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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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Tre Watson #5 of the Texas Longhorns is wrapped up by Jah’Shawn Johnson #7 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
Tre Watson #5 of the Texas Longhorns is wrapped up by Jah’Shawn Johnson #7 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

No. 2 – Texas

Twelve years ago, Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree combined to make the most famous play in Texas Tech football history.  Since then, Red Raiders fans have not been able to celebrate another victory over Texas in Lubbock.  That needs to change in 2020.

Texas’ current five-game winning streak at The Jones is puzzling given that it has coincided with a prolonged stretch of Longhorn mediocrity.  Of course, during that same time, Tech has been even less than mediocre.

But if Wells wants to start to win back the fans, he could make a lightyear’s worth of progress by beating Bevo on October 24.  According to ESPN, there’s only a 22.7% shot at that coming to fruition though.

This game also comes at an interesting place on the schedule.  It will be the third of three-straight home games following the WVU and Baylor games.  During that time, Tech will go over a month in between road games.

So there’s an opportunity to head into the final five games of the year with some serious momentum.  Conversely, a loss could send the Red Raiders into back-to-back road games against Oklahoma State and Kansas State on a down note.

But even more important is the big picture for Wells.  Nothing he can do will earn him more adoration within the Red Raider fan base than to figure out how to beat Texas on a consistent basis, especially in Lubbock.  That’s what Spike Dykes was able to do three times in his career and it was a reason that he was the most popular coach in program history.

Dykes also made it commonplace to beat A&M in Lubbock, which also boosted his stature in the Hub City.  Wells doesn’t have that opportunity so beating Texas is the only shot he has at claiming a win in one of Tech’s two most important and historic rivalries.

Mike Leach beat Texas only twice in Lubbock in his five attempts and Tommy Tuberville and Kliff Kingsbury went a combined 0-5.  If Wells can earn a win over UT this year, it will make him much more popular with Red Raider fans than he’s ever come close to being and that’s something that needs to happen for the overall wellbeing of the program.

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