There's a saying in Lubbock that relates to Texas Tech Athletics, "Typical Tech." The saying isn't inherently negative. It's half negative.

The positive half is that Texas Tech will upset a big time team when they shouldn't. Like Texas Tech Basketball beating OU last year. Or in 2011 when Texas Tech Football beat number one Oklahoma. In 2004, Leach and the Red Raiders beat the number four Cal Bears. That's the positive half.

The negative half is Texas Tech playing down to bad opponents. Like a 42-35 win over Central Arkansas. Or a 41-7 loss to Iowa State. Kansas in 2015 was a 30-20 win that took a 4th quarter pick six to give the Red Raiders a lead. A loss to Colorado in 2007 with a really good Tech team and a really bad Colorado team.

"Typical Tech" is playing up to big opponents and down to bad opponents.

Kansas is a bad opponent.

All that does not bode well for covering the 28-point spread.

This year will be different. Kliff Kingsbury has been good about beating teams that should be beaten. The difference is that this year bad teams need to be beaten badly. While that largely depends on the Texas Tech defense, the offense cannot coast through this game looking forward to next week.

Offense

The Texas Tech football team was incredibly unbalanced on offense for the first two games of the season.

Game one against SFA saw 71 pass attempts to 28 running plays. Game two saw 53 passing plays to 22 rushing plays.

The media and fans lamented and cried about how the defense is so weak because the Tech offense is all finesse and no funk.

Game three saw Demarcus Felton bring the funk to the tune of 36 passing attempts to 43 ground pound plays.

I think that trend continues this week, and that makes this dangerous offense incredibly deadly.

The running game opens up the deep ball. Patrick Mahomes had an 11-yard per attempt average in week one and 9.5 yards per attempt in week 2. In week 3, with the running game full bore, Mahomes threw for over 13 yards per attempt.

Running game equals big plays. Expect that to be the case against Kansas.

Defense

There is only one thing I want to see from the Texas Tech defense: A complete game with rampant blitzing.

Send five every play. The defense is going to give up big plays regardless. Pressure helps. The best defense that Texas Tech has played involved pressure.

"WE'RE GONNA BLITZ ALL NIGHT." - Bill Yoast

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Special Teams

One big special teams play. No big special teams mistakes. Easy.

Prediction

The line for this game is Texas Tech -28.5 over Kansas.

I think Texas Tech will cover. I think Kansas will score more than 17.

Tune in to Countdown to Kickoff on 1340 The Fan today at 4:30 p.m. to get the whole prediction. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Jones AT&T Stadium.

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