Texas searches for history against Texas Tech
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:15 pm1. During the past three weeks, Texas has beaten No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 11 Missouri and No. 7 Oklahoma State. It's the first time since 1983 (Auburn) that a team has beaten three Associated Press poll top-12 opponents in consecutive weeks. The Longhorns are preparing to face No. 6 Texas Tech on Saturday.
This makes Texas the ninth team in AP poll history (since 1936) to face a top-12 opponent in four straight weeks. With a win Saturday, the Horns will become only the second team ever to beat a top-12 squad four weeks in a row. Notre Dame did it in 1943, beating No. 3 Navy (Oct. 30), No. 3 Army (Nov. 6), No. 8 Northwestern (Nov. 13) and No. 2 Iowa Pre-Flight (Nov. 20). But then, the No. 1 Irish ran out of gas. On Nov. 27, they lost to unranked Naval Station Great Lakes.
2. Alabama's winning streak would reach 10 games with a victory against Arkansas State on Saturday -- the 21st winning streak of 10 games or more in Crimson Tide history. That's easily the most 10-game winning streaks in major college football. Texas also has a chance to win its 10th straight game on Saturday. A win would move the Longhorns into sole possession of fourth on the all-time list of winning streaks of more than 10 games.
Most Winning Streaks of 10 or More Games (FBS history)
Team Streak
Alabama (can add another 10-game streak Saturday) 20
Michigan 16
Nebraska 16
Notre Dame 14
Ohio State 14
Penn State 14
Texas (can add another 10-game streak Saturday) 14
USC 14
3. Oklahoma linebacker Ryan Reynolds went down with a knee injury on the second drive of the second half in the Oct. 11 game against Texas. Since then, the OU defense has offered only marginal resistance to its opponents. Without Reynolds, the Sooners have allowed 36.4 points and 522.0 yards per four quarters.
Oklahoma's Defense Since Ryan Reynolds' Injury
Quarters 10
Plays 190 (includes drive on which he was injured)
Yards allowed 1,305
Yards per play 6.9
Points allowed 91
4. Tulsa easily leads the nation in offense. The team averages 55.6 points per game and has scored at least 56 points five times already. The NCAA record for average points per game in a season is 56.0 by Army in 1944. That record could be within reach for the Golden Hurricane, given the defensive rankings of their remaining opponents. Starting with Arkansas this Saturday, Tulsa will play its final four regular-season games against teams that don't rank among the top 70 nationally in defense.
Tulsa's Remaining Opponents
Scoring Defensive Rankings
Arkansas 102
Houston 85
Tulane 80
Marshall 74
Highest Scoring Average (NCAA major college history)
Year Team PPG
1944 Army 56.0
*2008 Tulsa 55.6 (through eight games)
1989 Houston 53.5
1995 Nebraska 52.4
1983 Nebraska 52.0
2005 Texas 50.2
5. Ole Miss (4-4) will host Auburn on Saturday and can take a major step toward bowl eligibility with a win. But that's not the only reason a victory would be huge for the Rebels. Ole Miss, which beat Arkansas this past Saturday, has a chance to win consecutive games in the same season for the first time since October 2004. That's the longest such drought among all 119 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (120 if you include transitional Western Kentucky).
This makes Texas the ninth team in AP poll history (since 1936) to face a top-12 opponent in four straight weeks. With a win Saturday, the Horns will become only the second team ever to beat a top-12 squad four weeks in a row. Notre Dame did it in 1943, beating No. 3 Navy (Oct. 30), No. 3 Army (Nov. 6), No. 8 Northwestern (Nov. 13) and No. 2 Iowa Pre-Flight (Nov. 20). But then, the No. 1 Irish ran out of gas. On Nov. 27, they lost to unranked Naval Station Great Lakes.
2. Alabama's winning streak would reach 10 games with a victory against Arkansas State on Saturday -- the 21st winning streak of 10 games or more in Crimson Tide history. That's easily the most 10-game winning streaks in major college football. Texas also has a chance to win its 10th straight game on Saturday. A win would move the Longhorns into sole possession of fourth on the all-time list of winning streaks of more than 10 games.
Most Winning Streaks of 10 or More Games (FBS history)
Team Streak
Alabama (can add another 10-game streak Saturday) 20
Michigan 16
Nebraska 16
Notre Dame 14
Ohio State 14
Penn State 14
Texas (can add another 10-game streak Saturday) 14
USC 14
3. Oklahoma linebacker Ryan Reynolds went down with a knee injury on the second drive of the second half in the Oct. 11 game against Texas. Since then, the OU defense has offered only marginal resistance to its opponents. Without Reynolds, the Sooners have allowed 36.4 points and 522.0 yards per four quarters.
Oklahoma's Defense Since Ryan Reynolds' Injury
Quarters 10
Plays 190 (includes drive on which he was injured)
Yards allowed 1,305
Yards per play 6.9
Points allowed 91
4. Tulsa easily leads the nation in offense. The team averages 55.6 points per game and has scored at least 56 points five times already. The NCAA record for average points per game in a season is 56.0 by Army in 1944. That record could be within reach for the Golden Hurricane, given the defensive rankings of their remaining opponents. Starting with Arkansas this Saturday, Tulsa will play its final four regular-season games against teams that don't rank among the top 70 nationally in defense.
Tulsa's Remaining Opponents
Scoring Defensive Rankings
Arkansas 102
Houston 85
Tulane 80
Marshall 74
Highest Scoring Average (NCAA major college history)
Year Team PPG
1944 Army 56.0
*2008 Tulsa 55.6 (through eight games)
1989 Houston 53.5
1995 Nebraska 52.4
1983 Nebraska 52.0
2005 Texas 50.2
5. Ole Miss (4-4) will host Auburn on Saturday and can take a major step toward bowl eligibility with a win. But that's not the only reason a victory would be huge for the Rebels. Ole Miss, which beat Arkansas this past Saturday, has a chance to win consecutive games in the same season for the first time since October 2004. That's the longest such drought among all 119 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (120 if you include transitional Western Kentucky).
