Joey McGuire doesn't want to play this game on a Friday night, but the moment has arrived for the Texas Tech footballto take on Houston inside Galaxy Stadium.
The Red Raiders will debut their newest Patrick Mahomes uniforms for the Big 12 Conference opener, including a State Farm patch, when they take on the Cougars. More pomp and circumstance for a game featuring two teams ranked in the Top 25, each looking for an early advantage in the race to Arlington.
What does the actual game have in store? And what will be the final score? Let's break it down.
How Texas Tech football can beat Houston
Has the Texas Tech offense been mediocre
by design? It's a question that's been permeating over the last 48 hours or so as Red Raider fans call for offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich and quarterback Will Hammond to get their act together.
The first two games of the season have seen a pedestrian output from the Tech offense. Despite the two wins, the games have lacked fireworks and explosive plays, with the lone exception being when Hammond connected with Coy Eakin for the go-ahead score against Oregon State. Fans point to the overabundance of screen passes and short-yardage throws from Hammond as something that needs to be done away with.
But have the Red Raiders been holding back in preparation for Houston? What if Texas Tech figured it was going to beat Abilene Christian and Oregon State without needing to show some of their more elevated offensive plays on tape? Kenny Johnson said Tuesday that the team hasn't touched about 50% of its offensive playbook yet, and why show the good stuff before the real games happen?
How Houston can beat Texas Tech football
But what if this is just what the Texas Tech offense is? Maybe there is a good chunk of the playbook still at the Red Raiders' disposal, and it's more of the same thing?
That would be troublesome. Even more so going against a Houston offense that's been legitimate through two weeks, given how the defense performed against the Beavers. The pass rush hasn't been nearly as effective as expected, making the jobs of the linebackers and secondary harder. If the offense isn't generating the points, it's up to the defense to keep the other team out of the end zone, and right now the Cougars have the weapons to make it a very long night.
Score prediction for Texas Tech football vs Houston
Houston 33, Texas Tech 27: Perhaps both are true: Tech has been holding back on offense, but the defense still needs work to reach its potential. Having one less tune-up game is less than ideal, and the Cougars seem to be rolling. We'll say Houston pulls off the upset and makes us further re-evaluate what the Red Raiders are capable of in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Will Houston upset Texas Tech football? Our score prediction for Big 12 opener
