The cards, they never lie. Carnac the Red is feeling in quite high spirits this morning after Tech’s showing on Saturday, but fate never waits.

This Saturday we find. . .
The Wheel of Fortune.

This card usually appears after a change in life station, whether it be positioning or fortune, good or bad.

Texas Tech finds itself ranked for the first time in years, and is definitely playing with house money against West Virginia. The defense seems to have stepped up to what we all expected them to be this offseason, playing lights out for the past 3 halves. Youth is the movement, with standout performances from Alan Bowman, Ta’Zhawn Henry, Sarodorick Thompson, and Adrian Frye. The word is still out on what that Oklahoma State team is after playing 2 teams of 22 cardboard standups in non-conference play before housing Boise State, but don’t let anyone undersell the accomplishment: beating Oklahoma State (and a ranked one at that) for the first time in 10 years and the first time in Stillwater in 17 years is big time for this program. We grabbed a win that wasn’t totally expected, and this team is starting to look distinctly different from what we’ve seen the past 5 years. They finish.

As for West Virginia, Will Grier wisely made the right call in transferring from a Florida team where he would never gain traction to a Dana Holgorsen West Virgina offense more friendly to his talents (and Heisman hopes). While I was skeptical on the Grier hype coming into the season, he’s done nothing to prove me right, lighting up opposing defenses with relative ease. The opener against Tennessee may have been their stoutest competition yet, and Kansas State put up a good fight, but the Mountaineers have done nothing to cast doubt on their 12 ranking. If Tech plays at home the way they did in Stillwater, there’s plenty to be optimistic about. The Jones has a reputation to restore.