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Texas Tech football: Ranking 2020’s games by importance to Matt Wells (No. 7-12)

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Matt Wells of the Texas Tech Red Raiders leaves the field after the college football game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on October 05, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Matt Wells of the Texas Tech Red Raiders leaves the field after the college football game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on October 05, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Texas Tech captains including defensive lineman Eli Howard #53, quarterback Alan Bowman #10, running back Jax Welch #30, and defensive back Adrian Frye #7 (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Texas Tech captains including defensive lineman Eli Howard #53, quarterback Alan Bowman #10, running back Jax Welch #30, and defensive back Adrian Frye #7 (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

No. 11 UTEP

The season-opener against UTEP could be put in nearly the same class as the next week’s game against Alabama State.  Though the game will take place in El Paso, there just doesn’t seem to be much Tech can gain from a national or even regional perspective by taking down a program that has been one of the worst in the FBS in the last half-decade.

Coming off their second-straight 1-11 season, UTEP has just two wins in the last three years combined.  Tech managed to get that many wins in Big 12 play last year in was considered a massive disappointment.

Most remember that one of Wells’ four wins last fall came in week two at home when the Red Raiders took down UTEP 38-3.  Though the final score was lopsided, the home team was not impressive that night at Jones Stadium as mistakes and sloppy play ruled the day.

If Tech plays that way against the Miners in 2020, things could get a bit more interesting in the Sun Bowl than we would like.  We saw that happen in the last two times Tech played in Texas’ westernmost city.

In 2014, Davis Webb and Justin Stockton had to come up big to help Tech come from behind in the 4th quarter of a 30-26 win.  In 2006, Graham Harrell and Joel Filani had to play the roles of saviors in a 38-35 OT win.

This year’s contest shouldn’t be that close.  Tech has a 97.9% chance to win according to ESPN.com.

But anything can happen in a night game in El Paso.  And if Wells loses this game, the fallout will be the same as it would be if he were to have lost to an FCS team given that UTEP is about half a step from being at that level itself.  Thus, this is another no-win game for Tech and Wells and as such, it comes in at the No. 11 game on our list.

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