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BoSquared

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I think we all know the routine out in Lubbock and I'm sure someone has posted this question already. What makes Tech better this season than any other...I'm aware they have a ton of returning starters but why more media attention.

It's not like they haven't had a ton of players coming back in his offensive system before. It's always about that up there.

Isn't it more of the same. Unlike most here, I kinda like Leach's sarcasm and wit, even at the Horns expense. He can be funny and because of that I think the national media has warmed up to him.

Now the local media is a different story entirely.

I think because of this you see a higher ranking at the start of the season. We all know that doesn't mean a whole bunch until October.

The fact still remains that Tech still hasn't shown they can play a whole 60 minutes. Or play defense, especially on 3rd down. Or even solidify a running game when they need one.

Why so much credit early on this season than in other years?
Is it Leach?

I guess the same question has been asked about Texas in past years. However, they have had more pieces of the puzzle put together.

Just my thoughts.
 
I think it stems from their upset of OU, their come-from-behind bowl victory, and the assumption that what happened against Missouri and Colorado isn't going to happen again this year. They're not going to let a defense push them around if the improvements are in place, which means they'll basically lose two games at most if things go according to plan.

I think there's going to be a dropoff from the defensive standpoint, but I also have no doubt they're going to rack up the 550 yards and score basically whenever they want. Their only "tough" road game will be at OU.
 
They're also quite young, bringing virtually everyone back. They've got the best WR in college football and another young guy in the receiving corps that will turn a lot of heads this year.
 
A top offense from 07 that brings back a ton including QB, OL, and top WR in nation. Expand that with a better defense. Many feel UT is not all the way there just yet and so they have the key game vs. OU. Basically many are just at this time picking them ahead of UT.
 
Returning almost all offensive starters. Returning head offensive pirate captain. Fired longtime underperforming DC midseason last year and new guy has a chance to be ready for this year. Will believe it when I see it, though.
 
Tech beating OU last year was a fluke (i.e. injury to OU QB and then bizarre insistence by Stoops to pass so much on Tech when they had plenty of time to score by running). OU will kick Tech's *** this year.

UT has beat Tech 5 in a row (IIRC) and will make it 6 in a row this season. The difference is that UT won't have to score 50 to win but will actually play intelligent D (no 4-3) against Tech and will rattle Harrell's cage early and often.
 
As I stated above, I will believe Tech has finally climbed the mountain only when I see it. As, however, for our win streak against them, we should remember a few facts:

1. Over the last 3 years, they have steadily improved scoring against us: 17, 31, 43.
2. Over the last 6 years, they have averaged scoring over 30 points against us, topping 40 3 times.
3. Last time we lost to them was in Lubbock with a thin secondary; it was a track race that we could not sustain. Look at our depth at safety and tell me we are not one or two fluky injuries away from being powerless to stop a repeat of 2002 (I was there, and believe me, it was painful to behold).

Chances are that Tech will beat aggy, lose to some terrible team (or two), and either beat or scare the dickens out of either us or OU. They will end the regular season with 9 wins. I just hope we are not one of the nine.
 
Returning QB and receivers who are better than their usual crew. Hope of a better defense which is more than was possible in the past. Experienced OL.
 
Part of it is the many returnees including Crqabtree (stud) and Harrell (lots of stats) for their last year together. But I think part of it is low expectations for the Horns.

I kinda like it this way; we are usually the ones with all the hype.
 
I'm with kgp. I'll believe it when I see it.

Having said that, they will definitely be a test for us and everyone else that they play, just like last year.

It would be funny to see them drop 70 or 80 on A&M, and I think that is a distinct possibility.

I like how we match up with them this year better than last year, at least on D. I think our team speed is so much better that we can and should win that game even if it becomes a track meet. Our young guys will certainly screw up, but if they can make the plays that their athletic ability promises, we should be alright.

I will never forget Kingsbury saying that our D never had a clue what they were doing in 2002. That started with Reese, and I don't see Muschamp having that problem this year.
 
The Tech game is a two headed monster predicated on our team not theirs. Though Tech certainly should be improved, their hope against Texas should be based on whether our secondary is improved over last year or not.

And from our view point, the issue in my opinion is not if our guys are mature enough by this game, but if the best players are still healthy by this game. The secondary talent & size level is significantly improved this year, and by the Tech game should be sufficiently experienced, should no injury bug hit our guys.

