The Texas Tech football team is headed to Corvallis, Oregon, this weekend for a matchup with the 0-1 Oregon State Beavers. Coming off a lackluster win over Abilene Christian in the opener, the Red Raiders have only this game to work out the kinks before opening Big 12 play next week against Houston in Lubbock.
This is the second year in a row for Tech and Oregon State to square off. Last season on the South Plains, Tech waltzed to a 45-14 win in a game that was 38-0 entering the fourth quarter.
This time around, things feel a little less inevitable for the Red Raiders. Of course, the season's first road trip brings about new challenges for the coaches and players.
What's more, Oregon State put up a respectable fight in week one at Houston. In that game, the Beavers trailed only 26-20 deep into the fourth quarter before a late Houston touchdown put the game on ice.
Also making OSU a more formidable opponent this time around is the fact that a new coaching staff is in place in Corvallis. Though that can come with some challenges, especially early in the season, it also means that the program has new life and new hope instead of being resigned to losing, as the Beavers appeared to be under the previous regime.
So Texas Tech fans should expect a more spirited affair when these teams meet on Saturday. It will be an interesting opportunity to see if the Red Raiders have made strides since week one, as there are several questions head coach Joey McGuire and his team need to answer. Let's look at three questions that Tech fans hope to get some clarity on this week, starting with the role of one of the offense's most intriguing players.
What is Tommy Castellanos' role in the Texas Tech offense?
Last week, new backup QB Tommy Castellanos played only one snap, and all he did was hand the ball off to J'Koby Williams, who scored a touchdown. So fans are still wondering what the plan is for Castellanos, a fifth-year senior transfer who was the starting QB at Florida State last season.
This week, McGuire said that Tech had a package of plays installed for Castellanos, but all of them were for situations deep inside the red zone. He said that Tech's three stalled red zone drives in week one never got close enough to the goal line to use what Castellanos had been working on, so the dual-threat QB was not utilized.
After seeing Tech's red zone woes carry over from last season to week one of 2026, fans are clambering to see more of Castellanos inside the 20, where his legs can be an effective option. Will we see that package this week? Has Castellanos' grasp of the playbook expanded over the past six days to the point where he can be a bigger part of the offense? Tech fans will be watching closely to find out.
Is the hype surrounding LaDamion Guyton going to be justified?
Another player Red Raider fans are anxious to see in action is true freshman pass rusher LaDamion Guyton. A five-star signee in the class of 2026, he arrived on campus for the start of fall camp at just 17 years old after finishing high school a year early.
Guyton was held out of the opener as a precaution due to a minor injury, but he's expected to make his college debut in Corvallis. Now, Tech fans are hoping to see what the coaching staff has been talking about since his arrival.
The buzz around fall camp is that Guyton, who is already 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, is a freak athlete whose game is light-years ahead of his age. So it is hard to blame fans for being excited to see the highest-ranked player to ever sign with the program finally hit the field.
Oregon State threw the ball 48 times against Houston while rushing for just 25 yards on 26 carries. That rushing total included four sacks and three carries attributed to the QB position, meaning that only 18 times did the Beavers try a traditional run play.
In other words, there might be plenty of pass-rush opportunities for Guyton and the rest of the Tech edge players. Will the youngster show out in his first game as a Red Raider? Tech fans can't wait to find out.
Will Texas Tech fix its red zone issues?
Finally, the biggest question McGuire's team needs to answer concerns the offense's ability to score touchdowns in the red zone. Last season, Tech did so on just over 55% of its opportunities, which was good for just 98th nationally.
Last week, Tech was only able to find the end zone twice in five red-zone trips. What's more, another drive stalled out just outside the red zone.
This week, it would be refreshing and reassuring to see Tech execute in that critical portion of the field. Leaving points off the board when that deep into the other team's territory will eventually cost the Red Raiders a win.
The hope is that another week of preparation will help the offense, especially starting QB Will Hammond, look more comfortable. Additionally, there is a belief that offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich may have more up his sleeve in the red zone than he showed against Abilene Christian. So when Tech crosses the Oregon State 20 on Saturday, all eyes in Raiderland will be glued to the television to see if the result is seven or three points.
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