My first thought when I looked at Texas 2005 home schedule was: LAME! We get Louisiana-Lafeyette, Rice, Kansas, Texas Tech, and Colorado. And while I am still not overly excited about the schedule that I do have my eye on one game. TEXAS TECH.
I really like Tech, probably my second favorite team, and aside from Texas I watch more of their games than any other team. But it wasn't until I looked at their schedule that I got excited. See everyone is all high on Tech, and Texas for that matter, because they both had huge bowl wins. On the flip side everyone is down on OU because of what happened in their bowl game. While momentum from bowl games do carry over into the offseason and even into the next season I think all the emphasis on bowls is overrated. I am not going to say that at #2 and #21 either of these teams are overrated, but I do think people are high on them for the wrong reasons. I am glad the coaches are smart enough to see that OU is still a top program.
Anyways, it wasn't until I looked at Tech's schedule that I got excited about this particular game. Tech usually starts off the year slow and in past years they have struggled with or lost to teams like SMU, New Mexico, Ole Miss, and NC State. So this year Mike Leach decided to take a different approach in his non-conference schedule. No away games, no D-1A games. Florida International(technically D-1A but you wouldn't have know that had I not told you), Sam Houston State, and Indiana State are their three preseason games. I dare to say they will start 3-0 and their newest 5th year senior quarterback will be right at 2,000 yards passing. Then they have Kansas, the worst team in the Big 12 North(thats saying a lot), AT HOME. I'm going to go with 4-0.
After that comes the test, Tech travels to Nebraska. Some people will be quick to point out that after the Red Raiders beat the Huskers by 60 last year this will be an easy win. I'm not so sure about that. That 60 pt loss is only going to be fuel for the fire for a vastly reloaded Nebraska team not to mention the game is in Lincoln which was the hardest place to play in the country for about a little over a decade. This will be the swing game that will tell how big the Texas-Texas Tech game will be. See Tech's problem is they have to be hated on to succeed. As soon as someone starts getting high on them and starts predicting their success they flop. Last year a week after they scorched Nebraska they fell flat on their face against Texas. If they want to win in Lincoln they will need to keep their nose to the grindstone after 4 straight HUGE wins. So lets say they beat Nebraska that means they will be 5-0 going to Lubbock to play KState. Starting off at #21 if they go 6-0 that should put them at the mid to low teens by the time they get to Austin. Thats a helluva matchup.
In years past the Tech offense has put up stupid numbers with undersized tooth and nail type receivers. With Jarret Hicks, possibly the best receiver playing college ball, leading the way they finally have some big body prototypical NFL caliber receivers. In this system, that is scary. Now no doubt about it I am a Texas fan first and foremost but I am not going to be delusional in thinking that Tech can't come in here and win. In the past 3 years they have beat us once and were a missed field goal at the buzzer away the second time. It would not be completely out of this world for Texas to lose to Ohio State and OU going into the Tech game. Is it possible that Texas Tech could be favored to beat Texas in Austin?
And after the Texas game the schedule gets favorable again. @Baylor, Texas A&M in Lubbock, @Oklahoma State, and to finish up OU in Lubbock. I think it's fair to say there has not been a better time in the history of the school for Tech to go undefeated. Now, I'm not saying that will happen in fact I predict they will go 8-3, but if you start discrediting this team you are feeding right into their hands bite you in the ass.
hj
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