Preview & Prediction: Texas Tech

We are nearing the end of our Preview & Prediction series, as it's time to take a look at a late season match-up with Texas Tech.

There was certainly hope early for Texas Tech. Despite a season-opening loss to Ole Miss the Red Raiders were 5-2 seven games into the year, including an impressive 41-17 win at then No. 15 Oklahoma State.

Kliff Kingsbury's program couldn't sustain the success, however.

Tech lost its final five games of the season (a 21-6 loss to K-State the fourth of those five straight defeats) and missed a bowl game. It cost Kingsbury his job. It's worth noting, though, Kingsbury parlayed getting fired in Lubbock to a head coaching job in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals.

They'll be different; I'm confident of that.

New coach Matt Wells isn't going to take Tech back to the stone age, but the Red Raiders will likely focus more on defense and occasionally a more physical style on offense.

Early on, though, Tech may be wise to lean on some of its previous offensive strengths. Kingsbury's bunch built for a spread, and sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman is a great fit for that system.

Bowman hit just less than 70 percent of his throws last season while throwing for 2,638 yards and 17 scores despite missing a significant portion of the season due to injury. Bowman's best outing was in a win over Houston, in which he threw for 605 yards (SIX HUNDRED AND FIVE) and five scores with no interceptions.

Bowman has a chance to be a great piece to help Wells transition Tech from its past to what Wells hopes it can be.

I've already told you about Bowman, so let's look at wide receiver T.J. Vasher here, instead.

Vasher was a major big-play threat two years ago, averaging 18.8 yards a catch and scoring on six of his 29 receptions. A year ago the 6-foot-6 junior was still a factor, but he wasn't the monster I projected him to be. Vasher ended the year with 54 catches for 687 yards (12.7 yards per catch), seven scores and a long reception of 37 yards.

I think Vasher may be more the player he flashed as a sophomore than during his junior season, and if Bowman stays healthy throughout the year I could easily see a 1,000-yard receiving season.

Well, the Wildcats handled Tech in Manhattan a year ago. Yes, the programs are completely different now, but there's obviously a great deal of roster carry over. The game last year did not feel competitive, and it was the only time in Big 12 play I felt like the Wildcats physically controlled a conference foe. It's not crazy to project the Wildcats would have a better team than Tech again - specific for this match-up - in 2019.

I really, really like Bowman, and I think Lubbock is one of the sneaky hardest places to play in the Big 12. The Wildcats have had success against Tech recently, no doubt, but Wells impresses me. I think the offensive weaponry inherited, combined with a greater emphasis on defense, should make for an awfully challenging late-season road game.

This loss, and the earlier projected home loss to TCU, were the most difficult decisions I had to make on this series throughout the process. It's easy to make arguments for K-State in that game, or in this one. Ultimately, though, I feel Tech has a little more as far as proven play-makers and gets to play at home, leaving me taking them it what may feel like a heart-breaker.

If the season plays out how I've projected, it leaves the season-finale with Iowa State in Manhattan needed to secure a sixth win and bowl berth.

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