Texas Football: Ranking the difficulty of every remaining opponent for Longhorns

3. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Date: Nov. 10

Location: Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX

The gap between the strength of schedule between Kansas and Oklahoma State and then Texas Tech is quite large. Texas Tech is actually slightly in contention for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game at this point. Since knocking off the Houston Cougars in non-conference play, this looked like a different Texas Tech team.

Last season was a complete letdown for the Horns against the Red Raiders with the eventual 27-23 defeat on the Forty Acres. That loss to Texas Tech was one of the most surprising losses last year, and the way it transpired didn’t make things any better. Once again, Texas football had a late lead that was thrown away in the dying minutes of the fourth quarter.

This year, Texas Tech looks to give the Horns some trouble behind the efforts of true freshman quarterback Alan Bowman. A collapsed lung experienced against West Virginia doomed Bowman for a few games and was one of the scarier injuries in the Big 12 so far this year. Up to this point, he has tossed 14 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

Another aspect that Texas Tech has working in its favor here is the ever improved defense that’s been rolling of late. Texas Tech gets the Horns at home which is never an easy place to play. Just for the sake of the Horns, this entire fan base should hope that the trip to Lubbock doesn’t entail a night game.