Summer Schedule Preview: Texas Tech, OSU’s New Football Rival?

Has Oklahoma State found its new rival? Some say so. Before we get into whether the Red Raiders can fill that Sooner-sized void, let’s take a look at the two schools’ history and what we can expect from Texas Tech in 2024.

Be sure to check out the preview episodes of our Summer Schedule Series: Noncon | Utah | K-State | West Virginia | BYU | Baylor | TCU 

Week 13: Texas Tech | Nov. 23 | Stillwater

Series History: 24-23-3

The Cowboys caught up over the last decade, winning eight of the last 10 against the Red Raiders and 13 of the last 15. Mike Gundy is 14-4 against Tech.

Last Meeting: OSU 41, Texas Tech 31

The Cowboys have won three straight against the Red Raiders, with the most recent meeting coming two seasons ago. Spencer Sanders threw for just under 300 yards and a touchdown and rushed for two. He also had some highlight-reel connections with his receiving corps. OSU pulled away in the fourth despite being out-rushed and out-passed. It would push the Cowboys to their 5-0 start before TCU dropped them down a peg. OSU went 2-6 the rest of the way.

Tech in 2023: In the first two years under Joey McGuire, Tech has two bowl wins. The Raiders followed up an 8-5 2022 with a 7-6 2023 capped with an Independence Bowl win over Cal.

Tech in 2024: Despite some real roster turnover, Tech has a couple of figureheads returning for its offense that should give it a chance this fall. All-Big 12 running back Tahj Brooks is back after trailing only Ollie Gordon in rushing yards last season and quarterback Behren Morton could be poised for a big season now in Year 4 in the program.

But stop me if you’ve read this before. A lot will depend on Tech’s reloaded O-Line and how quickly it can gel.

Like many other teams in the conference and around the country, there were a lot of comings and goings for Tech via the portal, especially up front. The Red Raiders brought in four potential starting linemen. McGuire also hired former Washington State offensive line coach Clay McGuire to facilitate that cohesion (no relation to Joey McGuire, but this is his third stint at Tech, plus he played OL in Lubbock).

Also from Washington State, wide receiver Josh Kelly will help bolster the passing game, as well as touted five-star freshman Micah Hudson. If they can figure it out up front, the Red Raiders have plenty of firing power.

Of Note: Reunion for QB1

This sets up to be the first time Alan Bowman faces his former team since he transferred to Michigan ahead of the 2021 season. Bowman spent 2018-20 at Tech, with much acclaim, before injuries hampered his tenure as the Red Raiders’ QB.

Apparently, OSU and Tech are rivals.

According to that new video game everyone is fired up about, the notion that OSU and Texas Tech are rivals is gaining even more traction. I don’t know how I feel about it, to be honest. It’s fun to jeer the Red Raiders over copying a mascot, a gesture and now a uniform kit. And there has even been bad blood spilling over into other sports, like the incident with Marcus Smart and a fan back in 2014.

But with the imploding and rearranging of Power Conferences, and the ensuing dissolving of storied regional matchups, I wonder how strong any of these plug-in rivalries can really be. It’s one of the inevitable outcomes of capitalism-fueled football, and I get why it’s happening. But it does grind off a bit of the veneer of nostalgia of college football. If Tech must be OSU’s defacto rival, at least the two schools have plenty of history.