only the first time since 1938 thanks to its easier-than-expected 56-20 triumph over eighth-ranked Oklahoma State (8-2, 4-2).
Unlike last week's second-to-spare victory over Texas, there was no high anxiety, no need for the students to rush the field. The only drama at Jones AT&T Stadium occurred about an hour and 20 minutes before the game. The video board showed Penn State (No. 3 in the BCS) losing to Iowa on a last-second field goal and No. 1 Alabama surviving at LSU in overtime.
Those outcomes improved the chances that the national championship game could match the champions of the Southeastern and Big 12 conferences.
It's looking more and more like Texas Tech could be the Big 12 representative. Not that coach Mike Leach and his crew of pirates are paying attention to outside distractions.
"People are waiting for us to trip up," said senior free safety Darcel McBath, the voice of Texas Tech's underrated defense.
"This says a lot about this team," said quarterback Graham Harrell, who tied his career high with six touchdown passes. "A lot of people picked us to lose, thought we'd be riding high after the Texas game. We put games behind us.
"Being 10-0 is great, but we know we have two regular-season games ahead of us. We want to be 12-0. That's our goal."
The Red Raiders spotted the visitors an early 7-0 lead and then did what they do best. And that would be executing the offense with the precision of an atomic clock.
Harrell, who completed 40-of-50 passes for 456 yards, helped Texas Tech build a 21-7 lead with 10:56 remaining in the second quarter. At that point, Harrell was 20-of-25 for 196 yards and the Red Raiders had 240 total yards.
The offensive efficiency led to touchdowns on seven consecutive possessions. Punter Jonathan LaCour never got on the field.
Oklahoma State, which won at No. 2 Missouri and lost at No. 1 Texas by four points, moved its defenders, disguised coverages, faked blitzes, blitzed and nothing worked.
"When we pressured (Harrell) he made plays and when we didn't pressure him he made plays," said a perplexed Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Tim Beckman.
Oklahoma State's four aces - quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter, receiver Dez Bryant and tight end Brandon Pettigrew - were trumped. The Cowboys were averaging 512 yards and 45 points a game.
"There's not much to say," said Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, whose team had 368 yards in total offense. "It's pretty obvious. We got dominated in all three phases of the game. We lost the game as a group. We were out-coached and out-played. We couldn't slow 'em down or get 'em out of their rhythm."
Texas Tech lost at Oklahoma State 49-45 last season. The Cowboys amassed 610 yards in total offense and had three - three - players gain over 100 yards rushing.
Since then, the Red Raiders' defense has been transformed. Ruffin McNeil took over as defensive coordinator after the Stillwater Shellacking and the results have been profound.
In 19 games since the switch, Texas Tech is allowing an average of 22 points and 330 yards per game and have forced 35 turnovers. The Red Raiders' worst defensive performance during that span was giving up 59 points and 551 yards to Texas last season.
The last two weeks against Texas and Oklahoma State Texas Tech has held those productive offenses under 375 total yards.
"Our defense is never mentioned in the same breath with our offense," McNeil said. "Our offense is so consistent. That's where we're trying to get. Before this game, we told our kids to keep attacking for 60 minutes and just do your job."
Since 1965, only one team has beaten a No. 1 team and then the next week defeated a team ranked in the top 10. That happened in 1984 when Oklahoma knocked off top-ranked Nebraska and then defeated third-ranked Oklahoma State.
Texas Tech's next game is at Oklahoma on Nov. 22. How convenient.