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What more must Texas Tech football do to earn sustained national respect? | Giese
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- What more must Texas Tech football do to earn sustained national respect? | Giese
As much as the hyperbole surrounding the Texas Tech football team before the season began was misguided, the overcorrection was just as foolhardy.
The same folks pumping up the Red Raiders in August and September took a sharp left turn after the 26-22 loss at Arizona State . Ignored was Texas Tech playing its backup quarterback — despite the national talking point, there was a reason Will Hammond was the backup all season — and that a four-point loss on the road against the reigning Big 12 champs, in what happened to be the last game Arizona State had its All-American quarterback and receiver duo together, shouldn't be seen as a death sentence.
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But we don't live in shades of grey, where nuance and maybes are allowed. You're either the best thing since sliced bread or you're back to being a generic loaf. The Red Raiders, new kids on the block of college football relevance on the national scale, weren't exempt from that. In fact, it's that fresh-out-of-the-box feeling for Texas Tech that caused so many to backtrack after one loss.
That's a perception Texas Tech has been trying to change this season, that one loss isn't the start of the fall back to reality, but a hurdle to overcome.
Blasting Oklahoma State at home, even with third-stringer Mitch Griffis playing much of the game, was never going to course correct those negative inklings. No, Texas Tech needed to prove itself all over again, and Kansas State was the perfect chance to do just that.
The 43-20 win wasn't perfect — more penalties, stalling drives, and having to settle for field goals are notable again — but the win in Manhattan was significant.
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It was the first full game Behren Morton 's played since.... Texas Tech's last road win almost a month ago. The offense took a bit to find a rhythm in Morton's return, and the defense held the line until things could start clicking.
From there, it was the complimentary football that made people believers in the Red Raiders in the first place. Five takeaways on defense. A balanced attack of rushing and passing. Keeping their foot on the throat of the Wildcats, as each effort to stay in the game was thwarted in one avenue or another.
Hours before the Red Raiders and Wildcats kicked off, Kirk Herbstreit essentially begged Texas Tech to win so ESPN could justify a trip to Lubbock for College GameDay .
Yup, that's how the high and mighty of the college football world see the Red Raiders: dance puppets, dance, and maybe we'll give you a hay penny or two for your trouble.
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Texas Tech held up its end of the bargain, and ESPN is too, announcing minutes after Saturday's game that the flagship pregame show will, in fact, emanate from Texas Tech University and Jones AT&T Stadium this week.
MANHATTAN, KS - NOVEMBER 01: Running back J Koby Williams #20 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates with his teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Kansas State Wildcats in the second half at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium on November 1, 2025 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
The last time Texas Tech hosted College GameDay was 2008, which also happened to be the last season the Red Raiders beat Kansas State in Manhattan.
While none of what has happened this year — the success, attention, and talent — has been seen in nearly 20 years, Texas Tech is using this year as an opportunity to show that this isn't just a one-off. Earning yet another marquee recruiting commitment (again in the middle of a game) in 2027 quarterback Kavian Bryant is one way to do so. Another is winning games on the road, and doing so in impressive fashion.
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Next on the docket is undefeated BYU , ranked in the Top 10 and one of the teams that could prevent the Red Raiders from getting to the Big 12 championship and, thus, the College Football Playoff.
In a season full of prove-it situations, the Red Raiders have their biggest one yet. Will this one be enough to satiate the masses once and for all?
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: College GameDay's visit provides Texas Tech football another prove-it moment
