Texas Tech football: These toss-up games will decide how 2019 plays out

Game 6 at Baylor

For the first time since 2007, Tech will travel to Waco this year to take on Baylor and play in McLane Stadium on the banks of the Brazos River for the first time.  The schools enter with the series history tied 38-38-1 and the team that breaks that tie this year will take a huge step forward in their current rebuilding efforts.

Baylor has won six of the last eight games in the series including last year’s 35-24 win that put the Kliff Kingsbury experiment out of its misery.  That win came in a game that saw two 5-6 teams fighting for a sixth win to reach bowl eligibility and by achieving that goal and winning the Texas Bowl over Vanderbilt, the Bears set themselves up for raised expectations in 2019.

Look for Baylor to enter this matchup with plenty of good vibes thanks to an incredibly weak early schedule.  With no Power 5 non-conference opponent on the slate, the Bears should be 4-1 when Tech comes to town with Iowa State the only team that should humble them in the season’s first five weeks.

Also, expect this to be another shootout and the key could be turnovers.  Last year, the Bears were second-to-last in the nation with just ten turnovers gained.  But two of those came against Tech at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Meanwhile, Tech took the ball away 18 times, 78th-best overall.  That will be a key focus of new DC Keith Patterson who will be counting on his ultra-aggressive scheme creating more opportunities for Alan Bowman and the offense.

Baylor last beat Tech in Waco back in 1995 having lost the last six meetings at Floyd Casey Stadium.  If Tech can extend that streak in the Bears’ new home, it would be a huge momentum-building moment for Matt Wells.