For Texas Tech, 2016 wasn’t supposed to be the year, but it was supposed to be better than this.
With star quarterback Patrick Mahomes returning, the speed of Jonathan Giles and Ian Sadler at the wide receiver positions, a young OL, and a defense that was rumored to have actually improved, there was a slight preseason buzz surrounding the Red Raiders, and many in the national media had picked them as dark horse Big XII contenders. None of that came to pass. After a solid opening game, Texas Tech was blitzed by Arizona State, a sign that the Red Raiders weren’t exactly there yet.
Two good wins over Louisiana Tech and Kansas had some optimistic going into a brutal three-game stretch that included Kansas State, West Virginia, and Oklahoma. Texas Tech would win none of these games. To their credit, the Red Raiders played Kansas State and Oklahoma very well, Patrick Mahomes smashed national records against the Sooners. However, a blowout loss to West Virginia left Lubbock reeling.
A fantastic overtime win against TCU followed, but a one possession loss to Texas and a one point loss to Oklahoma State followed it. Then came the focal point of Texas Tech’s season. The Red Raiders went on a trip to Ames, Iowa to play the Iowa State Cyclones. If Tech could beat the perennially bad Cyclones, then all that stood between them and a bowl was a Baylor team that looked like they had completely given up.
Iowa State thrashed Texas Tech, 66-10. It was ugly, brutal, and it dragged on forever. Texas Tech would not make a bowl game. Not even the beating they laid on Baylor in the next game would wash the taste out of fans and players’ mouths.
It was a tumultuous season, one that featured many ups and downs. On one hand, Patrick Mahomes was incredible yet again, and wins over Baylor and in overtime over TCU are promising. On the other, well, you got blown out by Iowa State and West Virginia, and lost four games by one possession. If you’re a Texas Tech fan, and you’re looking for reasons to be frustrated, this season had every single reason for you.
It’s unclear whether things will get better in 2017. There’s multiple angles to attack the problems with the Red Raiders, but no one can seem to agree what the first problem should be and what the best route to tackle it is. If the problem is a defense, do they continue to fire coordinators that don’t work out or do they run the risk of giving too much time to the wrong guy? If the problem is Kliff Kingsbury, do they bring in help around him or fire him and risk taking a step down in coach quality?
For now, the Texas Tech ship is staying the course. 2017 will bring more answers, as it appears that if Kliff Kingsbury doesn’t start winning games, he won’t be in the same position. There’s value to patience here, it’s going to take a long time to make a defense that was that horrifically bad into something good. However, this past season has forced many to ask themselves what Kliff Kingsbury is actually bringing to the table as head coach.
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