Texas Tech football: Game by game predictions for 2020 season

Oklahoma – Loss

This year, OU head coach Lincoln Riley will finally have to rely on a QB that he’s recruited and groomed instead of a veteran transfer.  That likely won’t slow down the Sooner attack one bit because that QB, Spencer Rattler, is being touted as the next great Big 12 passer.

Of course, at this point, you could put just about any player in the nation at the QB spot for Riley and he would be overhyped by the national media given the success Riley has had since taking over in Norman.  And though the Red Raider defense is supposed to be better, it’s tough to see it slowing down OU’s passing game well enough to pull off the upset in Lubbock.

For sure, there are questions OU has to answer this year at QB and most certainly at RB.  But by the time this game rolls around, they will likely be hitting their stride.

On defense, the Sooners still could be vulnerable.  That’s because the unit that was just No. 121 nationally in takeaways last year lost starting MLB Kenneth Murray, dominant DT Neville Gallimore, and No. 1 corner Parnell Motley.  Still, expect the OU “D” to be representative enough to allow the loaded offense to win games especially given that they have eight returning starters on defense.

Tech hasn’t taken down OU since 2011 and hasn’t claimed a home win in this lopsided series since 2009.  That doesn’t change in 2020 unfortunately.

It’s a shame that this game will be played in front of such a paltry crowd at The Jones because were Tech to enter this game 4-1 and riding a 3-game winning streak, this would be one of the biggest home games in years and the fan excitement would be through the roof, which has not been the case often enough over the last two seasons.  But the lack of a raucous home environment means that the young Rattler likely won’t be thrown off his game by playing in Lubbock and he will lead his more talented team to a win.