Summer Schedule Preview: Texas Tech Looks Like a Legit Big 12 Contender

The Cowboys had one of their best games of last season when they hosted the Red Raiders. Unfortunately, it was still a loss. In 2025, they’ll head to Lubbock looking for payback, but that might be a tall task.

Like OSU, Texas Tech replaced both its coordinators, and, like OSU, Tech has a lot of new faces on its roster. But while the Cowboys are looking to rebound from a historically bad 2024, the Red Raiders look to be a build off a solid season and might be legit Big 12 contender.

Check out our previous previews: Noncon | Baylor | Arizona | Houston | Cincinnati

Week 9: Texas Tech | Oct. 25 | Lubbock, Texas

Series history: 24-24-3

Last meeting: TTU 56, OSU 48 (2024)

On Senior Day, the Cowboys went with a freshman at QB and got in a shootout.

Maealiuaki Smith got his first career start and earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. Thanks to his 316 yards and two scores and big games from Ollie Gordon and Rashad Owens in their BPS finales, the Cowboys scored a season-high 48 points against the Red Raiders. But it wasn’t enough to tip the scales as OSU’s defense gave up 56, the most the Pokes have given up since Baker Mayfield visited in 2017. Behren Morton lit the Cowboys up for a career-high 401 yards and four TDs to one interception ruining the Pokes’ final home game.

Tech in 2024: The Red Raiders have gone 8-5, 7-6, 8-5 in Joey McGuire’s three seasons at the helm. For the first time in his tenure they ended with a bowl loss. Although the trajectory looks a little flat, those are strong finishes, and there was improvement shown last year.

McGuire replaced both of his coordinators this offseason, but for two different reasons. Tech led the Big 12 scoring and ranked fourth in the FBS, scoring 37.6 points per game, the most since 2016. But they did give up a lot of points on the other end, barely edging out OSU as the worst scoring defense (34.8) in the league.

Tech’s Offense in 2025: Tech’s play caller Zach Kittley was hired off to be FAU’s head coach, so McGuire handed the reins to OC/QB coach Mack Leftwich. Despite having to replace the school’s all-time rusher Tahj Brooks and several other playmakers and O-linemen, Leftwich does return his starting QB Behren Morton.

Tech’s Defense in 2025: McGuire brought in former Houston defensive coordinator Shiel Wood to try to improve a defense that was one of the worst in the country against the pass (see a certain freshman’s first start). He was able to restock and improve a lot of key positions via the transfer portal. Tech does return Big 12 leading tackler and all-conference first-teamer Jacob Rodriguez.

Of note: McGuire is working the portal. Tech ranks second in the nation in transfer portal acquisitions behind only LSU as of writing. The Red Raiders’ 13 four-star transfers leads all teams. You still have to bring all that talent in and get it to gel, and do so with new leadership on both sides, but there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic if you’re a Red Raider fan.