On their side they seem to be hanging all their hopes on Crabtree taking them to the promised land. He was lucky last year. As I recall, he did not get hampered by any significant injury. Given all the pub, I hope somebody doesn't take a cheap shot at him (like Orakpo or others have gotten in the past). If he goes down, and I am certainly not wanting that to happen, will the team lose confidence in their quick strike capability? Having an all world guy can sometimes be a two edged sword for a teams confidence.
 
Tech has a lot of talent, and they are certainly capable of beating us this year.

However, I'm not buying into the Tech hype until they prove they can play defense. Their high-powered offense can't do much if it is sitting on the sideline.
 
We're from Midland and my wife is a big Red Raider fan so we have season's tickets there, too.
One thing not mentioned on this thread is the vast improvement of their D-line. All starters back, AND 3 JUCO's/transfers that can play, so they'll be rotating 2 lines. Sesay, #1 DE in nation from Cali, 6'6" 275; Dixon, a FR A-A at Tech who spent 2 yrs. at Cisco, 6'2" 270; and Perry, a redshirt FR at Miami last year, 6'3" 300. These guys were all blue chip recruits and will be very tough 2nd teamers, giving Tech very solid D-line rotation.
 
I think tech probably wins this year ... but if they don't beat us this year the streak against them sould get VERY long.
 
Until they prove this year is any different from any of the others, they don't scare me. If they are counting on JUCO's they are way out on the plank.

IIRC, in 2002 by the 4th quarter Texas was down to the last 4 DB's on the bench due to injuries. I think (hope) this year's young DB's are a little better.
 
Tech does scare me because they have all the tools to be their best (HUGE O-line; proven QB and WR; and decent defense) and we have a lot of question marks (#3WR; RB; and secondary. That being said I think we can win the game if our DBs grow up quickly and out DEs can get to Harrell. This is more than previous hype though because this is the first time they have as big a stud as Crabtree and their best defense in a while, at the same time as we are in a questionable year. They still have to prove they can run with the big dogs but they do have some elements they haven't in a while.
 
It is their defense that people are talking about. Again, they return a bunch of players that are a year older and wiser. They have an actual DC who has had more time to work in a system and for the players to grasp it.

If they do, then teams won't score as much and it may be less of a track meet. The problem is if Tech scores as fast as they usually do. This still puts their D on the field all day and no matter how good they are, fatigue will play a big role. While their defense may be better I don't know that they are deep enough to rotate if they are on the field all day.

So they will have to temper their scoring in favor of longer drives which is something I don't know they know how to do.
 
Why does Tech have to prove their D improvement on the field but your new secondary does not?

What I hear you all say about your secondary is exactly what Tech is saying about their line.

I happen to believe both will be improved.

So here's my answer to the OP, improved D and returning O.

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in regard to beating ou, tt didn't just beat ou last year, rather tt has beaten the sooners 2 out of the last 3 years. that's a definite sign of improvement for the program.

in re to the defensive line, newcomer brandon sesay who according to his coach, had as many as 75 offers last year, will play a role. he doesn't appear to be your garden variety jc transfer.

mckinner dixon (ut offer), who started as a true freshman, is back. in addition, dt chris perry, a miami transfer will be prominent as well.

dt, colby whitlock, who made some frosh all-america teams as a true freshman should be very much improved as well-- as should, de brandon williams, who made some 2nd team all big 12 teams as a soph.

the dline has a chance to be pretty decent is one reason some tt fans are optimistic.
 
I like Tech's team and they look very good on paper. The offense is loaded, although I really think that run-n-shoot (or whatever you want to call it) offenses are most dangerous with a great running threat. I don't believe they have one. Their defense was better after the DC change last year, but they still gave up 41 to Mizzou, 31 to Colorado, and 59 to us. OU without its QB still put up 27 on them in Lubbock.

Their biggest weakness going in appears to be the secondary. That can eat you up in this conference.

The other thing about Tech is that they traditionally suck on the road. I don't consider their game at Nevada a gimme. At Kansas will be tough. They aren't going to win in Norman. And don't forget their rivalry game at Aggy.
 
The LA Reed stuff is well taken. I didn't know that until a few days ago. In addition to being new to the position he is also injured which may mean Tech is severly weak in the secondary. My hope is that by the time we play them we have developed out pass game enough to exploit the weakness.

