SMU Texas Tech Betting – Confident SMU Visits A Texas Tech Team In Transition
Could a turbulent offseason in Lubbock, Texas – combined with a shift to a different coaching philosophy – leave Texas Tech vulnerable against Southern Methodist on Sunday afternoon?
NCAA football betting: SMU Mustangs @ Texas Tech Red Raiders,
Online Betting Odds: Texas Tech -14
Why To Bet On SMU
The Mustangs went just 1-11 in 2008 in the first year of new head coach June Jones. The program that got smacked by the NCAA “death penalty” in 1987 had not won a bowl game since 1984, and was drifting along listlessly without any legitimate hope of success.
Then came 2009. Jones – long viewed as a soft coach who only knew the finer points of a finesse-oriented chuck-and-duck passing game – instilled a flinty toughness and a strong work ethic into his players, and after a shocking early-season loss to lowly Washington State, his team got the message. SMU lost only two games in Conference USA, and had the Mustangs won their next to last game of the season at Marshall, they would have won the C-USA West Division and earned a spot in the Conference USA Championship Game against East Division champion East Carolina. As it was, SMU still thrilled its fan base in Dallas by clinching a winning regular season (7-5) and earning a berth in the Hawaii Bowl. The Nevada WolfPack were waiting, but SMU rolled the Pack, 45-10, as freshman quarterback Kyle Padron hit 32 of 41 passes for 460 yards and two touchdowns with no picks. This is a young and confident team with a lot of returning starters at key positions. The Mustangs believe what Jones is selling, and that’s more than half the battle on gameday. Cohesion combined with the presence of appreciably good talent is always a great mix on the gridiron.
Why To Bet On Texas Tech
The Red Raiders, playing in the Big 12 South, will have bigger and beefier bodies than Southern Methodist. Even though head coach Mike Leach is gone after his controversial ouster caused by ESPN analyst Craig James (in connection with Leach’s treatment of his son, Adam, a wide receiver on the Tech squad), Texas Tech will still own a size advantage in the trenches under new boss Tommy Tuberville. Tech will have a very good chance of leaning on SMU midway through this contest if the game is close. There are indeed questions about the Mustangs’ ability to hold up physically over the course of four full quarters on the road in a season opener. The weather in Lubbock is likely to be hot on Labor Day weekend, with summer still having a few weeks to go before it ends. SMU’s interior linemen could very well struggle before this game ends.
How The Game Will Play Out
SMU is cohesive right now. The same cannot be said for Tech, which is having to modify its offense. Tuberville is not the same coach as Leach. The former Auburn boss has had problems in the past when he’s tried to work with passing-game coaches. He fired Tony Franklin midway through his last season at Auburn in 2008, and Tuberville will now be working with yet another pass-first offensive coordinator in 2010. Neal Brown, the coordinator for the past few years at Troy, will call plays for Texas Tech this season. Expect the Red Raiders to take time to adjust to Brown’s offense. SMU might not win, but it should cover the spread on the road.
SMU Texas Tech Betting Pick: SMU +14
