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Texas Tech football: Ranking 2020 games by importance for Matt Wells (No. 1-6)

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Matt Wells of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks on during a timeout huddle during the second half of the college football game against the Kansas State Wildcats on November 23, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Matt Wells of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks on during a timeout huddle during the second half of the college football game against the Kansas State Wildcats on November 23, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Wide receiver Xavier White #14 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Wide receiver Xavier White #14 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

No. 4 – Arizona

At first glance, a non-conference game against Arizona in week three might not seem like a critical game.  And what’s more, the PAC 12 might decide to scrap all non-conference games this season, which might make this discussion moot.

But assuming that this game is played, let’s think about how meaningful it could be.  After all, it will be the season’s first true test and that test will come at home where Wells has to be desperate to give the fans some positivity.

The Texas Tech football program is in massive need of some forward momentum on its home field where it lost four of five Big 12 games last year.  That’s what a win over Arizona ahead of the Big 12 opener at Iowa State could provide.

If Tech beats Arizona to start 3-0, Wells’ team will be guaranteed to return to Lubbock for its next game no worse than 3-1 on the season.  That should set up some energetic crowds for back-to-back home games against Baylor and West Virginia.  Wins in those two games would potentially put the Red Raiders just a game away from reaching 2020’s main goal, bowl eligibility, and an emotionally invested crowd would go a long way towards getting to that point.

Thus, avenging last year’s 28-14 loss to the Wildcats could prove to be the type of springboard that the 2020 Red Raiders need. ESPN says that outcome has a 71.2% chance of taking place and it could remind the home crowd that fun times are still possible at Jones Stadium, which give us all a reason to believe that this year is going to be a step in the right direction.

Normally, a non-conference game between two teams that will be picked to finish near the bottom of their respective conferences would not be all that important to a season.  But for a coach and program desperately needing to curry good favor with its fans after playing the final handful of home games of 2019 in front of a half-empty stadium, this contest will be especially meaningful.

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