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Which Texas Tech football team's better, 2008 or 2025? | Williams
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- Which Texas Tech football team's better, 2008 or 2025? | Williams
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — With each punch-out by Jacob Rodriguez , with every lopsided Texas Tech football triumph this fall, the question bubbled up more and more: Which team's better, the 2025 Red Raiders or the 2008 version?
"Oh, man, that is a great question — that I've gotten a lot of debate in my friend groups," Darcel McBath said.
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The 2008 and 2025 teams are Tech's only two in the past 49 seasons with a double-digit victory total. McBath should have a more informed opinion than anyone as to which is better, being present for every practice and every game for both teams.
As a starting safety on the 2008 team that finished 11-2, he shared the FBS lead with seven interceptions and was the Red Raiders' second-leading tackler. He coaches the cornerbacks on the current 12-1 team, which is getting ready for a College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Oregon on Thursday, Jan. 1, in the Orange Bowl.
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South Florida sunshine streamed through the giant, suite-level windows behind him on Tuesday at Hard Rock Stadium as McBath considered the question.
"This team is a more complete team," he said. "I think the style we play on offense and the style we play on defense really, truly complement each other. I think top to bottom, just the depth that we have is better than we had in '08. Talent-wise, I think it's a better team.
"There are some spots particularly — I mean, everybody knows our D-line is fantastic. Our linebackers are great. I think this is a more complete team."
I'll note here that, as he said this, Darcel was sitting next to Zarnell Fitch, a hefty human and coach of those defensive linemen, not Rylan Reed, another muscled-up guy who helped anchor the 2008 offensive line. Easier to offend a massive fellow who might be reading this than another one sitting 3 feet away, right?
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I'm kidding, OK? You can make a strong case for either. What Texas Tech fan wouldn't love to see Graham Harrell looking for Michael Crabtree while trying to dodge David Bailey and Romello Height ? That's some fantasy football.
By position group, I'm taking the 2008 quarterback, receivers, offensive line, and defensive backs. Give me the 2025 defensive line, linebackers, running backs and special teams. The narrowest separation in those groups would be running backs and defensive backs. The other position groups are clear-cut.
Texas Tech's cornerbacks coach Darcel McBath leads a drill during spring practice, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the Womble Football Center.
Sounds about even, doesn't it? Put the 2025 team against the college-age version of the 2008 team, and oddsmakers would make the line 3 points or less. The trenches might decide it.
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Three offensive linemen on the 2008 team and three defensive linemen on the 2025 team earned some level of all-America recognition. Clash of the Titans.
The 2008 Red Raiders had one player selected in each of the first four rounds of the 2009 NFL draft: Crabtree in round one, McBath in round two, guard Louis Vasquez in round three, and defensive end Brandon Williams in round four. Starting cornerback Jamar Wall, who made a team-high 10 pass breakups in 2008, went in the sixth round in 2010, and Baron Batch, the 2008 rushing leader, went in the seventh round in 2011.
The 2025 team might have a similar distribution in the 2026-and-later NFL drafts, with Bailey pegged for the first round, Height and Lee Hunter probably not facing long waits, and others being draftable.
The 2025 team has thrashed every team it has played, except Arizona State, but the 2008 team played a stronger schedule, going 3-1 in a four-game Big 12 stretch against ranked opponents, including three top-10 teams.
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It's too early to call this debate for either side. The stain on the 2008 team's legacy is its collapse at the end. You shouldn't hold the 65-21 loss at Oklahoma against those Red Raiders. Maybe nobody beats the Sooners that night. Perfect storm. Different story, though, with a 47-34 Cotton Bowl loss to Ole Miss — a four-loss Ole Miss .
"Yeah, I think we were disappointed in ourselves," McBath said. "Mike (Crabtree) was out. I went out. I think we were all or nothing. I think we all wanted to play in the Big 12 championship and then the national championship. Obviously, we didn't get there, so the approach was a little bit different than the approach is here."
Did the Red Raiders party too much that week in Dallas?
"I think a little bit of that," McBath said. "A little bit too much partying and a little bit not as locked in as we had been all year.
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" Man ," he added, biting off the word as he thought back to 17 years ago Friday. "That one hurts, though. I wanted that one bad."
For the 2025 team, what it wants is still out there. That's how it can settle the debate: Don't let up now.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Which Texas Tech football team's better, 2008 or 2025? | Williams
