By Don Williams | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Jones AT&T Stadium is sold out for the fifth home game in a row and, just like last week, wild-eyed fans are expected to show up dressed in black.

Today’s 7 p.m. game between No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 2 Texas Tech represents the first time the Red Raiders have been involved in back-to-back contests matching top-10 teams.

Dez Bryant

The opening feature on that home double bill went fine as far as the Red Raiders were concerned – they outplayed No. 1 Texas for three quarters, then won on a last-second touchdown pass in front of a record crowd and a national television audience.

After such an emotional week that included a first-time visit from ESPN’s “College GameDay” show, will keeping their play at the same high level be a problem?

“I hope it’s not, but you worry,” Tech coach Mike Leach said. “I just think we’ve got to be disciplined, and we’ve got to take pride in the process. We’ve got to keep doing the same stuff, and the players have to be committed to doing it, too.”

Tech (9-0, 5-0 in the Big 12 Conference) is trying to protect a one-game lead in the Big 12 South over three top-10 teams. If the Raiders don’t prevail against Oklahoma State (8-1, 4-1), there’s a good chance the day will end with a four-way logjam atop the division.

Worse for the Raiders, a loss knocks them out of an inside track to the BCS national championship game two months down the road.

“No one here is complacent,” Tech senior tackle Rylan Reed said. “It’s a great win (over Texas), but it’s all for nothing if we don’t do it again this week.”

Tech has won eight straight home night games, including two over top-five opposition. The Raiders often feel an extra boost playing after dark in front of their lively student crowd – a group that rushed the field three teams last week before the game actually ended.

“This is Jones Stadium, and the best, craziest fans are on our side again this week,” Reed said.

The Raiders can’t necessarily bank on the Cowboys being bothered by that. Oklahoma State validated itself in recent weeks with solid performances on the road – a 28-23 upset at Missouri when the Tigers were ranked No. 3 and a 28-24 loss at Texas.

“I think our team is more mature,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “You never know what’s going to happen in games like this. Nobody does. But do I feel better about our approach and where we’re at as a team right now and the maturity? Yes.”

One of Tech’s student fans, Matt Williams, has come down out of the bleachers to help the team’s kicking problems this season. It probably wouldn’t hurt if the Raiders had an extra body or two to defend an Oklahoma State team that’s fifth in the nation in rushing, fifth in scoring and second in passing efficiency with quarterback Zac Robinson.

Of Big 12 rushing leader Kendall Hunter, Tech safety Daniel Charbonnet said, “I think this is probably the best running back we’ve faced so far. They do a really good job of getting him into open spaces.”

OSU wide receiver Dez Bryant is built a lot like Tech’s Mike Crabtree and is tied with him with a nation-leading 15 touchdown catches.

“He’s done some amazing things this year,” Tech safety Darcel McBath said. “Some of the catches he’s made are unbelievable.”

If both offenses get their nine-game averages, the final score would be 47-45 in Tech’s favor. That would come as a surprise to virtually no one considering Oklahoma State won 49-45 last year in Stillwater, Okla.

Tech changed defensive coordinators the day after that game, though, and has been on the upswing since with Ruffin McNeill directing the defense for the last 18 games.

“From the beginning, I think he inspired the group,” Leach said. “I think our effort was way more inspired once Ruffin took over. We were a young team defensively and we’re still young now, but I think they’ve gotten better. They haven’t just gotten better as far as their individual abilities, but they’ve gotten better as a unit.

Oklahoma State at Texas TechCOVERAGE

Radio: 4 p.m. on KKAM (1340 AM); 6 p.m. on other Texas Tech Sports Network stations.

TV: ABC (channel 28; Suddenlink Cable channel 8). Brent Musburger (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) and Lisa Salters (sidelines) comprise the broadcast crew.

RECORDS

Oklahoma State 8-1, 4-1 in Big 12 Conference; Texas Tech 9-0, 5-0

TICKETS

Sold out.

FAST FACTS

Texas Tech has been 9-0 only once before, in 1938, when the Red Raiders made it to 10-0. … Oklahoma State last reached 9-1 in 1984. … Tech has 24 rushing touchdowns, one short of the single-season best in Mike Leach’s nine years as head coach. … OSU had its all-time longest pass play last week, a 95-yard touchdown from Zac Robinson to Jeremy Broadway against Iowa State. … Tech is 31-5 at Jones AT&T Stadium since 2003. The winning percentage of .861 is ninth best nationally during that time. … OSU, which won on Oct. 11 at then-No.3 Missouri, is trying to beat more than one top-10 team in the same season for the first time since the Cowboys beat three in 1976. … Tech has rushed for at least 100 yards nine games in a row, the longest such streak since 1979, according to athletic department research.

FORECAST

Clear. Temperature around 60 degree at kickoff, dropping to low 50s or high 40s by game’s end. South southeast winds from 5 to 10 mph. No precipitation.

NEXT FOR TECH

The Red Raiders have an open date next week, then play No. 6 Oklahoma on Nov. 22 in Norman, Okla. The television coverage for the game will be announced Monday.