BCS or bust!
For many of the NCAA Division 1A football programs, getting into a bowl and having a winning season is a successful season. While this is the case for lower-tier, inconsistent BCS conference teams and mid-tier major conference teams, others have to step up their goals. Texas Tech is a perfect example of this, as Red Raider football has had twelve consecutive winning seasons and, better yet, has won five of the last six bowl games it has appeared in.
It’s time to raise the bar on what these Red Raiders can do. Here’s an early perspective on the upcoming season.
INSULTED
With 10 returning on the offensive side of the ball, including Graham Harrell (the nation’s leading passer) and redshirt rookie phenom Michael Crabtree (the nation’s leading receiver and Bietnokiff Award winner), this group should primarily focus in not making mental mistakes. Before the Gator Bowl, Graham Harrell has shown his vulnerability against ranked opponents by throwing 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on a miserable 1-6 record the past two seasons. Next season he will have to be more patient and not make mistakes when shooting the ball in this type of game. Texas Tech’s wide receivers had numerous knockdowns in the 2008 Gator Bowl, but most importantly, Harrell didn’t make many mistakes on his throws, excluding a pass that could have been intercepted in the second half. The entire offensive line returns next season, but left tackle Rylan Reed will need to fully recover from his recent ankle fracture in the Gator Bowl.
DEFENSE / SPECIAL TEAMS
On defense, 8 starters return and many others, like linebacker Brian Duncan, will need to step up and fill in the gaps. The most important aspect of a successful season next year will be the ability to stop, or at least contain, the run because not many other Big 12 teams will be able to pass like the tech offense. Texas Tech will need to find a replacement kicker for Alex Trlica, who went his entire career without losing an extra point. This can probably be found in junior kicker Cory Fowler.
RECRUITMENT
As any Texas Tech fan will tell you, it’s not too easy to recruit good football players to come to Lubbock when they can go to College Station or Austin. Still, the No. 2 pick in the nation, wide receiver Julio Jones (1,181 yards and 16 TDs as a senior), is still considering Tech, as well as other top receivers. Overall, so far, Texas Tech has 11 committed players from the class of 2008, including 7 defensive players, 3 of whom are junior college transfers who seem to make an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball. Harrison Jeffers, a running back from Oklahoma ranked 11th nationally, also hopes he’ll have a chance to make a name for himself in the coming years as Red Raider.
2008 is definitely the year Texas Tech football needs to make a statement in the Big 12 conference, or else it might be time for a change. It’s going to be a long offseason for the Red Raiders, but this fall it’s BCS or bust!