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A way-too-early look at Texas Tech’s 2020 football schedule

Is this the year the Red Raiders snap their long losing streak to Oklahoma?

Here is a way-too-early look at Texas Tech’s 2020 football schedule, including its biggest nonconference game, a game it should win but might not and a game it shouldn’t win but might.

2020 schedule

Sept. 5 -- at UTEP

Sept. 12 -- vs. Alabama State

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Sept. 19 -- vs. Arizona

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Sept. 26 -- at Iowa State

Oct. 3 -- vs. West Virginia

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Oct. 15 (Thursday) -- vs. Baylor

Oct. 24 -- vs. Texas

Oct. 31 -- at Oklahoma State

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Nov. 7 -- at Kansas State

Nov. 14 -- vs. Kansas

Nov. 21 -- at TCU

Nov. 28 -- vs. Oklahoma

Biggest nonconference game: vs. Arizona, Sept. 19

Last year, Tech played the Wildcats close in Tucson until Alan Bowman went down with an injury and the defense gave up 15 points (and the lead) in the fourth quarter. Khalil Tate and the Arizona offense literally ran all over the Red Raider defense, including an 84-yard touchdown run by the Wildcats’ quarterback.

Tech’s defense gave up a staggering 314 yards on the ground in that contest. With a reorganized defensive coaching staff and a few reinforcements at linebacker, this game could look very different from last year’s contest.

Game Tech should win, but might not: at TCU, Nov. 21

Against TCU last season, the Red Raiders let the game get away. Tech held a lead for nearly half of the fourth quarter. On their final drive of the game, the Red Raiders started on their own 20 and fumbled the ball on the very first play of the drive.

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TCU will have a true sophomore at quarterback and, like last season, this game will be very important if Tech is to achieve bowl eligibility. The last few years against the Horned Frogs have all been fairly close matchups and this year should be no different. A trap road game before Oklahoma could catch the Red Raiders looking ahead and trip them up in Fort Worth.

Game Tech shouldn’t win but might: vs. Oklahoma, Nov. 28

The Red Raiders haven’t beaten the Sooners since Tommy Tuberville’s second year as head coach, but if there’s a year to do it, 2020 is it. For the first time in several years, Oklahoma won’t play Oklahoma State for its final game of the season. Bedlam will take place Oct. 24 instead of the final week of the season.

Oklahoma will be breaking in a new quarterback, and for the first time since Trevor Knight, it won’t be a Heisman-caliber transfer. During the Sooners’ current eight-game win streak against Tech, half of the games have been decided by one score or fewer.

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If the Red Raiders are to keep Oklahoma from extending its win streak to a decade, they must do so this year.

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