I do not know a whole lot about tech's D this year except they return a lot of starters and according to the Big 12 blog on espn they have some good d-linemen. None the less I think a Texas win in Lubbock depends entirely on how many times Harrell's *** hits the turf. I hope our front seven are as good as anticipated because the tech o-line is pretty stout. The one glaring weakness is that they do not have a proven center so I hope that our questions about depth at DT are answered by then and we again can exploit this weakness.
 
I agree the Tech hype has been a bit much this year. I think most of it is due to a few factors-
-strong season ending wins against OU and UVA
-almost all starters returning
-the star factor of Crabtree and Harrell.

However, I still think Tech has to improve against the run and play better on the road to be elite. Its yet to be seen.
I'm predicting a 9-3 regular season and maybe a Cotton Bowl bid.
 
Here is my two cents...

The national media's obession this season with Tech is just dumb. It is all based upon the OU game and the media frenzy around Crabtree and Harrell.

As noted, Tech barely held off a charge from OU's backup QB to win that game in Lubbock. We annilhated them the week before for 59 points and 600 yards of total offense. They beat a typically mediocre Al Groh team in their bowl game. There was nothing to suggest that they were ready to become a Top 10 team, nothing.

Thus, I have concluded it is the presence of 2 Heisman candidates that is driving the hype. Question: Tech was 9-4 last year with Crabtree going for 1,962 yards receiving and 22 TDs and Harrell going 5,705 yards and 48 TD. Do they really think that they are going to significantly improve on these numbers... it's virtually impossible. Even if they are able to duplicate them, which would be very impressive, that was only good enough for 9-4 last year. Why should this year be any different?
 
i'm making no grand predictions for the tt defense this year--we shall see.

that said, the l.a. reed move is very misleading. it was not made out of desperation in the least. he's an unbelievable athlete and the tt staff was just trying to find a way to get him on the field. you don't see a lot of 6 ft, 3 inch corners.

in a secondary that led the big 12 in pass defense last season, tt has numerous guys coming back who saw an awful lot of playing time. they return 5 senior safeties including one starter.

they return one starting corner as well and several guys who played a whole lot--brent nickerson, laron moore, marcus bunton, and pete richardson as an example. most of those guys are better than decent athletes with some pretty decent offers out of hs.

as a tt fan, frankly the lb group is far more suspect than the secondary imo.

as an aside, it was mentioned above the tt ol does not have a proven center. not true as last year starter shawn byrnes returns.

the ol that averaged one sack every 43 snaps last season returns in tact.
 
I am a Tech fan and I think this year is going to be very interesting. The real story of the year is will Tech suffer through mid-year slumps that resulted in a loss at home to CU and uninspired play versus Mizzou. I think some of that was youth, as Tech was the 2nd youngest tean in teh country after Temple last year.

You also have to remember that Tech was pretty thin last year on the oline and dline. They had to play a true frosh DT and started two walk-on olineman and really did not have any depth. This year, they are a solid three deep on the dline and have an experienced oline that has plenty of depth. They had some injured guys that had to continue to play because there was no one else... a DT that was 5'10 and 240 played at times for Tech.

The offense is going to be scary with the oline, the skill position players and Harrell who is one of the more under-rated QBs in football. Crabtree will not have better stats than last year, but his supporting cast will be better including not having to rely on a true frosh running back. Detron Lewis, Britton and the 2nd team will be much better.

As always, the true test of the season will be the defense. I don't think it has anything to do with personnel as Tech has plenty of athletes and depth now. The true test is can the new DC Ruffin McNeil coach and scheme versus some of the good offensive coaches in the Big 12. Versus UT, he was clearly out coached and UT's offense laid a massive whipping on the defense. He also had problems in defending the spread and leaves his LBs on the field to cover slot recievers... odd considering what Tech does on offense.

I think Tech beats UT, Okie Light, Baylor, Nebraska at home and KState and aggy on the road. I think the KU game will be tough and Harrel will have to play great to get out of there versus a very well coached and physical club. I think the OU game will not be close.
 
I always get nervous when we go up to Lubbock. For some strange reason that's always a tough place to play. Tech will have a fine season and beat someone they shouldn't (OU/UT) and also lose to someone they shouldn't (OSU/A&M). I bet they end up 10-2 with a Cotton Bowl birth.
 
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