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Texas Tech football: 3 Red Raiders that must step up against Oregon

By Matthew Conner

Sep 2, 2023; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Tyler Shough (12) drops back to pass against the Wyoming Cowboys during the fourth quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 2, 2023; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Tyler Shough (12) drops back to pass against the Wyoming Cowboys during the fourth quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports /
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LUBBOCK, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 26: Head coach Joey McGuire of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is seen on the field prior to a game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Jones AT&T Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 26: Head coach Joey McGuire of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is seen on the field prior to a game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Jones AT&T Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Getty Images) /

It has been a long week for Texas Tech football fans.  Having to chew on the week one loss to Wyoming has made this Saturday’s arrival feel years in arriving.

What’s more, there is trepidation over the matchup Tech will face in week two, Oregon giving game two a bit of a foreboding tone.  However, if the Red Raiders want to be considered one of the contenders nationally, they have to start winning high-profile games like this. That’s why head coach Joey McGuire referred to this game as an “opportunity” earlier this week.

"“It’s gonna be a great opportunity,” he said Monday.  “That’s a word that we’ve used a lot, even before the Wyoming game, that we have a great opportunity in front of us.”"

Truly, this is a chance for the Red Raiders to rewrite the narrative for this season.  Beat Oregon and there’s a great chance that they could wind up back in the polls.

What’s more, the confidence of this roster and this fan base will soar to heights that we haven’t seen in years.  While a win on Saturday won’t completely erase what happened in Wyoming, it would return some of the hype and expectations that many had for Tech in the offseason.

These types of games against top teams are also opportunities for individual players to put great plays on film.  This Red Raider squad has a number of players with legitimate NFL aspirations after this season and when the pro scouts go to evaluate the players on this roster, they will undoubtedly look at the Oregon game to see how the Red Raiders they are scouting fared against one of the most talented teams in the country.

Unfortunately, not too many Red Raiders stood out in Laramie.  That has to change in week two and if the following Red Raiders can step up, this weekend could follow a much different script.

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