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Texas Tech Football: Can QB upgrade get Red Raiders back to bowl?

By Chris Peterson

WACO, TEXAS - OCTOBER 12: Head coach Matt Wells of the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the sidelines during the game against the Baylor Bears on October 12, 2019 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
WACO, TEXAS - OCTOBER 12: Head coach Matt Wells of the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the sidelines during the game against the Baylor Bears on October 12, 2019 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
(Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

Schedule/predictions

The nine-game Big 12 schedule is always a grind and the Red Raiders are one of the teams that will play five road games instead of four.

There are trips to Oklahoma and Texas, as well as Baylor, West Virginia, and Kansas. A pair of those trips are obviously daunting and Morgantown is also a tough place to win, so the Red Raiders will need to win at home and in non-conference play to reach six wins.

Here’s a look at the schedule with predictions:

  • Game 1: vs Houston (W) — An old-fashioned SWC rivalry game as Houston will take on Texas Tech in a neutral site game. It should be an exciting matchup, but the Red Raiders should have enough to get the win.
  • Game 2: vs Stephen F. Austin (W) — Against an FS opponent, the Red Raiders will take care of business.
  • Game 3 vs Florida International (W) — Butch Davis has turned Florida International into a solid program but the Panthers were winless last season.
  • Game 4: at Texas (L) — The first foray into Big 12 play is on the road and the Longhorns win a high-scoring affair.
  • Game 5: at West Virginia (L) — The Mountaineers are a little underrated this year and have a solid roster especially with Leddie Brown back.
  • Game 6: vs TCU (W) — This is a critical game for the Red Raiders if they want to reach bowl eligibility and they get revenge on the Horned Frogs for last season’s loss.
  • Game 7: at Kansas (W) — The Jayhawks have a new head coach but also a ton of work to do after the disaster that was Les Miles.
  • Game 8: vs Kansas State (W) — I actually really like Kansas State this year, but this is a toss-up game and the Red Raiders are at home, with the better QB.
  • Game 9: at Oklahoma (L) — Oklahoma should win 11 or 12 games next season and the Sooners will win easily at home.
  • Game 10: vs Iowa State (L) — Texas Tech gave Iowa State a battle a year ago and the Red Raiders will keep this close but fall short of an upset.
  • Game 11: vs Oklahoma State (W) — Tyler Shough will make a difference and this is one game he will help deliver.
  • Game 12: at Baylor (L) — Winning on the road in the Big 12 is never easy and the Red Raiders end the season with a tough loss at the Bears, who are also pushing for the postseason.

Prediction: 7-5 overall, 4-5 conference

Three winnable games in the non-conference portion of the schedule will help Texas Tech football start the season with momentum and then there are a number of winnable games.

However, there are no easy wins in the Big 12 and I’m counting on Shough to have a big enough season to add to the win total. That, along with the experience on both sides of the ball, leads me to believe a six or seven-win season is a realsitic expectation.

Next. What realignment means for rest of Big 12. dark

It also makes you wonder what the future might hold for Wells if Texas Tech fails to reach a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season.

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