I think a ton of folks expect that the Texas Tech Red Raiders are going to be great on offense. It’s something that, more or less, comes with the brand of playing football in Lubbock over the past couple of decades. The offense is going to be great.
And that’s certainly the case this season as the Red Raiders are sitting here in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff with the No. 2 scoring offense in the country which also ranks as the top scoring offense left among the remaining College Football Playoff contenders.
As for the defense? Well, nobody really expects the Red Raiders to put together a competent defense. It’s just not something that has happened all that often in Lubbock. But what’s particularly impressive about this particular Texas Tech team is that the defense isn’t just competent. It’s flat out impressive. It’s one of the best in the country.
And that’s something that we’ve got to discuss a bit.
Where does the Texas Tech Red Raiders defense rank nationally in scoring defense ahead of the Orange Bowl vs the Oregon Ducks?
Here’s where Texas Tech sits among the top teams in the country in scoring defense prior to the Orange Bowl matchup with Oregon:
- Ohio State Buckeyes - 8.2 points per game
- Indiana Hoosiers - 10.8 points per game
- Texas Tech Red Raiders - 10.9 points per game
- Miami Hurricanes - 13 points per game
- Toledo Rockets - 13.3 points per game
- Iowa Hawkeyes - 14.7 points per game
- San Diego State Aztecs - 15.4 points per game
- Oklahoma Sooners - 15.5 points per game
- Georgia Bulldogs - 15.9 points per game
- Oregon Ducks - 16.3 points per game
There are a ton of College Football Playoff contenders in this batch of teams, which shouldn’t be too surprising. And hey, look, there’s even an eliminated CFP contender here in this bunch as the Oklahoma Sooners are sitting at No. 8 in the country after getting beaten by the Alabama Crimson Tide in the opening round.
And there Texas Tech is, sitting at No. 3 in the country, behind the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Indiana Hoosiers. That’s pretty good company to keep right now.