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OU out of title race

Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree evades an Oklahoma defender. The Red Raiders upset the Sooners.Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press The Spokesman-Review
Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree evades an Oklahoma defender. The Red Raiders upset the Sooners.Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

LUBBOCK, Texas – OU is out.

Graham Harrell and Texas Tech knocked No. 3 Oklahoma out of the national title chase Saturday night with a 34-27 victory.

Harrell threw for 420 yards and two touchdowns for the Red Raiders (8-4, 4-4 Big 12) and for the 11th time this season a top-five team lost to an unranked team.

Tech fans stormed the field after the win, the second straight in Lubbock for coach Mike Leach over Sooners coach Bob Stoops, his former boss at OU.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Harrell, who completed 47 of his career-high 72 passes. “We came out and executed. Coach Leach told us if we executed we could move the ball. That’s exactly what we did.”

With Oregon losing on Thursday, the Sooners (9-2, 5-2 Big 12), who were fourth in the latest BCS standings, appeared to be in good shape to play for a national title if they could have won out.

Who benefits from the Sooners’ slip, combined with the Ducks’ fall? Ohio State can start thinking national title again as it watches other contenders play out the rest of the season. The Buckeyes are in the clubhouse at 11-1 after beating Michigan 14-3 early Saturday. West Virginia also has fewer teams to jump over.

The Sooners failed to get on track after quarterback Sam Bradford left the game in the first quarter with an apparent concussion. He did not return.

Oklahoma offense came up feeble on all fronts, falling short of its season averages in rushing and scoring.

The loss put OU in a tie with No. 12 Texas for the Big 12 South title, but the Sooners have the head-to-head edge, having beaten the Longhorns in October, and can clinch a spot in the conference championship game with a victory next week against Oklahoma State.

If the Sooners can get back to the title game, they’ll face the winner of Kansas-Missouri.

Oklahoma backup Joey Halzle, who had attempted just nine passes before coming into the game, struggled to lead the Sooners, going 21 of 41 for 291 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and had one interception.

OU came into the game averaging 191 rushing yards and 45 points, but scored only two offensive TDs, the defense got another, and ran for 106 yards. By the time the Sooners scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to make it 34-27, it was too late.

Texas Tech recovered an onside kick with less than half a minute left and the upset was complete.