2014-15 Football Previews – (Big 12) – Red Raiders
Last year the Red Raiders wilted big time, losing their final 5 regular season games against the better teams in the league before a surprising win against Arizona State.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Head Coach: Kliff Kingsbury
- 2013 Record: 8-5
- Gambling Odds to win National Championship: 75/1 (Field)
- Gambling Odds to win (B12): 28/1
This year they are unlikely to lose 5 in a row again but that is more because their schedule is not as frontloaded as it was a year ago.
Still I would be surprised if the results for this season are all that different from what we saw a year ago.
Strengths:
The Red Raiders were the second most prolific throwing team in college football last season. They might slide a little as they break in some new pieces but Davis Webb established himself as the QB of the future and he has enough returning talent to be effective and put up lots more big numbers.
They don’t have the big physical targets they have had in the past but Texas Tech has some serious speed amongst their receiving corps.
Jakeem Grant is only 5’6” and 160 pounds but he near impossible to cover and can get lost out there.
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Now that he will be more featured his numbers will spike.
Texas Tech does not have a lot returning on defense but they are hoping that Brandon Jackson and Pete Robertson will put pressure on opposing QBs from the edge. Both are juniors and have shown flashes but neither are very big so they can get neutralized a little too easily sometimes.
One of them could easily break out.
Weaknesses:
The defense was not good last year and in addition to the DEs listed above only one starter returns, LB Sam Eguavoen. This defense gave up a ton of yards last season and there is little that has changed to make us think this year will be any different.
Without the ability to stop people their offense is just not good enough.
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The one relative strength of last year’s defense was the secondary but no starters return there this year and three of the projected starters are sophs.
Hopefully facing their own passing offense in practice will be sufficient in bringing this group up to speed because if this unit falls the defense will be totally sunk.
Last year TTU was 111th in the nation running the ball and their leading rusher is gone.
That leaves the job to junior DeAndre Washington. He has the requisite hands but this program would benefit from being just a little more balanced this season.
They have to learn how to get some first down on the ground when they need them.
Gambling Prediction: 5-7
2014 Red Raiders Schedule:
- Aug 30 – Central Arkansas
- Sep 6 – @UTEP
- Sep 13 – Arkansas
- Sep 25 – @Oklahoma State
- Oct 4 – @Kansas State
- Oct 11 – West Virginia
- Oct 18 – Kansas
- Oct 25 – @TCU
- Nov 1 – Texas
- Nov 15 – Oklahoma
- Nov 22 – @Iowa State
- Nov 29 – Baylor (Arlington)
The Red Raiders will throw and throw this season like they always do but they won’t repeat last year’s success. They won’t nip TCU and I think Arkansas will given them trouble as well.
Sure they might get bowl eligible but don’t expect much as the defense will likely be worse than the one that gave up 30ppg last year.
The game I am targeting is late November up in Ames. Odds are they lose back to back at home against Texas and Oklahoma which should create some value when they hit the road.
The Cyclones won’t be able to cover them and they will win a barn burner.
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