Tag: Texas Tech Football

Nightmare scenarios for every Big 12 football team

We look at what could derail every Big 12 team’s season in 2023.

We have arrived to fall camp for college football teams across the country. For the most part, we have a solid grasp of what each team has and much of each team’s capabilities.

While several teams enter the season with high expectations, some teams are going to suffer disappointment. For the better part of a decade, that’s been the case for the team on the Forty Acres.

The expectation for Texas is a 10-win season and a Big 12 title berth. I have the Longhorns going 10-2. For context, Texas fell one game below (8-4) of my record prediction (9-3) last season. There are multiple games that could spoil Texas’ bid for 10 wins.

The team’s first test involves facing the Alabama Crimson Tide on the road. While the Tide is a shell of its 2020 self, and that’s really inarguable, winning in Tuscaloosa will be no small task.

Let’s look at nightmare scenarios for every Big 12 team.

Big 12 headlines the Top 20 games of Week 2

The Big 12 has ten of the Top 20 games of Week 2 this season.

Week 2 is perhaps the most exciting week of the college football season. The week traditionally brings some of the best nonconference games of the year. This year the Big 12 boasts some of the best games.

College football analytics expert Kelley Ford has put out the Top 20 games of the week. The Big 12 conference will participate in ten of those 20 games. The league’s barnburner of a slate includes Ford’s three best games. Texas and Alabama check in at No. 1 with Oregon at Texas Tech and Utah at Baylor not far behind.

It’s a huge week for the conference in setting its 2023 perception for bowl season. A strong week could secure a playoff spot for the league’s top team.

Here’s a look at Ford’s 20 best games of the second week of the season.

Challenging accepted perceptions about each Big 12 contender

Will teams revert to what they always have been the last decade? We discuss why that’s not necessarily the case.

Perception is not always reality. That’s certainly the case of the Big 12 heading into the 2023 season. Rarely do the preseason predictions tell the story of the regular season, and that’s probably the case this season.

Texas hopes it is safe from that reality, as it has seen several first-place predictions to win its league. It could be difficult to mess up this opportunity. The Longhorns bring back 10 of 11 offensive starters. Respected voices that dismiss that fact likely reside somewhere just north of the Red River.

Some have already decided the Longhorns are built to fold like teams in recent memory without simply looking at the current roster. No other team can boast a lineup of more proven players than Texas boasts.

Texas’ list of irrefutably proven commodities includes Ja’Tavion Sanders, Xavier Worthy, Kelvin Banks, Jaylan Ford, Jahdae Barron, Jalen Catalon, Ryan Watts, Jerrin Thompson, AD Mitchell, Jordan Whittington and Christian Jones. Several others have played well on the field. That number of truly proven players is unmatched by any Longhorns team in recent memory.

With that in mind, let’s challenge a few other preconceived notions about Big 12 contenders.

Red flags for Big 12 contenders heading into fall camp

We discuss our biggest red flag for Big 12 contenders.

We’re a couple weeks away from the beginning of fall camp. With that come several questions about Big 12 teams.

Big 12 contenders have less questions heading into the year, but still have uncertainty of their own. Some contenders are more predictable than others.

If you put Texas in another uniform, it would almost certainly have the least amount of questions. The losses of running backs Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson loom large for the team. Nevertheless, while the running back position is important, it certainly bears less positional importance than every other offensive position than tight end.

Texas is as good and proven at wide receiver, offensive line and tight end as it has been since the middle of the Mack Brown era. That’s really inarguable. The team likely has its best secondary since 2017. Even so, there are flaws on the team.

Let’s uncover the biggest red flag for Big 12 contenders heading into 2023.

David Smoak ranks Texas and Oklahoma Top 3 in the Big 12 this season

SicEm 365 host David Smoak has Texas as the top team in the Big 12 with Oklahoma and Kansas State just behind.

Texas hype has reached Waco. Legendary 365 Sports host David Smoak is predicting the Texas Longhorns as the top team in the Big 12.

Smoak has been cautious about picking Texas in the past and with good reason. More often than not over the past 14 seasons, the Longhorns have found ways to disappoint. This team appears to be different to those who primarily cover teams other than Texas in the Big 12.

Perhaps the most well-known voice of 365 Sports has the Longhorns battling with Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech for a trip to the Big 12 championship game. Those four teams appear to be the accepted top four in the league.

Here’s a look at some of the quotes from David Smoak, Craig Smoak and Paul Catalina on Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Texas Tech.

Wyoming Football: First Look At The Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Cowboys get a chance to make a big statement when they open 2023 against the Red Raiders. Here’s a first look at Texas Tech.

Wyoming Football: First Look at the Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Cowboys get a chance to make a big statement when they open 2023 against the Red Raiders. Here’s a first look at Texas Tech.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

Laradise will host a Big 12 dark horse.

