congrats to the Astros for a hot start to the postseason...again
it is Friday, let's Flare...
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WEEKLY CLICKS
...a quick list of links from the various stories posted on RRS this week
Behren Morton makes first career start against Oklahoma State
Texas Tech falls to No. 7 Oklahoma State, 41-31, in Morton's debut start
Morton, McGuire speak on 41-31 loss in Stillwater
Likes & Dislikes after the loss to Oklahoma State in Stillwater
Grading the Red Raiders: OL struggles protecting Morton in Stillwater
Midterm Reports for the Red Raiders
Week 7 Big 12 Power Rankings: Kansas falls, Oklahoma alone at the bottom
Who's the midseason MVP, best group and transfer so far for Texas Tech
Texas Tech's homecoming game set for 2 p.m. start against West Virginia
Red Raiders in the NFL: 2022 Week Five
Bold Predictions for the Second Half of the Season
Texas Tech's Joey McGuire gives injury updates during bye week and more
The Notebook: Tyree Wilson & SaRodorick Thompson Speak on Adjustments
Bradley talks about his connection with Morton and love for Halloween
Tracking Former Red Raiders: McNeil, McIvor shine
Texas Tech commits and targets tracker: Week Seven
Kittley using bye week to self-scout, ready for healthy QB rotation
RRS TV: Mailbag - Bye Week Edition presented by BG Law
RRS TV: The Matador Report presented by Homefield Apparel
RRS TV: OL commit Kaden Carr
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TTU RECRUITING THIS WEEK
no new commitments this week, but the coaches were doing some recruiting during the bye week...
The first offer to a 6-foot-5, 210-pound dual-sport athlete from Johnston, Iowa...because of course
The first offer to a 6-foot-4, 230-pound East Texas standout, and the fact Jackson just received his first offer is somewhat surprising, the tape pops and Tyler Legacy isn't some hidden program from the Power Five
Staying in East Texas, the Tech coaches were offer No. 4 for the 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back who scored four (4) times in his last game
the coaches are hitting the road during the bye week and the program shared graphics for the majority of the coaching staff, including info on where they are going
@B. Golan recapped in a board thread that includes details on the targets and potential targets at each stop, follow along here and we will update throughout the weekend
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BYE-WEEK & MIDSEASON RESET
ok, the Red Raiders are 3-3 on the season after playing five (5) nationally ranked programs. Joey McGuire talked about defending the Jones a lot in the offseason, and the Red Raiders have done just that - going 3-0 at home this season compared to 0-3 on the road.
looking at the remaining schedule, the Red Raiders will play four (4) more home games to finish the season - hosting West Virginia, Baylor, Kansas and Oklahoma
the remaining road games are @TCU - arguably a quazi 'home game' for the Red Raiders - and @Iowa State
here is how I see the second half of the season shaking out...
WVU - win
Baylor - win
@TCU - loss
Kansas - win
@Iowa State - loss
Oklahoma - win
the potential is there for one of these home games to turn into a close, wild, what-the-hell type of game that ends in a brutal loss...but I really like the timing of the bye week and it feels like this Texas Tech team is good enough to continue defending the Jones, regardless of who plays QB
the TCU game can obviously go either way and I'm not a 'buyer' of TCU, but the road has not been kind to this Texas Tech team and it should be a great game
on the road in Aimes has not been kind to Red Raider teams in recent history, the last road win for the Red Raiders coming in 2014...so although the Cyclones are not very good this season, the game seems like a tricky spot at the moment
odds are my guesses will be wrong, but six (6) wins seems easily obtainable and it feels like something would have to go horribly wrong for the Red Raiders to only win two (2) of these remaining six (6) games left of the schedule
7-5 at the end of the regular season, then call in the bulldozers and update the Jones
thoughts?
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PICK-A-PLAYER TTU JERSEYS
the custom Texas Tech jerseys from Fanatics are officially here for the Red Raiders, and this is follows a trend in College Football where a percentage of the sales go to the players themselves - something that could prove pretty profitable for a standout player, imagine the check a Mahomes or any other popular TTU player over the past 10-20 years could have cashed
from the product description...
The jersey will be customized with the name and number you pick from the Name, Image and Likeness roster
if you or the kids are looking for a new Tech UA jersey, then make sure to order one of these and support a Texas Tech athlete
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BIG 12 POWER RANKINGS
no need to rank the conference anymore, Quinn Ewers was back and Texas is the best team ever...once again
1. Oklahoma State
The No. 8 Pokes tried to give away a home game to your Red Raiders last weekend, but to their credit, the Cowboys won a game they might have easily dropped in years past. Every team has to win ugly games sometimes and it sets up OkState for a road game against the No. 13 TCU Horned Frogs in Fort Worth, a matchup of the Big 12 conference's undefeated teams. They will have to play very well on defense and drum up some turnovers, because this could easily turn into a shootout on offense where the last to score wins the game.
