Tech will have a winning record in Big 12 games at home
This is the year that the Jones Stadium mystique begins to return from whatever abyss it has been hiding in for the last decade. If it does, the Red Raiders are going to be on their way to a surprising season.
The home schedule is far from daunting in 2019. In fact, the only team set to come to Lubbock the year that is ranked to begin the season is No. 21 Iowa State. That is certainly not an opponent that is guaranteed to leave Lubbock victorious.
TCU will have a stout defense but the Frogs are starting Kansas State cast off Alex Delton at QB in their opener. Let that sink in, a quarterback that couldn’t cut it at Kansas State is who Gary Patterson has turned to.
By the time Patterson and his highwater khakis come to the Jones, it would surprise no one if 4-star 2019 signee Max Duggan is leading the offense for OC Sonny Cumbie. But even so, Tech will have the QB advantage in that game and should feel confident when tangling with the Frogs.
Oklahoma State will be a tough test but they will be starting a redshirt freshman QB in Spencer Sanders, another former 4-star signee. He will have tons of weapons to work with on offense but the Cowboys have as many questions on defense as any team in the conference after finishing just 112th in total defense in 2018. Look for this game to be another classic shootout, which is fitting for two teams that use the gun as their hand signal.
As for the Cyclones, they will be prolific on defense but if Tech can learn how to run between the tackles, that new method of attack will give the ISU cloud defense fits. And on offense, the Cyclones have to replace their top running back and receiver from an offense that was nothing special last year, ranking just 7th in the Big 12.
Meanwhile, Kansas State is a mess in the wake of the awkward end to the Bill Snyder era. After going just 5-7 last year, the Wildcats have to replace their two best players in guard Dalton Risner and RB Alex Barnes.
Tech has not won more than two Big 12 games at home since 2010. That, of course, includes a three-year run of having no conference home wins over anyone but Kansas.
That changes this year as Tech goes 5-1 at home and 3-1 in Big 12 games with a loss to OSU, ISU, or TCU. Unfortunately, that will leave us one win short of the Chris Beard block party but we’ll have plenty of opportunities to party with him in the U.S.A.