Week 8 Texas Tech football Bowl Projections: Red Raiders staying in state?

The calendar is nearing Halloween and there is only one weekend of college football left before November arrives. Thus, the postseason is right around the corner.

Sitting at 5-2 on the season, Texas Tech has put itself in a great position to qualify for bowl eligibility. Of course, the Red Raiders have higher aspirations than just getting to a low-level bowl as has been the case the past two years.

This year, the hope is that Joey McGuire's team can put itself in a spot where it will be in contention for a Big 12 Championship Game appearance in November. If that happens, then Tech won't be simply trying to sneak into the postseason as it has the past two years.

Of course, we can't take a sixth win for granted either. Tech learned that the hard way back in 2011.

That year, the Red Raiders were also 5-2 after seven games thanks to an upset of No. 3 Oklahoma in Norman. Unfortunately, head coach Tommy Tuberville and QB Seth Doege were unable to lead their team to another win the rest of that season as Tech would finish 5-7 on the year and miss out on a bowl game for the first time since 1999.

Red Raider fans are confident that scenario won't play out in 2024 and the belief is that there are plenty more wins still on the table this fall. If that's true, then the Red Raiders could be in line to play in a nice bowl game. And if many of the current projections are true, Tech could be staying in the Lone Star State for the postseason.

CBS Sports - Texas Bowl vs. LSU

CBS Sports projects the Red Raiders to land in the Texas Bowl in Houston to play the LSU Tigers. That would be a rematch of the 2015 Texas Bowl which LSU won 56-27.

This year, the Tigers are currently ranked 8th in the nation with a 6-1 record. Thus, they still have their sights set on a College Football Playoff bid. However, with games remaining against No. 14 Texas A&M, No. 15 Alabama, and No. 25 Vanderbilt, the Tigers could still drop a few contests and wind up playing in Houston.

Sports Illustrated - Texas Bowl vs. Florida

Another projection that sees the Red Raiders headed to Houston for the Texas Bowl comes from Patrick Andres at Sports Illustrated. However, he sees the Red Raiders tangling with the Florida Gators.

Florida is currently 4-3 on the season. However, their remaining schedule is brutal. Still with games left to play against No. 2 Georgia, No. 5 Texas, No. 8 LSU, and No. 18 Ole Miss, the Gators are no lock for the postseason.

Athlon Sports - Texas Bowl vs. Arkansas

Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports also sees the Red Raiders landing in the Texas Bowl. His projection has them taking on Arkansas in an old Southwest Conference rematch.

Tech has faced the Razorbacks 37 times but not since 2015 when Patrick Mahomes led Tech to a 35-24 road win. This year, the Hogs are 4-3 overall but they still must face No. 18 Ole Miss, No. 5 Texas, and No. 21 Missouri so who knows where they might land once the postseason arrives.

ESPN - Pop Tarts Bowl vs. Pitt or Notre Dame

Over at ESPN.com, Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach both put Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Bonagura has the Red Raiders taking on Pitt while Schlabach pitts them against Notre Dame.

Pitt is currently ranked No. 19 in the nation with a sparkling 6-0 record. Meanwhile, Notre Dame sits at No. 12 with a 6-1 record. Each of those teams still have designs on earning a playoff spot but could wind up facing the Red Raiders in Orlando.

College Football Network - Liberty Bowl vs. Vanderbilt

The College Football Network's Oliver Hodgkinson has a less-than-inspiring projection for Tech, the Liberty Bowl. There, he thinks the Red Raiders would take on Vanderbilt which would be playing in its home state by playing in Memphis, Tennessee.

This year, Vandy is currently ranked No. 25 but still has games remaining against No. 5 Texas, No. 8 LSU, and No. 7 Tennessee. Should Tech wind up in the Liberty Bowl, it would be the second time since 2021 that the Red Raiders played in that particular bowl game.

247Sports.com - Texas Bowl vs. Tennessee

Finally, Brad Crawford at 247Sports.com also has Tech landing in the Texas Bowl. But he sees the opponent being Tennessee.

Of course, the No. 7 Volunteers have their sights set on an SEC title and a playoff appearance this year. However, Crawford thinks they will falter down the stretch and wind up coming to Houston to take on the Red Raiders instead.