2. TCU
The No. 13 Horned Frogs are scoring an average of 46.4 points per game through five (5) games on offense and they passed a tough road test against Kansas this past weekend. Most everyone believed the game last weekend was the 'prove it' game, but this weekends home game against the No. 8 Oklahoma State Cowboys could be a real opportunity for TCU to really grab the attention of the national media. This matchup and game is puzzling, because I still do not believe this TCU team has truly been tested and the same could be argued for their opponent (OkState). Max Duggen is playing very well at quarterback for Dykes and TCU, he could be the biggest difference in the game this weekend with his ability to scramble and score on any given play.
3. Texas
Yes, it was a reeling Oklahoma team, but rivalry games are rivalry games and anything can happen. Shutting out your rival in a complete domination of a game is always going to attract attention, and not just for the darlings of the media in Austin. This Texas team is much different with Quinn Ewers at quarterback, the former five-star prospect is living up to the longtime hype and it feels like the Longhorns could run the table with a healthy Ewers. Now, they could just as easily drop a game they aren't supposed to and fall back down the list, and a road game against No. 8 Oklahoma State is on deck after a home game against Iowa State this weekend. Like every other team in this conference, the Longhorns face a challenging backhalf of the schedule that features three (3) road games against nationally ranked programs, so there is a lot of work left for Ewers and his team...but they do look drastically different with the dyed blond mullet running the show.
4. Kansas
That was a brutal loss at home for the Cinderella Jayhawks, not only did they lose the game, Kansas also lost their starting quarterback. There were reports that Daniels will miss the remainder of the season, but those were quickly rebutted and now we are reading he could return later this season. We know that song and dance, similar to saying Shough could return later this season with no promise that he actually does return. Kansas deserves a ton of credit though, they continued to fight and had an opportunity to win the game despite losing Daniels to injury. The Jayhawks are nationally ranked and have been a story in this first half of the CFB season, but they go on the road with a backup quarterback to play a very hungry Oklahoma team this weekend and could slide down this list with a loss.
5. Kansas State
A 10-9 win sounds like an MLB wild card game final score, but no that was the final score for the Wildcats' road win against Iowa State last weekend. A win is a win and the Wildcats sit at the top of the conference standings with a 3-0 record in conference play. Like your Red Raiders, Kansas State is on a bye this week and return to action against TCU on the road next weekend and finish the month at home against Oklahoma State. This team was a preseason pick to win the conference, so the next few weeks will be very important in terms of what this team can or cannot be this season in the Big 12 conference.
6. Texas Tech
The Red Raiders enter the bye week with a 3-3 record on the season, three (3) wins at home and three (3) losses on the road. In the first half of the Joey McGuire tenure, we have seen an aggressive approach from the coaching staff and a competitive team in every game. The losses on the road, against the current No. 15, No. 8 and No. 17 ranked teams in the nation, were all games where the Red Raiders were in the game well into the 4th quarter. Texas Tech lost these games by 10 points on average and that is enough to provide hope for the second half of the season. The offense has played three (3) different quarterbacks and that usually means a team is losing games, missing players, etc. With four (4) home games remaining, the Red Raiders have a real shot at winning six (6) games and bowling in year one of the Joey McGuire era.
7. Baylor
The Bears dropped a wild game in Morgantown last night, but I still have them above West Virginia here in the rankings because of this...would you like to play West Virginia in Morgantown on a Thursday night? Yeah, no way, I imagine that place was rocking last night. That being said, the Bears should have been better than West Virginia in every perceivable category, but they gave up 43 points and turned over the football several times in this game. Like the Red Raiders, Baylor is 3-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play, they host Baylor next weekend and then travel to Lubbock for a sold out game at the Jones against Texas Tech.
8. West Virginia
After a rough start to the season, the Mountaineers won a big home game against Baylor last night and now sit at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Inconsistent play has plauged this West Virginia team and the remaining schedule will be crucial for former Tech OC and WVU head coach Neil Brown. They travel to Lubbock next weekend to play your Red Raiders, then they host TCU in Morgantown to finish the month of October.
9. Oklahoma
Nobody here will feel bad for Oklahoma, nor should they. The Sooners have dominated the Big 12 conference for years, easily penciled in as the conference champion in most years, Sooner fans were offended that other teams were being picked to win the conference in the preseason. They were jaded by Lincoln Riley leaving for USC, they celebrated Venables coming in and were ready for something new, something exciting. The Sooners were dismantled and embarrassed in a rivalry game against Texas, getting shutout 49-0. They will host No. 19 Kansas this weekend, still seeking their first conference win this season. The Oklahoma defense is nearly non-existent, giving up an average of 48 points in their last three (3) games against Kansas State, TCU and Texas.
10. Iowa State
The Cyclones really miss Brock Purdy and his production at the quarterback position. Iowa State is playing good on defense and simply cannot score against teams with a pulse, which does not feel like a recipe for success in this Big 12 conference. It doesn't get any easier as they travel to Austin for a game against the now No. 22 Texas Longhorns, then the Cyclones finish the month with a home game against Oklahoma. Matt Campbell and his team can figure things out on offense, and Aimes is a very difficult place for opponents to play, so we aren't burying the Cyclones...but it does not look good with the remaining schedule and very little points on offense.
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have a great weekend everyone!
