Texas Tech Bye Week: The Hunted

Until last week, Joey McGuire’s Red Raiders had not done anything on the field to grab the attention of the entire college football landscape. Writers and commentators have exhausted the offseason spending storyline at this point. Blowout wins over Arkansas Pine-Bluff, Kent State, and Oregon State would be the expectations for any program that considers itself a top 25 program. But the team confirmed the money was well spent with a 24-point road win at Utah. For the first time (ever?) since at least 2008, this Red Raider team is considered one of the favorites to win the Big 12. With week five of the college football slate having a ton of major-ranked vs. ranked games on deck, the first Texas Tech bye week seems to be arriving at an ideal time. But what does this team need to do moving forward with a very clear target on their back from the rest of the big 12?

Coaching Staff In Unfamiliar Territory

It isn’t a stretch to say that it feels great when lots of people are patting you on the back. For a football team to hear about how incredible they are it can invite complacency into the locker room. One of the more notable coaches’ cliches is to tell the players and press that their goal is to go 1-0 that week. Focus on the game at hand. But these are still 18-22-year-olds.

As a former 18-22-year-old, I can confirm that it is very easy to get swept up in emotions. It takes real maturity to fall in love with the process. It is hard not to be consumed with the results, both in sports and in life. Depending on which scientific source you look at, the human brain doesn’t fully develop until 25-30 years old. No matter how veteran this Red Raider squad is, the coaches still have plenty of work to do during the Texas Tech bye week.

Where Culture Comes Into Play

The Texas Tech coaching staff is fortunate that there were plenty of coachable moments from the Utah game. The coaches need to find a better solution for handling road environments and the snap count. The team must clean up the penalties. The offense wasn’t clicking for 2+ quarters. But while they have those talking points, the coaches are the tone setters for a program’s culture. McGuire has been very vocal about living up to “The Brand.” It is defined as “being the toughest, hardest working, and most competitive team in the country.” Being the hunted team in the Big 12 could make this team vulnerable to criticism or complacency. If McGuire has the buy-in, it appears he has from the players and staff; their mindset will shift into being proactive and assertive in all they do.

Get Healthy

From a micro-viewpoint, the biggest thing the Red Raiders can do during the bye week is get healthy. Starting next week, they will play seven straight games. Quarterback Behren Morton headlines the injury report. He left the Utah game in the third quarter with what appeared to be a head/neck injury. So far, all reports from practice suggest Morton could have played this week if they had a game. But there are a few other key pieces that were not at 100% heading into the Utah game. Romello Height, Ben Roberts, and Hunter Zambrano were all listed on the official Big 12 player availability report before they all wound up playing in the game.

Texas Tech Bye Week Leads Into Another Road Challenge

While the Red Raider team will get to watch all the games this weekend, a potentially tricky road trip lies ahead next week. Willie Fritz will likely have his Coogs sitting at 4-0 when they welcome Texas Tech to Houston. It is a defense that Texas Tech defensive coordinator Shiel Wood knows very well. Wood served on Fritz’s staff in the same role in 2024. But they appear to have figured some things out on the offensive side of the ball. Fritz consistently prepares his teams for any opponent. The Red Raiders have the advantage from a talent perspective. But they need to be ready to execute to remain undefeated.