Texas Tech football: Why have the Red Raiders struggled on the road under McGuire?

Texas Tech has faced some very tough opponents on the road

It is tough enough to win away from home regardless of the opponent.  However, trying to pick up wins against the caliber of teams that Tech has had to tangle with on the road during McGuire’s tenure has led to some of the struggles away from Lubbock.

In the six true road games Tech has played the past two seasons, four have required the Red Raiders to take on ranked teams.  What’s more, two of those teams (Oklahoma State and TCU) were ranked No. 7 when Tech came calling.

Sometimes, you simply catch a team in the wrong year.  That was the case last season against N.C. State, which was ranked No. 16 in week three when McGuire’s program played its first road game under his leadership.

Though the Wolfpack would end the year at just 8-5 due to numerous injuries, when they hosted Tech they were thought to be a darkhorse ACC contender and they were fully healthy.  That was one of the best NC State teams of the past two decades so playing the Wolfpack on the road last season was more difficult of a task than it typically is.

Sometimes, you simply catch a team at the wrong time during the season.  When Tech went to Oklahoma State last October, the Cowboys were undefeated and No. 7 in the country.  However, by the end of the year, many key players on the OSU roster would either leave the program or would just stop playing their hardest resulting in an eventual 8-5 season.

After playing Tech, the Cowboys would lose five of their final seven games, including a home game against a woeful West Virginia team on senior day.  But when playing Tech, they were at the peak of their powers in 2022.

This year, it is possible that Tech won’t face a ranked road team until the regular-season finale at Texas.  What’s more, there’s no way to imagine four road tests cropping up for McGuire and Co.  Therefore, maybe the road will be kinder in 2023.