Colorado enters its game against No. 10 Texas Tech on a two-game losing streak, with losses to Northwestern and Baylor. The Buffaloes come into this game as major underdogs.
Last time Colorado played against Texas Tech, the Buffaloes won 41-27 back in 2024. Granted, the Red Raiders were rebuilding, and the Buffaloes had Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. If the Buffs want to pull off an upset this season and beat a top-10 team for the first time since September 2007, they will need to prevent the Red Raiders' defense, especially linebacker Austin Romaine, from making negative plays.
How Austin Romaine can change this game
Among the many talented players on this Red Raiders defense is linebacker Austin Romaine. This is his first year with Texas Tech after spending the past three seasons
with Kansas State. He is their do-it-all linebacker, with the second-most tackles on the team (27), the third-most solo tackles (15), and two interceptions. He recorded both interceptions against Sam Houston last week and returned both for touchdowns.
Romaine can massively disrupt any game with big plays, and he is everywhere on the field. He can create a costly turnover, make a crucial tackle for loss that forces a punt. Even though he isn't the green dot on defense for Texas Tech, he plays a vital role in their success and is coming off one of the best games of his career, when he was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.
How Colorado slows Romaine down
For a player as talented as Romaine, Colorado can't truly eliminate him from the game. However, to minimize his impact, the Buffaloes must know where he is on every play. It would help to throw the ball away from him whenever possible to reduce the chance he tips it or picks it off. Colorado's receivers also need to create separation so quarterback Isaac Wilson, who is expected to get the start, can get the ball out quickly.
In the run game, Colorado should try to run away from Romaine when they can. However, the most important thing is to keep the run game effective. Running the ball is the best way to control the line of scrimmage and the clock. Especially with a quarterback change this week, running the ball will be crucial for the Buffaloes to attempt one of the biggest upsets of the season so far.
Prediction
Even if Colorado can take Romaine out of the game, Texas Tech has plenty of other defensive playmakers who can generate takeaways or shut down the offense. Defensively, they only allow an average of 94.8 rushing yards per game, so they have plenty of stars on the defensive line who can stop the run.
Romaine is coming off a strong performance against Sam Houston, has at least two solo tackles a game this season and 23 tackles in the past three games. Romaine is a one-man wrecking crew who will be a problem for the Buffaloes all game.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado's offense must gameplan against Texas Tech LB Austin Romaine
