At the Net
Texas Tech volleyball is in No. 15 Kansas to take on the Jayhawks tonight at 6:00 p.m. and Kansas State on Friday night. Both matches will be tough for this young squad.
On the Pitch
Texas Tech moves up to No. 9 in the latest TopDrawerSoccer poll. Also, congrats to Macy Blackburn for being named to the Hermann Midseason Watch List!
On the Hardwood
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello has his preseason top 25 rankings and has Texas Tech at No. 11, which I think is great:
Previous ranking: 10
Darrion Williams entering the transfer portal put a damper on Texas Tech’s offseason, but the Red Raiders should still have one of college basketball’s elite inside-outside duos in Christian Anderson and returning All-American JT Toppin. Over the second half of last season, Toppin was arguably the third-best player in the country behind Flagg and Walter Clayton Jr. Grant McCasland’s transfer haul — led by the versatile LeJuan Watts and shot-blocker Luke Bamgboye — will take on heavy minutes immediately.
Projected starting lineup
Christian Anderson (10.6 PPG)
Tyeree Bryan (10.4 PPG at Santa Clara)
LeJuan Watts (13.7 PPG at Washington State)
JT Toppin (18.2 PPG)
Luke Bamgboye (3.8 PPG at VCU)
On the Gridiron
The latest episode of What’s Next with Robert Giovannetti and Joey McGuire:
ESPN’s Max Olson has the stop-rate for every defense and Texas Tech is at No. 1 in that category:
The Red Raiders moved up to No. 1 with a stop rate of 85.5% after another dominant effort and a second-half shutout in a 35-11 win at Houston. They finished with three three-and-outs, three takeaways and three fourth-down stops, with the lone touchdown coming on a 64-yard catch and run off a missed tackle.
Under new defensive coordinator Shiel Wood, Texas Tech’s defense has been elite at all three levels. The defensive line was unblockable against the Cougars and is powering the No. 2 rush defense in FBS in yards per carry (2.29). The leader of this defense, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, continues to perform at an All-America level. They’re generating pressure on 51% of pass rushes, and it’s no surprise that leads to takeaways. Tech has 12 through five games, tied for most among the Power 4.
CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli breaks down the College Football Playoff with Texas Tech being the only Big 12 team he’s confident about (although he’s not terribly confident):
Do not take that as a statement that the Red Raiders are winning the Big 12. I have made a lot of confident statements in this week’s CFP Vibe Check, but I am not confident Tech will win the Big 12. I have no idea who will win the Big 12. Nobody does.
/snip/
BYU is the Big 12’s other unbeaten, but the Cougars have beaten Portland State, Stanford, Colorado, East Carolina and West Virginia. I’ll let you debate which one is the most impressive. However you rank their wins, I don’t think BYU is as good as Tech. I suppose we’ll find out for sure when the Cougars travel to Lubbock on Nov. 8, but honestly, they may have two losses by then. Hell, Tech might too!
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson has a new mock draft and in a bit of a twist, he has Romello Height rather than David Bailey in the 1st round:
Romello Height is an explosive, relentless edge rusher who plays with his hair on fire. He has a lightning-quick first step and elite bend, but also showcases power to run through blocks despite his frame (he’s a verified 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds).