2012 TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Have you heard about the lonesome loser, beaten by the queen of hearts every time

Have you heard about the lonesome loser, he's a loser, but he still keeps on tryin' – Little River Band

Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. Ah you just can’t look at the 2012 Texas Tech Red Raider team and think of Tubs. He’s tenure resembles that one friend you have that is going to Vegas with ‘his’ system and going to come home HUGE winner. Of course the first night he comes out slightly ahead and he’s kind of talking smack thinking he’s just warming up.

Then the second night, he just gets hammered. But it wasn’t his fault, the system works, but the dealer was hot or the idiot sitting next to him took his card cause he hit on 19 (who hits on 19!!!!)

Now it’s the 3^rd day, his bags are packed and he’s only got an few hours to break even. Screw the system, he’s playing multiple hands, doubling down trying everything… and I got a good idea that he’s going to be on a southwest flight home broken hearted. Along with a bunch of pissed off Red Raider fans.

Welcome to your 2012 Texas Tech football team. Its anything goes this year. Defensive Coordinator? How about 4^th one in 4 years. Defensive system? 3^rd in 3 years. JUCO Players? Why, not it worked for Bill Snyder and KSU for years lets give it a shot. I’m waiting to see that Tech is going to try the wishbone (which UT might want to consider this year). It’s a make it or break it year for Tuberville, he knows it, the fans know it, his players know it. The only person who doesn’t, and is probably too stubborn to know it is Hance. It only took him and this staff two years to wreck what it took Spike and Leach 20 years to build.

OFFENSE

Well at least we mostly know what we have here. Seth Doege is back and will probably put up another year of ridiculous numbers and over 4,500 yards passing.  His back up is Michael Brewer from Lake Travis who’s been riding the pine for a year. If you don’t know about Lake Travis and what they’ve been doing in Texas High School football check it out. But don’t look at the last stud QB from Travis, cause he didn’t work out too well for the Horns.

Eric Stephens is back at running back after suffering a horrible hit against the Aggies (I still think it was a late hit, but I’ll let it go).  And one of the JUCO guys, SaDale Foster sounds like he’s getting ready to pick up any slack that is needed.

And the wide receiving corps is basically all back with Moore, Ward, Torres and the gang essentially all back.

The offensive line, which as a little a few months ago was  then a strength is now probably the biggest concern. There are possible big things coming from LaDanian Waddle at left tackle. After that, due to injury and the arrival and very quick departure of Brian Thomas from A&M (that move was not Red Ass), its going to be a mix of guys moving from where they were going to play back to where they played last year, to young guys stepping up.

Overall, unless something drastically bad happens against medium to poor teams, this squad will put up points. However, you still have to wonder what in the world happened against ISU and OSU last year when they only scored 13 points combined.

DEFENSE

Pray. Pray often, pray loudly. That’s literally the best option for Tech this year. Tuberville has gone back to one of his old D-coordinators after the young TCU coach and his 4-2-5 scheme imploded.  This part of the team was so bad last year, you literally saw them stop trying on the field. They were not even competing by the end of the year and gave up a school record 471 points and ranked dead last against the run. Awesome!

In the Big 12 you better be able to stop the pass and that’s why the focus on signing day was bring in a bunch of JUCO bandaids and see if you can stop the bleeding.  They are going to be taking the field with a bunch of returning players from last years squad. That ain’t good.

Anyone remember that last good linebacker Tech had? Still Zach Thomas? That is getting to be a said story. JUCO’s here too. Plus a few returners.

And lets just say that having a defensive line that could stop a freshmen B team would be nice.

PREDICTIONS – 7-5 (being generous here)

Sept 1                   Northwestern State       W

 Sept 8                 @ Texas State               W

Sept 15                 New Mexico                 W

 Sept 29                @ Iowa State                W

Oct 6                      Oklahoma                    L

Oct 13                   West Virginia                L

Oct 20                   @ TCU                        L

Oct 27                   @Kansas State             W

Nov 3                    Texas                            L

Nov 10                  Kansas                          W

Nov 17                  @ Oklahoma State        L

Nov 24                  Baylor (Arlington)          W

GUNS UP!

PREVIEW: TEXAS TECH VS OKLAHOMA STATE

Deed is done again, we've wonAin't talking no tall tales friend

'Cause high noon, your doom Comin' for you we're the cowboys from hell – Cowboys from Hell, Pantera

When: 11:00 am Nov 12

Where:  Jones Stadium, Lubbock

TV:  ABC

Weather:  low 70s, windy

Line: -17 OSU

Hey Tech fans, remember when we beat OU in Norman and things we looking great for the rest of the season? No? Anyone? Coach Tuberville put your hand down.  Well how about another shot at knocking off the #2 team in the nation at home, yep not feeling it.

But before we get into the OSU Cowboys, lets look back at last week…

I think the refs just signaled another touchdown for the Longhorns. This time they started at the own 1 inch line and in three quick  runs, score again. How can Tech not field a defense on a weekly basis? Are they that thin that with injuries you are fielding a six-man squad against UT? The Horns didn’t even have their starting RB, but their back up managed to put up almost 200 yds and 3 TDs. 489 yards on the ground. Stellar effort there. 0-4 against A&M and UT Tubs. You can’t go 0-4 at Auburn against Bama because they’d fire your butt, but keep it up. Its all coming together.

So this week Tech gets to rebound from that shellacking with a nice matchup against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Its in Lubbock, but so was the Iowa State game. The Cowboys come in looking to go 10-0 and secure a spot in the BCS title game.

Gundy and the OSU staff looked at what Tech was doing in the ‘00s and said, we like it lets do it better. Well by bringing in Brandon Weeden , Justin Blackmon and Joseph Randle they have a scoring machine, averaging over 50 pts a game.  And Randle ranks 2^nd in the Big 12 in rushing. Fantastic!

So Tech comes into this with a shredded defense, still questionable special teams and an offense that has managed to score 27 points in the last two games (and remember one of those games was Iowa State). I’m still waiting for the inevitable press release in December (assuming no bowl game) that Doege is hurt and that’s the real reason for the collapse so don’t worry next year will be different, purchase those season tickets now.

Hopefully Tech surprises everyone! They need one more win to be eligible for TicketCity or Pin Stripe Bowl.

BEST GUESS

OSU 59

Tech 10

FUN WITH NUMBERS

2  Number of passes UT completed and they were still up 31-6

93-27 Points Tech has surrendered and scored in last two games

.803 Tech’s winning percentage at home since 2002.

GUNS UP!

PREVIEW TEXAS TECH VS UT

MISS THE MIKE LEACH INTERVIEW? GO HERE: http://wisdomofthewannabes.blogspot.com/

“They say misery loves company. We coud start a factory and make misery. FRUSTRATED. INCORPORATED” – Soul Asylum, Misery

When: 11:00 am Nov 5

Where: Austin, DKR Stadium

TV: FX (look for the rotating announcer logos, its like FX is spoofing FOX)

Weather:  low 70s, sunny

Line: -14.5 UT (opened at -9)

Alright alright alright. Time for another matchup between the Longhorns and the Red Raiders. Got NO clue what team is traveling to Austin for Tech, but before we get to that, lets briefly look back on the past two week….(sorry boss came to town so no writing)

OU – 41-38. A Huge WIN in Norman, we’re the best team ever.

ISU – 41-7. To quote Norm McDonald “What the H?”

Ok Coach Tuberville, to continue the Soul Asylum song lets see if you can make the cure, because you made the disease. Good lord, I don’t know what to take out of that Iowa State game. About the only thing good is that there is no written record of Wisdom of the Crowd’s preview with a 42-7 Tech win prediction.

Tech is beat up across the board. Against ISU they lost another two starters and the backups look like they had no clue what to do. On offense, I swear Doege must be injured. Against the Cyclones he didn’t step into throws, floated passes and was just about as accurate as Zebbie Lethridge with a head cold.

So now you get to lick your wounds by hoping on a plane and flying down to Austin.  In case you don’t have the Longhorn Network (and that’s pretty much everyone), you missed them picking apart Kansas. But UT has some issues as their losses to OU and OSU showed. Now the Oklahoma State game could have been much closer than it was, but OU just destroyed UT both offensively and defensively.  That has got to give every Red Raider fan some hope.

UT on defense has some holes. Against the two “good” schools they played and lost to, they gave up an average of 46.5 points. Now those were to two Top 10 national offenses. Tech was another Top 10 offense until last week so that’s good.

Offensively, I still think their rotation of Ash and McCoy at quarterback is a bad idea and they should settle on one. And here’s a hint, the coaching staff is very much rumored to be leaning hard towards Ash. The horns have two great backs to. Malcolm Brown gets the majority of the carries, but Fozzie Whittaker gets his touches to.

And then there is some kid named Shipley. And than name should strike fear into any Big 12 defense.

Overall, I want to throw out the best and worst games for both these teams. Doing that, I think Tech has a pretty good shot here and knowing that UT fans will not be at full tilt for 11 am kick, DKR might not be the usual canyon of doom for tech.

But then history slaps you right in the face. The Longhorns have won two straight against the Red Raiders and lead the all-time series  44-15 and Tech hasn’t won in Austin since 1997. Tech has a puncher’s chance.

BEST GUESS

Tech – 35

UT – 38

FUN WITH NUMBERS

16-32 Doege’s passing stats last week against ISU

4-0 Tech’s road record stretching back to last year

1928 – Year that these two teams first met. UT won in Austin 12-0

GUNS UP!

Preview TEXAS TECH VS OU

She came from Oklahoma and the end of the world is on its way. In a Chevy nova. 

Oklahoma by Bob Schneider 

Where Norman

When Sat 7pm

TV ABC

Line OU  -28.5

Weather 60s w scattered showers

Well lets see if this team can flip the usual road woes that have bit the red raiders in the rear repeatedly can somehow pull a HUGE upset in Norman and beat the Sooners. Vegas did not think too much of this as the line opened at OU by -25 and the public seems to think that was not enough and the line has continued to move against the red raiders.

But before we get into this week, let’s look back at the last two weeks as I missed updating this

AGGGIES - for all that happened it was a pretty good showing by tech. You take away a horrendous special teams gaff resulting in a blocked and returned field goal and a dead ball play that blew up Stephens knee ending his season, this could have been a win. But the Aggies held on to finish this series with a win.

WILDCATS - speaking of special teams there is a huge turd in the punch bowl for tech and it’s the special teams. If memory serves Tech had the same issues last year and they haven’t been fixed. TWO blocked field goals and a kickoff return will tend to force you into a loss. And then, wait for it, the Tech offense disappeared in a key game in the second half gaining only 6 pts.

At least it can’t get worse, oh wait it can. Tech gets to go on the road and head to Norman where the Sooners have a 39 game win streak. OU is a monster on both sides of the ball.

Offensively they have unreal talent at QB w Landry Jones and his key receiver broyles just set the ncaa career reception mark last week in their whuppin of kansas. Defensively they are just as good. 

The good news for the Red Raiders is that offensively(minus that 2nd half) are still the number 9 offense in the country and Doege is making defenses look silly. And Crawford and Washington have stepped up on the ground to make up for Stephens absence.

I believe that this will be a shootout but that OU comes out with 14 pt win.

BEST GUESS

Tech 34

OU  48

FUN WITH NUMBERS

26 of 29. Number of losses for tech on the road against ranked teams

13 points special teams cost Tech against KSU

8 number of field goals Donnie corona has this year through 6 games 

GUNS UP!