Big 12 Preview | Texas Tech No. 6
- Tuesday, August 25, 2009 8:08 AM
- Written By: Jonathan Crowl
2008 record: 11-1 overall, 7-1 Big 12 Conference, co-Big 12 South champions
2009 projection: They're the only team in the South Division to get worse (except maybe Oklahoma -- but dropping from second to third nationally only matters to one team). It'll be bad.
Reason to get excited: Coach Mike Leach is still around -- good news for Tech fans and reporters looking for a quote.
Reason not to get worked up: Think back to that 65-21 loss to Oklahoma. Remember pregame? The anticipation? That was the high point for Texas Tech football. Coming that close to a national title run won't happen again while Leach is there.
The gist: Junior Taylor Potts is Tech's new quarterback, and there are a lot of reasons to expect success from him: Leach's proven system; a proven corp of wide receivers with Lyle Leong, Edward Britton and Detron Lewis; and running backs Baron Batch and Harrison Jeffers. The interior offensive line returns starters and should be of little concern. The Red Raiders defense, however, proves problematic. Brandon Williams has left for the NFL, and McKinner Dixon is suspended until who knows when. They've lost Darcel McBath and Daniel Charbonnet from an otherwise impressive secondary, but strong safety Franklin Mitchell looks poised to become a stud. Colby Whitlock is the strength of a weak defensive line that will struggle to stop the run and pressure the quarterback.
Rallying point: Potts. In Leach's system, it all rides on the quarterback.
Cover your eyes: When the defense takes the field. I keep hearing there won't be a big drop-off, but a quick look at the talent lost, coupled with Tech's historic tendency to be at or slightly below average on defense, means bad things in the Big 12. They face six offenses that could kill them.
For what it's worth: The tone when discussing TT may sound negative, but it's only because this season's performance should be a big drop-off from 2008. Still, Texas Tech had in 2008 what it had always lacked: a strong defense. Without that, even a reloaded offense will struggle to keep the Red Raiders in the Top 25, though schedule will make them look worse than they are.
