FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. \u2013 Dan Lanning made a feeble attempt to match Joey McGuire on the humility meter this week at the Orange Bowl by noting both had started out as high school coaches, but he was in over his head. Lanning once drove 13 hours to talk Todd Graham into rescuing him from his high school job. He went on to work for Mike Norvell, Nick Saban and Kirby Smart, a pretty good start on this century\u2019s Mount Rushmore of coaches.<\/p>\n
The coach McGuire cited this week as his mentor? Robert Woods, who hired him at Crowley. He credited Gina Farmer, athletic director much of his two decades at Cedar Hill, where he won three state titles, with teaching him to keep the kids first.<\/p>\n
Then he slipped this in near the end of Wednesday\u2019s final presser before the biggest football game in Texas Tech history on New Year\u2019s Day: \u201cFor Joey McGuire,\u201d he said, \u201can ol\u2019 high school coach, to be able to coach in this game and bring the Red Raiders in the College Football Playoff, it\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perfect. Now all he has to do is beat Oregon and advance to next week\u2019s semis in Atlanta, because there\u2019s no going back from here.<\/p>\n
The storylines of both Tech and McGuire dovetail nicely. Both got a late start on this CFP thing. The Red Raiders filled the Big 12 vacuum left by Texas and Oklahoma and looked every part the best team in the state in the process.<\/p>\n
Tech earned the fourth seed with a defense that gave up only 10.9 points a game. Beating BYU twice was good, too.<\/p>\n
But let\u2019s face it: This wasn\u2019t the high-flying Big 12 of years past. A nice league, but it\u2019s not the SEC or Big Ten. Or at least that\u2019s the consensus.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong, the Red Raiders deserved their bye into the quarterfinals. But now they\u2019ve stepped up in competition. This is their chance to prove they didn\u2019t take advantage of a lesser league.<\/p>\n
Beating Oregon, a Big Ten power with a considerable CFP history, would make a good case that these aren\u2019t the same old Red Raiders in a different dress.<\/p>\n
Right, Shiel Wood? \u201cEvery team that\u2019s left in the College Football Playoff,\u201d Tech\u2019s defensive coordinator said, \u201cis an outstanding team with outstanding coaches and outstanding players. Oregon\u2019s got a great outfit. It\u2019ll be a really good, stiff test for us.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s a tremendous opportunity for our players and our university on a national stage, and we\u2019re excited about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
McGuire gets it, too, in case you were wondering. He was reminded in cards, letters and emails from long-suffering Tech boosters, alumni and former players after they won their first outright conference title since 1955.<\/p>\n
This is where McGuire probably doesn\u2019t get enough credit. Twenty-five million buys a nice roster these days. Twenty-two Red Raiders were voted one Big 12 award or another, but the league\u2019s coaches voted BYU\u2019s Kalani Sitake Coach of the Year.<\/p>\n
If you ask me, the Orange Bowl comes down to how well Behren Morton plays. Tech\u2019s defense is at least as good as Oregon\u2019s, which gave up 34 points to James Madison. Morton isn\u2019t a hundred percent, but he probably hasn\u2019t been that since high school.<\/p>\n
Beat Oregon, and Tech will go at least as far as Texas did last year; where Oklahoma hasn\u2019t gone in five years; where Texas A&M hasn\u2019t been in the CFP era. The Red Raiders made a statement in winning their first Big 12 title. They can make a bigger one Thursday.<\/p>\n
Do that, and McGuire may have to retire his \u201col\u2019 high school coach\u201d bit. No need for him or Tech to try to sandbag anyone if they get past the quarterfinals. They\u2019d better. You can\u2019t be the poster school for the new NIL era if you can\u2019t prove winning pays, too.<\/p>\n
Twitter\/X: @KSherringtonDMN<\/p>\n
Find more Texas Tech coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.<\/p>\n
In conclusion, the upcoming game between Texas Tech and Oregon is a significant event in the College Football Playoff. The Red Raiders have made a statement by winning their first Big 12 title, and they can make an even bigger one by beating Oregon. With a strong defense and a healthy Behren Morton, Tech stands a good chance to win. If they do, they will go at least as far as Texas did last year and prove that they are a force to be reckoned with in the CFP era.<\/p>\n
Q: What is the significance of the game between Texas Tech and Oregon?<\/p>\n
A: The game is significant because it is a College Football Playoff quarterfinal match, and the winner will advance to the semifinals. It is also a chance for Texas Tech to prove themselves against a strong opponent from the Big Ten.<\/p>\n
Q: What is the key to Texas Tech’s success in the game?<\/p>\n
A: The key to Texas Tech’s success is the performance of their quarterback, Behren Morton. If he can play well and move effectively, the Red Raiders stand a good chance to win.<\/p>\n
Q: What does the game mean for Joey McGuire and Texas Tech?<\/p>\n
A: The game is a huge opportunity for Joey McGuire and Texas Tech to make a statement and prove themselves on a national stage. If they win, they will advance to the semifinals and have a chance to compete for the national championship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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