The 55-52 loss hurt. Texas Tech fans walked out of the stadium arguably feeling about the same as Texas fans did seven years ago, after a last-ditch drive by the Horned Frogs sealed their fate.
In years past after a loss like that, especially after starting the season 3-0 like the Red Raiders did, I would have expected some anger. Some calling out the Texas Tech defense for allowing Trevone Boykin to rack up 500 yards of offense by himself. Others being angry about giving up 18 catches for 267 yards and two scores to Josh Doctson.
But anger, or resentment, towards the Red Raiders was the farthest from what I saw on Saturday evening.
Yes, people were hurt about the loss, when you are that close to upending the No. 3 team in the country in your home stadium, especially in front of the crowd that was on hand, you will be upset.
What I saw more of was pride. Red Raider fans praising their boys for fighting all the way to the end; remember it was a tipped pass and lucky dive that won the game for TCU. If Doctson doesn’t use every last inch of his height, we are talking about a much different game.
Instead of taking the route of the angry, this is the ‘beginning of the end of our season’ approach, Texas Tech fans saw it more as a sign. It was a resounding message to not just the rest of the Big 12, but the rest of the country, that the Red Raiders are turning things around.
To lose by only three points to a team that hung 82 points on the scoreboard against you last season, I call that a definite step in the right direction.
Texas Tech finally has their ship dry-docked, getting the major repairs needed, and have a captain and crew that is geared up to guide them back into the unknown waters of college football. The Red Raiders are no longer trying to plug up holes with thumbs on a sinking ship.
What Saturday’s 55-52 loss to TCU showed was the Red Raiders are on their way back. There are still areas to fix, especially on the defense and new Defensive Coordinator David Gibbs knows it.
Even after a win Gibbs is still breaking down his defense and questioning how they can get better, and now this week in his words they have to stop the “Olympic relay team” that Baylor has at wide receiver.
That will be the most telling test now for the Red Raiders – No. 5 Baylor.
It was great to see Texas Tech hang with and nearly beat No. 3 TCU on Saturday, but was that fueled by a home crowd? Was that fueled by the embarrassing 82-27 loss a year ago?
We will find out on Saturday, which there should be plenty of motivation to beat a squad that the Red Raiders haven’t defeated since 2010 and lost to last year 48-46.
Where the Texas Tech program is at will be measured on Saturday.
The Red Raiders just took the reining Big 12 Conference Co-Champion from a year ago down to the wire, do they do the same to the other Big 12 Co-Champion and two-time reigning conference champ on Saturday?
Buckle up because if you thought the Tech-TCU game was a show, just wait, there are about to be some major fireworks at AT&T Stadium. They might have to rename the stadium Texas Motor Speedway just for the afternoon because high octane offenses will be on display.
Texas Tech has a chance to show the Big 12 and the country what it is made of and silence the doubters that may call the Red Raiders’ performance against TCU a fluke.
One thing that is certain: anyone in red and black on Saturday will be 100 percent behind the Red Raiders because they see the times changing and want to be a part of it. Next step is beating Baylor.
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