Wyoming Football: First Look at 2023 Non-conference Opponents

Texas Tech | Portland State | Texas | Appalachian State

The Wyoming Cowboys have a big 2023 football season ahead of them, beginning with a big home test in Week 1 against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

As it happens, the visitors are aiming high headed into the fall, as well: After winning eight games for the first time since 2013, Texas Tech has its eyes on competing for a conference championship and won’t take anything for granted.

Location: Lubbock, Texas

Conference: Big 12

Series History: Wyoming leads the all-time series against Texas Tech, 3-2.

2022 Record: 8-5 (5-4 Big 12)

Head Coach: Joey McGuire (second year, 8-5 overall). Former Utah State head coach Matt Wells got the axe near the end of the 2021 season and was ultimately replaced by McGuire, a Texas native intimately familiar with football in the state as both a former high school coach and former assistant at Baylor. His first year at the helm certainly didn’t lack for drama, as the Red Raiders beat both Texas and Oklahoma in the same year for the first time ever and finished 4-0 in games decided by eight points or fewer.

Key Players

Jaylon Hutchings, DT

Wyoming fans certainly appreciate a quality defensive tackle, so they’ll be keenly aware of how Hutchings can change the tenor of a game in a hurry. Last season, he posted a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 84.5 which ranked fifth among all Big 12 defenders, collecting 50 total tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss with four quarterback hurries, all of which are reasons why he was recently named a preseason all-conference selection.

Tyler Shough, QB

Shough missed about half of the 2022 season when he suffered an injury in Texas Tech’s first game, but he made his eventual return to the field count. He started the last four contests and won all of them, finishing the year with a 59.9% completion rate, 1,304 passing yards, and seven touchdowns against a 2.3% interception rate. Should he win the job in fall camp and stay healthy this fall, he could be a big reason why the Red Raiders exceed expectations again.

Jerand Bradley, WR

Like Hutchings, Bradley also earned a preseason all-Big 12 nod after emerging as Texas Tech’s top receiving yards as a redshirt freshman last fall. He tied for the team lead with 51 receptions and stood alone with 744 yards and six touchdowns, so with more consistent quarterback play, his ceiling might be considerable.

Malik Dunlap, CB

Following an injury-plagued 2021 season, Dunlap made his presence known early and often in 2022. He finished in a tie for second among Big 12 defenders with 12 pass breakups and, according to PFF, allowed a 50.8% completion rate on 65 targets, so he’ll be prepared to lock up any pass catcher lined up against him.

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S

Taylor-Demerson broke into the starting lineup late in 2021 and made good on that opportunity by becoming one of the top safeties anywhere in the Big 12 last fall. He returns for 2023 as Texas Tech’s top tackler from a year ago, having tallied 74 altogether to pair with five pass breakups, 5.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

Overview:

Offense

Despite some unexpected shuffling at quarterback, the Red Raiders held their own on offense in the first year under McGuire and offensive coordinator Zack Kittley, ranking just outside the top 50 nationally by points per drive (2.34, 54th) and available yards percentage earned per drive (48.3%, 52nd). Now, they have the benefit of being one of the more experienced offenses anywhere in college football by returning 80% of last year’s production.

Will one quarterback be able to earn the job and keep it, though? Shough’s injury opened the door for Behren Morton (56.8% completion rate, 1,117 yards, 7:6 touchdowns-to-interceptions) to start a handful of games and Morton might be the better long-term play heading into his sophomore season.

Whoever wins that job will have plenty of weapons at their disposal. Running back Tahj Brooks (855 all-purpose yards, eight total touchdowns) is a seasoned operator who’s led the Red Raiders in rushing over the past two years, while Cam’ron Valdez flashed explosiveness in the second half of 2022 once he was sufficiently recovered from injury. Bradley, meanwhile, is one of five Tech receivers who had at least 30 catches a year ago and that group adds Drae McCray from Austin Peay, where he twice earned all-conference honors and set a program record by averaging 85.8 receiving yards per game in his career there.

The offensive line also happens to be one of the most experienced in the FBS ranks as well, with Dennis Wilburn and Caleb Rogers leading the veteran contingent while Rusty Staats (27 starts at Western Kentucky) arrives from the transfer portal and Cole Spencer, who previously made 36 starts for WKU before his 2022 season was wiped out by injury, figures to be 100%.

Defense

Defensive improvement is what really enabled Texas Tech to defy expectations last season. Under the tutelage of former Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter, the Red Raiders finished 70th among FBS defenses in points per drive allowed and 88th in available yards percentage allowed per drive after having finished 110th and 99th, respectively, by those metrics the year prior. They also led the Big 12 in allowing a touchdown on just 46.6% of opponent red zone opportunities and boasted a downright nasty pass rush on standard downs), so there are reasons to think Tech could be even better in 2023.

That starts with the defensive tackle tandem of Hutchings and Tony Bradford (32 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks) up front, though finding more help from the edge can only help. Joseph Adedire (six starts, 3.5 TFLs, one sack) earned a lot of trust after playing well as a true freshman, however, and an incoming transfer like Steve Linton (Syracuse) might be the answer they need.

