Texas Tech’s Bowl Chances After They Beat Kansas This Weekend
The Red Raiders are going to finish the season 4-6 after beating Kansas this weekend. Make all the jokes you want to, the Red Raiders are a better team than the Jayhawks. No, that doesn't mean that Texas Tech deserves the win, but Kansas is really really bad. Worse than they were last year when they beat Matt Wells. Worse than they've been in several years.
The Jayhawks' best player left in the middle of the season. They've had inconsistent QB play from three different QB's. The defense gives up 49 points per game, while only scoring 16. Kansas rushes for 2.6 yards per attempt while allowing other teams to rush for 5.6 yards per attempt. The Red Raiders have opened as 27.5 point favorites against the worst Big 12 team of the last five years.
You can call me out on Saturday at 2:30 pm if the final seconds tick off after the 11:00 am kickoff and the Jayhawks have the lead. I'm confident though that the Red Raiders will not make me eat any crow this weekend and take care of the lowly Jayhawks.
While I'm busy making predictions, if Kansas State gets beat by Texas they'll also be 4-6. If TCU gets beat by Oklahoma State they'll be 4-5. Let's just say those things happen and Baylor loses both of their remaining games against the Oklahoma schools. That puts Texas Tech with similar resumes with Kansas State and TCU in the Big 12 standings. We know that the NCAA has decided that there are no-win requirements for bowl eligibility.
If you take a deeper look into the bottom half of the Big 12.
West Virginia will finish at the very least a .500 record. They will have the best shot at the midlevel bowls available to the big 12. In this scenario, Texas will finish 6-4 and also get a bowl game. TCU is the next in line but after finishing the season 4-6 with two straight losses and a boring offense the bowl game decision-makers will likely stick them in their home stadium in an abundance of caution at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.
That leaves Kansas State and Texas Tech to fight over the Big 12's 7th bowl game spot. Kansas State will be on a five-game losing streak. Texas Tech will finish 2-1 over their final three. Seems to me, if a 7th Big 12 team gets a bowl, Texas Tech will be the choice. Even if Kansas State somehow beats Texas, They'd be in and Texas Tech would be a better option than TCU. They would at least sell tickets inside the state of Texas, unlike TCU who has a minimal fanbase compared to the Red Raider alumni.
My prediction is that the Red Raiders will get a bowl invitation to one of two Bowls. Either the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl or the Guaranteed Rate Bowl FKA the Cheez-It Bowl. The First Responders Bowl would pit the Red Raiders vs the SMU Mustangs and Sonny Dykes. The Guaranteed Rate Bowl would be played against a team like Purdue from the Big Ten.
Both of these games are played on the 26th of December.
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