Put the rankings aside and Texas and Texas Tech are in virtually the same position.

The No. 1 Longhorns and No. 6 Red Raiders meet Saturday in Lubbock, and a victory by Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree and Texas Tech would vault them into the national title discussion.

A victory might not lift the Red Raiders all the way to No. 1, but with games against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma on deck, plus a possible Big 12 title game down the road, Texas Tech is in as good shape as Texas to reach the BCS championship game IF it can win out.

For coach Mike Leach's Red Raiders, keeping their composure in what's being billed as the biggest game in the program's history might be as crucial as any of the Xs and Os Texas Tech's eccentric offensive mastermind can come up with.

The Red Raiders have been more of a novelty under Leach, putting up crazy passing stats and points but unable to unseat South Division powers Texas and Oklahoma at the top of the Big 12 pecking order.

Then there's the Heisman Trophy race.

While Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, and his 81 percent completion rate, currently holds the position of Heisman front-runner, Harrell's gaudy numbers will look far more impressive if he can knock off No. 1. Harrell for Heisman, anyone?

In the Deep South, Saturday's Florida-Georgia game was pegged as a critical game both nationally and in the Southeastern Conference well before the season started.

The subplot alone would make this interesting, even if it wasn't a matchup of top-10 teams.

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