NORMAN, Okla. — Back in Lubbock, watching this football game could be the most exciting thing to happen since they put up the Buddy Holly statue.

It's the Oklahoma Sooners vs. the team formerly known as the Texas Technological College Matadors here Saturday night. The Texas Tech Raiders, they go by now, and they have never had an opportunity like this one.

Simple. If No. 2 Texas Tech beats Oklahoma, the Red Raiders should pass Alabama and be No. 1. Doesn't matter which top 10 list. AP, USA TODAY, BCS, FBI.

There might be Crimson Tide arguments from the Southeastern Conference section, where the league's opinion of itself is higher than a 60-yard punt. The SEC does not hear the word "no" very often.

But sorry.

A Texas Tech victory would mean it has beaten four straight ranked opponents — who came to the table with a combined 30-4 record. The Red Raiders scored 158 points against the first three, by the way.

A Texas Tech victory would mean its record for the season is now 11-0 and Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops' record at home is no longer 59-2.

A Texas Tech victory would mean the Red Raiders are in the express carpool lane to the national championship game. If that doesn't make tailgaters in more famous locales drop their bratwursts, they need to take a look at the football pedigree of the school from Lubbock.

Never finished a season ranked in the top 10.

Never had a player finish in the top three in the Heisman voting.

Never played in one of the four bowls that currently make up the BCS.

Never beaten USC or Ohio State or Alabama or Penn State. Never even played Michigan or Notre Dame or Florida. The Red Raiders have more all-time wins over Abilene Christian (six) than they have over Oklahoma (four).

One conference title in the past 31 years — a five-way tie in a league (the Southwest) that doesn't even exist anymore.

Doesn't quite sound like the king of the college football jungle, does it?

The horizons expanded with the arrival of the guy with the law degree who never played college football. That'd be Mike Leach, who takes his X's and his O's and turns the passing game into a Fourth of July fireworks show.

The mad scientist arrived in Lubbock in 2000. In the nearly nine seasons since, Texas Tech quarterbacks have passed for more than 24 MILES. His offense has given the faithful lots of laughs, such as 75-7 over Northwestern State, 80-21 over Sam Houston State. And the day that will live in infamy in Lincoln — 70-10 over Nebraska.

But all that has been the lead-in for now. Texas Tech is no longer a novelty act. It is very close to becoming a prime national championship contender in a sport where the usual elite hardly ever are forced to allow newcomers into the inner sanctum of the top five.

All the Red Raiders need do is survive Saturday night, which has the looks of something between a western shootout and a 4X100 relay.

Between them, Texas Tech and Oklahoma average more than 99 points a game.

Their quarterbacks — Graham Harrell for the Red Raiders, Sam Bradford for the Sooners — have combined to throw 74 touchdown passes with only 11 interceptions.

Clearly, this is a good place for a critical game. There are reports in the Oklahoma City newspaper that state officials might try to persuade more uninsured citizens to buy health insurance — by threatening to take away their Oklahoma football season tickets.

Ouch. But there is a more urgent worry: The visitors from Lubbock have scored 66 touchdowns in 10 games, but punted only 18 times.

Those are showy numbers from a program with an unassuming past. But by Saturday midnight, the whole college football world could be looking up at Texas Tech.