Linebacker might have the most questions on this side of the ball since Tech will need to replace its top two tacklers from 2022. Jesiah Pierre (40 tackles, seven TFLs, 4.5 sacks) could be in line for a big year as a result, but one interesting name to keep an eye on is Mike Dingle, who’s already opened some eyes as a true freshman and a dual-sport athlete.

The secondary, meanwhile, is very well stocked beyond Dunlap and Taylor-Demerson, boasting other returning starters like Rayshad Williams (37 tackles, seven pass breakups) and bringing in some familiar names from the transfer portal like Bralyn Lux (three TFLs, two sacks, seven PBUs at Fresno State) and CJ Baskerville (36 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, three PBUs at San Diego State). Though they allowed 7.9 yards per attempt last season, they should be much tougher to throw against this fall.

Early Prediction

Wyoming isn’t an easy place for Power 5 teams to visit — just ask Missouri — but it seems likely that Texas Tech will have the athletes on defense to match wits with a Cowboys team inclined to turn the game into a slog. Combined with much more reliable contributors on offense, an upset just doesn’t seem like it’ll be in the cards this time around.

Texas Tech 34, Wyoming 17

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Texas Tech president says Texas is ‘scared’ to play them in future

The Texas Tech president took a shot at Texas is who is departing to the SEC after this season.

There is clearly some bad blood throughout the Big 12 in regards to Texas and Oklahoma leaving for the SEC. Continue reading “Texas Tech president says Texas is ‘scared’ to play them in future”

Could Texas face an improved Texas Tech defense in 2023?

Joey McGuire continued to share his delusions of grandeur to Big 12 media.

Texas Tech believes it is a forced to be reckoned with this season. Tech head coach Joey McGuire shared why he believes his team is among the best groups in the country.

We have not yet addressed the recent claims made by Texas Tech players and coaches to the Dallas Morning News. Among them, Red Raider safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson compared the McGuire movement in Lubbock to Alabama. His coach felt emboldened enough to state that Tech would win the Big 12 before Texas left. He meant, of course, that his team would win the conference this season.

On Thursday he continued his bold pattern of statements sharing that despite losing top ten NFL draft pick Tyree Wilson, the defensive line could be even better this season. It’s going to have to be better if Tech plans to win a conference title.

Last season the Texas Tech defense was among the worst in college football. The Raiders finished 108 in total defense, surrendering over 5,500 yards with opponents scoring 41 offensive touchdowns and racking up 5.88 yards per play.

The Texas Tech game will be perhaps the most difficult home battle for Texas in 2023. How much the Raiders have improved on defense will have significant bearing on this year’s head-to-head battle in Austin.

10 storylines for the 2023 season ahead of Big 12 media days

There are big questions to answer for several Big 12 teams, including whether or not Texas can truly run the conference.

There’s no shortage of storylines heading into a consequential Big 12 football season. There will never be another year like it.

The league welcomes four new football teams while bidding farewell to its two money makers, Texas and Oklahoma. Many project the latter two teams to push for a conference title. Given what each team will face in its new conference both likely need a strong showing in 2023.

Several of the remaining Big 12 teams want to send Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC with disappointment. Kansas State tops the list of schools that could prevent the two powerhouses from reaching the conference title game. Texas Tech, TCU and Kansas follow the Wildcats as teams that could finish ahead of the blue blood programs.

Here’s a look at ten of the biggest storylines ahead of the 2023 football season.

Texas Tech media claims Texas recruiting landscape leans toward Tech

Texas is breezing past Texas Tech in recruiting after bold claims by Texas Tech media.

Texas Tech has seen significant improvement in recruiting. One media site believes the program is leveling the playing field with the top teams in the state of Texas, the Longhorns and the Aggies.

Viva the Matadors of SB Nation, an account that’s been known for controversial opinions, took to Twitter announcing Texas Tech’s arrival to the recruiting elites in modern football.

“The recruiting dynamic in the state of Texas is changing. More and more (of) the best players the state produces are looking away from Texas and Texas A&M and are looking at what’s building in Lubbock.”

While Tech’s improvement as a recruiting entity is undeniable, the program has plenty of work left to start consistently winning head-to-head battles with Texas and Texas A&M. Tech is in line to win over its first five-star recruit should it hold serve with wide receiver Micah Hudson. It’s doubtful that will ultimately happen.

Since the media outlet’s bold proclamation, Texas has began to run away from Tech in recruiting rankings. Aside from what the Longhorns have already won the team currently trends for several five-star prospects including wide receiver Ryan Wingo.

Outside of the recruiting aspect, there’s been a sizable gap between Texas and Tech on the football field in recent seasons. While Red Raider faithful are quick to discuss the Longhorns doing less with more, Texas Tech is 4-16 in its last 20 matchups against Texas.

The recruiting landscape isn’t changing. There could be a further divide. For that reason it’s imperative the Red Raiders win out for Micah Hudson over the Longhorns. We’ll continue to monitor the two teams’ recruiting classes over the upcoming months.