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Texas Tech Football: Will the Red Raiders shock the Big 12 in 2022?

By Sonny Martinez

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 05: Christian LaValle #45, Ethan Frasier #47, and Brylon Lawson-Young #16 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders before the college football game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Jones AT&T Stadium on December 05, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 05: Christian LaValle #45, Ethan Frasier #47, and Brylon Lawson-Young #16 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders before the college football game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Jones AT&T Stadium on December 05, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Texas Tech football is widely considered to be a bottom-third team in the Big 12 this season, but can the Red Raiders surprise?

For the first time in a long time, the Texas Tech football program has some positive buzz surrounding it.

Texas Tech hired Joey McGuire, a former Baylor assistant who has deep ties to Texas high school football. McGuire assembled a solid staff, bringing in up-and-comer Zach Kittley’s high-octane Air Raid from Western Kentucky to run the offense. On defense, former Cal and Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter to improve a unit that has routinely been amongst the worst in the country.

Tech also announced a $200 million commitment to Jones AT&T Stadium as well as a brand new football facility. The current plan is for the project to begin following this season and finish prior to the 2024 season. The announcement, coupled with what currently sits as 247Sports’ 15th-ranked recruiting class, resulted in Texas Tech trending all over social media for a couple of days.

That’s good timing for a program that finally appears ready to take the next step, maybe just not this season.

Texas Tech’s first season under McGuire shouldn’t be as much about winning the conference as it should be just remaining competitive against top Big 12 competition. Tech lost to Texas, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma by a combined score of 145-56. They did look great against Baylor at the end of the season, only losing by three points, and finished strong by winning the Mike Leach Bowl over Mississippi State in convincing 34-7 fashion. Despite that, Tech managed to finish a solid 7-6.

Which Texas Tech will we see, the one that lost 70-35 to Texas or the one that pushed the Big 12 champions to the limit?

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