Texas Tech 2010 Preview

2009 Record: 9-4 (5-3 in the Big 12)

Returning Starters: 14 (8 on offense; 6 on defense)

2009 Bowl Game: Alamo Bowl; Defeated Michigan State, 41-31

Yellow = Predicted Win

Red = Predicted Loss

Predicted finish: 8-4 (5-3 in the Big 12)

2 Key Players Returning on Offense:

• Taylor Potts/Steven Sheffield – QB’s; Potts and Sheffield are locked in a battle for the starting QB job. Good thing for Tech – both are good.
• Baron Batch – RB; Figures to be a bigger part of Tuberville’s new offense. Averaged over 5 yards in carry in ’09.

2 Key Returning Players on Defense:

• Brian Duncan – LB; Named to the Big 12 preseason All-Conference team. Led the Red Raiders in tackles in ’09 with 88 stops.
• Colby Whitlock – DT: Will be the anchor of the line switching to a 3-4 scheme. Finished with 45 tackles and three sacks in ’09.

Key Losses from 2009

• Brandon Carter – OL; Anchor of Tech offensive line. First team All-Big 12 in 2009
• Brandon Sharpe – DE; Finished 2009 with an impressive 15 sacks.
• Jamar Wall – CB; Led the team with 15 pass break-ups last season

Quick Thoughts

Coming into the season, few teams have more storylines surrounding them than Texas Tech. Tommy Tuberville is the new coach. Tech has two solid QB’s vying for the starting job in Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield. Defense all of a sudden becomes a priority. How much are they going to run the ball or should I say, does the Air Raid offense survive in Lubbock? This list goes on.

With a new coach at the helm, and one drastically different than the last, all these questions won’t be answered until we see the Red Raiders on the field this fall. From all accounts this offseason, the Air Raid offense will still be around, albeit in a slightly different form. The one facet that was missing from Leach’s offense was a consistent running game. By the ground game becoming more of a focal point, it should only help the passing game, including the pass protection.

Ah, the passing game. Don’t expect the Red Raiders to come out in the Wing T and run it 80% of the time. As Tuberville said on Rival’s radio during the offseason, “If you looked at our offense and look at our personnel on this team, we’ve got as good of personnel on this team offensively as any team in the SEC and so why would you change that?”

So what you’ll see in Lubbock is a little more balance on offense, while still emphasizing the passing game. And, why not with a roster built for it? That combined with a new emphasis on the defense makes Texas Tech one of, if not, the most intriguing team in the Big 12.

Keys to Success in 2010

On Offense:

Gain continuity, especially on the offensive line. This is always the biggest challenge when a new coaching staff takes over. Doing it in practice is one thing, but when the bullets start flying on Saturdays, players are going through everything for the first time. This might seem elementary, but getting the play into the huddle, getting to the line and snapping the ball on time are things that take getting used to under a new staff. How quickly Texas Tech adapts to the changes early in the season will be a telling sign on how much success they have in Tuberville’s first go-around in Lubbock.

Tech is also replacing three starters on the offensive line. Brandon Carter, Shawn Brynes, and Marlon Winn are all gone. This might actually be to Tech’s advantage as odd as that sounds. With all the lineman having to learn new blocking schemes, it might not be as hard to break old habits when you are looking at several new starters upfront.

Looking at the skill positions, it’s not hard to recognize the talent. Both quarterbacks are experienced and although they bring slightly different skill sets to the table, both can get the ball down the field to their talented receivers. As for those receivers, Tech is deep with Detron Lewis, Alexander Torres, Tramain Swindall, and Lyle Leong all catching more than 40 passes a season ago. Throw in junior Jacoby Ward and redshirt freshman Eric Ward and Tech’s quarterbacks won’t have trouble finding a go-to receiver.

And that leads to probably the most underrated group on offense, mainly because they haven’t been featured in the past, the running backs. But don’t sell Baron Batch or Eric Stephens short; they have talent and it will be on display this year. And although sophomore Harrison Jeffers has been limited in fall camp, he’s expected to be ready for the season and gives Tech another option out of the backfield.

On Defense:

Adjust to the new schemes of defensive coordinator, James Willis. Willis and Tuberville know each other well from their days at Auburn together. Similar to the offensive side of the ball, how the players pick up what is being asked of them in the new defense will determine what type of season the Red Raiders have in stopping their opponents. Defense hasn’t always been the talk of the town in Lubbock, but that is going to change and change quickly under the defensive minded Tuberville.

Texas Tech returns DT Colby Whitlock to anchor the line, but gone are DE Daniel Howard, DT Richard Jones, DE Brandon Sharpe and his 15 sacks, and DE Rajon Henley. As Tuberville noted in his Rival’s interview, "We don’t have the depth on defense. We’ve got some good players, but the toll of playing every week in the league is going to take its toll in terms of the depth we have.” Finding those pieces and fitting them together, along with staying healthy, will be key for Tech. Not having the depth they’re looking for yet, any major injuries could open some holes that opposing Big 12 offenses will undoubtedly take advantage of.

In the secondary, Tech lost cornerback Jamar Wall to graduation but still return seven of their top ten defenders from a year ago. Returning are safeties Cody Davis and Franklin Mitchem who combined for 138 tackles and nine pass break ups so they should be strong and experienced on the back end. If the Red Raiders are going to have success in the secondary, however, it will depend largely on the front seven generating a strong pass rush

As for the pass rush, Tech spent a good portion of spring practice moving guys around; from safety to linebacker and from linebacker to end, trying to get people in the right positions to make the most of their new 3-4 scheme. One rock that Tech can rely on is senior Brian Duncan, the team’s leading tackler in 2009. Duncan had played the MLB position previously, but the new staff is trying him at the strong side LB position to help out in generating that pass rush off the edge.

The Wrap

Usually new coaches look for big improvement between year one and year two when taking over a new program, and then expect big results in year three. Well, this isn’t year two or three, it’s year one. With a new coaching staff starting off, there are always unknown variables that make it tough to know what to expect. These coaches aren’t new, however, and Tuberville has been through this before at Ole Miss and Auburn. Getting the players on the same page will be critical, but like I said, Tuberville has experience in this area and he’d be as qualified as they come in that regard.

Looking at their schedule, some might not like it, but I don’t think it shapes up too bad for the Red Raiders. The downside is that Tech only has three true conference home games since they are playing Baylor in Dallas. But that is very winnable, plus road games in Ames and Boulder also could/should result in wins. They get Texas and Missouri in Lubbock and if they can split there, Tuberville’s first season should be a successful one. One game that is tough to judge at this point is the season finale at home versus a Houston team that should be very good. If the pieces fall right, an eight or nine win season could be on the line to conclude the season.

So to finish up, what happens in Lubbock this fall should be one of the more intriguing stories of the Big 12 season. I've said it before, Leach did great things in Lubbock, but if they want to take that next step and stay there on a consistent basis, Tuberville should be the guy for the job.

The offense will be as advertised with a little more run mixed in; the defense should be on par with last year, if not a game or two better, assuming they stay healthy. I see no reason the Red Raiders can’t reach the eight win mark in year one of the Tuberville era and qualify themselves for a nice holiday destination for their bowl game.