Texas Tech football: Game by game predictions for 2020 season
Baylor – Win
Look for Baylor to come crashing back down to reality this season. After all, in 2019 they were the most average 11-win team any of us had ever seen and now, they’ve seen massive changes sweep through the program.
That starts with the head coach where miracle-worker Matt Rhule is being replaced by first-time head coach Dave Aranda. There’s certainly going to be some adjustment to the new coaching staff and the man in charge will likely have a learning curve himself thus forcing Baylor to regress.
What’s more, the team that led the Big 12 in scoring defense last fall returns only two starters. That will drastically change the way the Bears have to win games this year and there’s no guarantee that QB Charlie Brewer and the offense are capable of doing that.
In fact, leading receiver Denzel Mims is gone leaving Brewer without his top weapon. Therefore, the Bears may rely heavily on RB John Lovett, one of the most productive backs in Baylor history.
When thinking about Tech facing the 2020 Bears, we can’t help but think back to the debacle that took place last year in Waco when the Red Raiders jobbed by the Big 12 officials in overtime. But we also need to keep in mind that a Red Raider team that would finish 4-8 would have beaten one of the best Baylor teams ever had it not been for officiating incompetence.
This year, Texas Tech is going to be a better team while Baylor will be worse. Tech returns almost all of last year’s top contributors (with four notable exceptions) while Baylor lost loads of talent.
What’s more, this is an opportunity for the Red Raiders to enact some revenge from last year, and though Wells and his players will never admit that publically, that will be an extra motivator when Baylor comes to Lubbock. If there is one game I most hope Tech wins this year, it is this one and I think that happens as the Red Raiders finish the job this year that the Big 12 referees robbed them of the opportunity to do last fall.