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Texas Tech football: Predicting all 12 games in 2022

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 13: A model pumpjack sits on the sideline during the first half of the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Iowa State Cyclones at Jones AT&T Stadium on November 13, 2021 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 13: A model pumpjack sits on the sideline during the first half of the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Iowa State Cyclones at Jones AT&T Stadium on November 13, 2021 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Sep 4, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Tyler Shough (12) runs the ball against the Houston Cougars during the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 4, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Tyler Shough (12) runs the ball against the Houston Cougars during the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Texas Tech vs. Houston

After a cupcake of an opener, business picks up for the Red Raiders in game No. 2 as a ranked Houston team will come to Lubbock hungry for a signature win.  Keep in mind that the Cougars believe they could be this year’s version of Cincinnati and be a Group of 5 team to reach a New Year’s Six bowl or even possibly the college football playoff.

The latter of those scenarios seems unlikely given that the Cougars start the year barely inside the top 25.  What’s more, their schedule is absolutely atrocious outside of their trip to Lubbock.

Playing in the AAC, the Cougars will not face Cincinnati unless they see them in the conference title game and the best team they will see outside of Tech is SMU, who they play in Dallas.  So look for Dana Holgorsen’s team to view their trip to Lubbock as their Super Bowl.

Still, the Red Raiders should be the better team.  And playing at Jones Stadium could be what tilts this game Tech’s way.

Remember, last year, Houston had one of their best seasons in recent memory, and yet they lost to a Matt Wells-coached Texas Tech team by 17 points…in Houston.  This year, Tech will be a deeper and more talented team than they were last year.  More importantly, they will be better coached.  Houston won’t have an answer for that.

The QB battle will tell the story in this game.  Last year, Clayton Tune of Houston threw four picks to the Red Raiders while Tyler Shough was mistake-free in that regard.  Though Tune has more notoriety given that he’s been at Houston since the start of the Obama Administration and put up some prolific numbers, Shough is the better QB and he’ll prove it for the second-straight year.

In this game, Holgorsen may try to pull out all the stops as he did last season.  It didn’t matter a year ago and it won’t matter in 2022 as Tech moves to 2-0 on the season and opens some eyes by taking down a ranked team in McGuire’s second game.

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