Wreck'Em Red
Fansided

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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 7
Next
CeeDee Lamb #2 of the Oklahoma Sooners gains yardage after making the catch during the second half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders  (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
CeeDee Lamb #2 of the Oklahoma Sooners gains yardage after making the catch during the second half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders  (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

No. 10 – Oklahoma

The only way the Oklahoma game in the season’s final week will hold massive importance is if Tech has a miraculous run through the first 11 games and is playing for a spot in the conference title game or if Wells’ team needs one more win to get to a bowl.  Outside of that, no reasonable fan will be all that critical of Wells should his team lose to Oklahoma.

Certainly, if the game is completely non-competitive like 2011’s 66-6 loss at home to Oklahoma State, there will be plenty of people voicing their displeasure.  And if a loss to OU keeps Tech from a bowl game for the third-straight year, it will put Wells on the hot seat heading into his third year.

But right now, Texas Tech isn’t built to compete with OU from a personnel standpoint.  That was painfully apparent in last year’s 55-16 loss in Norman.  After all, the only player on the Red Raider roster in that game who would have started for the Sooners was linebacker Jordyn Brooks.

This year, the talent disparity might be less massive and playing in Lubbock will help give the Red Raiders a puncher’s chance.  But still, OU will likely be heavy favorites unless some seismic changes occur in the first 11 games of the season.

ESPN.com says that OU has a 79.3% chance of winning this game as it stands right now.  Though that could change, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which the Sooners come back to the pack enough to raise Red Raider expectations when the come to Lubbock.

Wells will look at this contest as a way to end the regular season with a statement to the college football world.  But while winning this game could put him in a more advantageous position with his constituency, it is No. 10 on our list because if he loses to the only true powerhouse in the conference, it isn’t going to do all that much damage to his approval rating or job status.

Home/Texas Tech Football