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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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Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

No. 3 – Kansas

Surprised at how high the November 14th game with Kansas in Lubbock is on this list?  Well, ask yourself what people will be saying about Matt Wells if he loses to the laughingstock of the conference for a second-straight year.  Yeah….it would be ugly.

ESPN believes that Tech has an 87.5% shot at winning.  But last year’s 37-34 debacle in Lawrence reminded us all that the Jayhawks can be a pest, especially now that they are somewhat buoyed by the presence of head coach Les Miles.

From 2016-19, the only Big 12 team the Red Raiders beat in Lubbock was Kansas, a factoid that we all used to illustrate how dreadful Tech’s home record had become.  Now, we have to frame this game a bit differently.

Sure, it is one that we all will expect and demand that Wells put into the win column.  But it is one we can no longer simply take for granted as a glorified scrimmage.

If the six-win mark is going to be reached, it would seem like Tech would have to make sure to secure a home win over the worst program in the conference.  Fortunately, KU has won just once in nine all-time visits to the South Plains.

But if they can claim their second win at Jones Stadium, Wells will be in a world of trouble with the fan base, and maybe even his boss, Kirby Hocutt.  Regardless of what Tech’s record is at that point, 9-0, 0-9, or anywhere in between, this is a game that Wells can’t afford to lose because if the Red Raider fan base has to come to grips with being owned by Kansas in football, it is likely going to bring about a level of disinterest that Tech football has not had to overcome in the modern era of the program.

Also, a loss to such a lowly opponent in the middle of November would give us all a tremendous reason to fully turn away from the remainder of the football season and focus on the Texas Tech basketball season, which will have just gotten underway.

Thus, don’t sleep on the KU game.  Beating the Jayhawks is nothing special but losing to them for a second-straight year is a humiliation that Wells can’t afford to suffer.

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