On the Pitch
No. 18/13 Texas Tech soccer hosts Oklahoma State tonight, which will be the first leg of a 3-game homestand:
INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:
MATCHUPS: No. 18/13 Texas Tech (8-1-1, 2-0-1 Big 12) vs. Oklahoma State (4-5-2, 0-2-1 Big 12)
DATE: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025
TIME: 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Lubbock, Texas (John Walker Soccer Complex)
WATCH: ESPN
At the Net
Texas Tech volleyball will be on the road to take on Iowa State tonight at 6:30 p.m. As an aside, the story says (RV) Iowa State and I wasn’t sure what that meant so I googled it and it means “receiving votes”.
On the Hardwood
Red Raider Sports’ Shelby Hilliard reports on 3 sisters committing to the Lady Raider program yesterday: Gianna (5-7/PG), Milania (5-10/CG), and Natalia Jordan (5-7/G). Lots of details and info at the link, go check it out!
Some Field of 68 content.
CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander asked college coaches who is the best X’s and O’x coach and Matt Painter received 19% of the votes. Here’s the top 5:
Matt Painter (Purdue): 19%
Dan Hurley (UConn): 18%
Greg McDermott (Creighton): 16%
Kelvin Sampson (Houston): 7%
Ben McCollum (Iowa): 5%
Grant McCasland received 2% of the votes.
On the Gridiron
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams asks if Texas Tech can get Shiel Wood to put down roots and settle at Texas Tech:
As we’ve documented before, Wood’s with a different team for the fifth year in a row. He was co-defensive coordinator on a 9-4 bowl winner at Army in 2021, then defensive coordinator on a 12-2 bowl winner at Troy in 2022, an 11-3 Tulane team in 2023 and a 4-8 Houston team last year. The defense isn’t the reason the Cougars had a losing record.
“At Houston, he did a really good job of putting guys in the right spot,” Fritz told me this summer. “He was teaching and not overloading them. Great coordinators I’ve had have been very multiple, but simplistic in their approach to teaching it. The guys feel like it’s simple, even though it isn’t. I’ve had a lot of coaches who have done a great job of that. Shiel’s certainly one of them.”
ESPN’s Heather Dinich has the college football playoff bubble watch after week 5:
Spotlight: Texas Tech. The undefeated Red Raiders were No. 13 in this week’s projection but would still be in the playoff as the projected Big 12 champion. Texas Tech’s best win was Sept. 20 at Utah, but it still has multiple chances to enhance its résumé and play its way into the top 12. If the selection committee ranks Utah, Arizona State and BYU — and the Red Raiders go undefeated during the regular season — it’s highly likely they would be the second Big 12 team if they didn’t win the conference title game. Right now, ESPN’s FPI projects Texas Tech will win each of its remaining games. Nobody in the Big 12 has a better chance to reach the league championship (51.5%) or win it (31.6%).
CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello has his college football power rankings with Texas Tech at No. 10:
Texas Tech took a breather this week before hosting undefeated Houston. The Cougars rallied to defeat winless Oregon State in overtime on the road Saturday.
CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford predicts the first loss for every undefeated team:
Projected first loss: at Arizona State, Oct. 18
Despite consecutive wins over Arizona State, the Red Raiders have lost both previous meetings against the Sun Devils in Tempe and this opponent still believes the road to a Big 12 title goes through them. Arizona State’s off to a 2-0 start in conference play thanks to narrow wins over Baylor and TCU. Up next for Kenny Dillingham’s team is a date with Utah before hosting the Red Raiders.
Via the Big 12, Texas Tech’s availability report for the Houston game. Much shorter than last week.
OUT
WR #18 Roy Alexander
CB #23 Tarrion Grant
OL #53 Holton Hendrix
DOUBTFUL
WR #21 Tristian Gentry
QUESTIONABLE
DL #8 E’Maurion Banks
OL #57 Hunter Zambrano
PROBABLE
TE #7 Terrance Carter Jr.
OL #52 Cash Cleveland
OL #65 D’Anthis Upshaw Jr.
DL #88 Amier Washington