Why Texas Tech game in Week 2 is a sneaky matchup for Oregon

All eyes will be on Texas and Alabama in Week 2 of the college football season as that matchup is one of the biggest in the sport for the entire year. However, On3’s JD PicKell will be keeping a close eye on another matchup involving a school from the Lone Star State that week. PicKell believes the Oregon at Texas Tech game, which is also on Sept. 9 and kicks off at the same time, is a sneaky matchup for the Ducks.

Oregon enters the 2023 season with high expectations, but winning in Lubbock won’t be easy, according to PicKell.

“This game right here, I’m telling you, this is going to be some good football being played,” PicKell recently said on The Hard Count.

“First of all, Oregon going to Lubbock, tough place to play. Pretty straightforward there. New offensive coordinator for Oregon. A lot of praise was given to Bo Nix last year. We’re going to find out how much of that was attached to what Kenny Dillingham did for him offensively. Willie Stein now calling the offense, and when it’s early in the season, it might take a second to get this whole thing to mesh.”

While PicKell believes that Oregon may have some growing pains with a new offensive coordinator, he expects the Texas Tech offense to come out hot.

The Red Raiders return several key pieces on offense and also have their offensive coordinator back.

“I don’t know if they get enough credit, because they’re in Lubbock, Texas. But [OC] Zach Kittley is going to be a head coach here very, very soon. I wholeheartedly believe that. Dude just draws up touchdowns. He’s a Hogwarts grad. They have 75 percent of the offense coming back from last year that scored over 30 points per game,” PicKell said.

“And they spread them out, they throw the ball around. Yes that’s true. But they’re also balanced. I mean Tahj Brooks is 5-10, 230. He’s a bowling ball of butcher knives coming at you downhill, averaged 5 yards a carry last year.”

The Red Raiders also get back Tyler Shough at quarterback, who started his career at Oregon. He should be fired up to face his former team, and PicKell expects him to play well.

“Tyler Shough, the quarterback for Texas Tech, we told you they’re going to spread them out. They’re going to throw it around. It’s personal for him. He transferred from Oregon at one point in time. You don’t think he would love to take Oregon’s playoff hopes down just a notch?” PicKell said. “And when you look at Oregon’s secondary, they’ve done some things to try and improve that secondary. But last year they really struggled against this kind of offense, now. … Oregon allowed 270 passing yards a game last year. Needless to say, that cannot happen if they want to get out of Lubbock with a W.”

When you add it all together, PicKell believes that just like Alabama-Texas will have College Football Playoff implications, Oregon-Texas Tech could, too.

“Now if Oregon were to drop this game, the ramifications on their College Football Playoff hopes would be enormous. Because you drop Game 2 to Texas Tech, you’re staring down the barrel of still having to go to Washington, you’ve gotta go to Utah. Then you play USC and Oregon State still on the schedule. You’ve gotta go 4-0 against that stretch. I’m not saying it can’t happen. I’m just saying that is not the situation you want to find yourselves in in Week 2 of the college football season,” PicKell said. “So this game, with what Joey McGuire has rolling there at Texas Tech, the culture he has in place, the belief he has in place there for the Red Raiders, I’m just saying keep an eye on this game. I would not be surprise at all if Texas Tech were to handle business and win that game.”