Look for Texas Tech coach Mike Leach to receive some sort of upbraid from the Big 12 Conference after he used most of his 20-minute, two-part postgame news conference beefing about the officiating in Saturday’s 59-43 loss to Texas.

Leach went a lot farther than after last year’s 35-31 loss to Texas, when he sent a videotape to the league office containing 18 plays on which Tech staffers disagreed with calls or non-calls. This time, Leach used words like bias and incompetence.

Leach said the way the Big 12 goes about officiating needs a major overhaul, including not allowing officials to call games of their hometown teams and bringing in crew members from faraway places to guard against perceived biases.

It was all very measured, very controlled – and even a little bit funny at one point. Leach spent a couple of minutes saying he was going to go off on officiating. At that point, he amused the pack when someone prompted him with a question.

“Are you gonna misbehave?’’ Leach asked in kidding fashion. “You don’t want to be dismissed, do ya? This is pretty good. This is as good as it gets. I mean, hang on to your seat here.’’

Leach detailed his grievances, glancing often at his play sheet, and retreated to the locker room, but that wasn’t the end of it. After one or two of his players had spoken, out came Leach again to rail against the video review system, calling it “a sham.’’

“That either needs to be done away with, or it needs to be done correctly,’’ Leach said. “It’s a brother-in-law process that makes the officials look like they get the calls right and everybody’s doing a great job of working. I’m tired of the way that we pretend we’re actually reviewing plays closely. I’m tired of the way that as soon as somebody’s about to challenge a play that they immediately review it, so that the officials can look correct like they’re cleaning their own house.’’

There were five plays reviewed in Saturday's game.

Texas Tech botches a pop-up kickoff and UT recovers at the Tech 32, setting up a Jamaal Charles 24-yard touchdown. Tech comes right back with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Graham Harrell to Ed Britton with Britton going up and catching it over UT cornerback Deon Beasley.

Charles now has 16 carries for 159 yards. Harrell is 20 of 21 for 185 yards and two TDs.

Through three possessions apiece, Texas leads 21-10. Texas RB Jamaal Charles has 14 carries for 127 yards. Tech QB Graham Harrell is 15 of 16 for 122 yards.

Alex Trlica hits a 35-yard field goal with 6:56 left in the first quarter, pulling Texas Tech within 7-3. It's the 44th of Trlica's career, breaking the schol record he shared coming into the game with Blade Adams (1977-79).

Texas has had several concerns lately: sloppy tackling, turnovers on offense, injuries and the Longhorns haven't played that well at home this season.

With that said, I'm not expecting a Tech upset today. The Red Raiders aren't exactly known for slowing down running backs on a roll. UT has that, plus it's the final home game for 25 Longhorns seniors.

So the prediction today is Texas 41, Tech 24.

Two Texas newspapers reported Thursday night that Guy Morriss won't return next season as Baylor head coach. That's nothing to celebrate. Morriss always struck me as an unpolished, likable character.

As for his losing record, he was stuck with the task of trying to beat full houses and three-ace hands with an occasional pair of 4s.

But the Bears shouldn't have hired him in the first place. If Baylor alum Hayden Fry expressed interest in the job five years ago -- and published reports indicate he did -- the Bears should have brought Fry back home to Texas.

It wouldn't be the worst thing they could do now. What, you say? He's 78? Well, Bobby Bowden, by coincidence, turned 78 Thursday. And how many candles is Joe Paterno due on his next cake? 81.

Aside from the fact that Fry won 232 games and is a College Football Hall of Famer, try to name another coach in the last quarter century who has had more shiny apples come off his coaching tree.

The list starts this way: OU coach Bob Stoops. Former Kansas State coach Bill Snyder. Former Iowa State coach Dan McCarney. Former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez. Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. South Florida coach Jim Leavitt. Arizona coach Mike Stoops. San Diego State coach Chuck Long. Every one either played for or coached under Fry.

What that list tells me is Fry knew a thing or two about coaching his coaches. If I'd have been Baylor decision makers back in 2002, I would have offered Fry the job, then trusted him to assemble another killer staff, the likes of which he put together at Iowa. When he moved on, presumably you'd have had a few candidates, developed from within, to take over.

Like buying lottery tickets, the more you have, the more chances to win. That's how Fry was in grooming coaches.

Never happen now, I realize. But the Bears have gone with more conventional options their last few hires, and where has it gotten them?

I heard Mel Kiper Jr. on the radio Thursday night say, "I'd like to pick Texas Tech, but I don't trust them. They've laid some eggs this season.''

And, then a moment later, Mel said, "If you put a gun to my head, I'll pick Texas Tech.''

So I think Mel says Tech beating the Longhorns in Austin this weekend is a definite maybe.

Hey. That's a more optimistic view than quite a few Tech supporters I've heard from this week.

My radio colleague Ryan Hyatt made the point Tuesday that there's not the buzz around Lubbock that a person might expect for this weekend's Tech-Texas game. I can't disagree. People don't seem to be frothing at the mouth this week the way they do during A&M week.

Why is that, would you say?

Two thoughts:

--The atmosphere might be different if not for that two-game losing streak ... if Tech were a 9-1 team going to Austin.

--The Longhorns aren't the Aggies in the eyes of Tech fans. They don't engender as much passion and ill will, regardless of the stakes.

Tech linebacker Kellen Tillman, who you'll remember was suspended in October and missed three games, came off the practice field Tuesday wearing a No. 2 jersey.

Don't know what to make of that. A show of solidarity for deposed starters?

Shannon Woods remains on the field, by the way, just on the scout team.

Shannon Woods' being in the doghouse the last two weeks has obscured the growing sense that Mike Leach isn't feeling fond of his kicker right now either. Alex Trlica, same guy who made victories against UTEP and Minnesota possible last year with long clutch field goals, is six for his last 13.

He had two more misses in three tries Saturday, and Leach's comments since indicate a coach losing patience.

"The special teams (coaches) will handle all that,'' Leach said Monday. "But yeah, he needs to start making these things. If he doesn’t, we’re going to go for it on fourth down.''

As if Mike needs an engraved invitation to bypass field goal tries for fourth-down daring anyway.