Red Raider Gridiron: UT & TTU Are Both Down; OL Looks to Improve; Former Players Talk Kingsbury

Both Are a Big Down. The LAJ's Don Williams writes about how both Texas Tech and Texas are both in down cycles:

"Where we're at, any win would be good," said Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, whose team has lost nine of 10 Big 12 games dating to last Oct. 26. "It's been one of those years where any win is good."

"I don't think we're going to check out," Strong told reporters Monday in Austin, "because you still have four games left to go play and you have a chance to get to a bowl game. It's all about the seniors, and I said to them, we've got to get them to a bowl game."

Offensive Line Much be Better. The LAJ's Don Williams also writes about how the offensive line wants to redeem themselves after giving up 9 sacks to the Longhorns:

The five Tech linemen who start this week's game against Texas likely will be the same five who were overrun by the Longhorns' front seven last Thanksgiving night for an astounding 14 tackles for loss.

"Last year, that was an embarrassment, getting embarrassed like that, giving up nine sacks on national television on Thanksgiving Day," guard Alfredo Morales said. "It's something that we plan to come back from this Saturday and hopefully we don't have a repeat of that."

I really forgot about that tail whipping last year.  And after a bad game against TCU, or maybe not the best game against TCU, this is a huge game for the offensive line.

Former Players Talk Kingsbury. Fox Sports' Louis Ojeda has a bit about how they asked some former players about head coach Kliff Kingsbury and there are a handful of guys that you could quote, from Graham Harrell to Mickey Peters to Rex Richards to Dwayne Slay.  I picked out someone that I really didn't remember (this probably makes me look like a bad fan) in linebacker Raymond Pierce, who played from 2002 through 2004.  I picked out Pierce because he pointed out the same things, the lack of tenacity and hunger of the team, that Travis pointed out yesterday:

I feel that Kliff will be successful once he set a strong foundation and culture within the program. He already has high-profile recruits looking in the direction of Raider Nation. I know he came into the program with a lot of high expectation and advertising, which is normal in Lubbock. But he just needs time to build his foundation, culture, and get the players to believe in it. This is the perfect time to let players know their jobs are not secure and if they do not want to work towards the goals of being a Big 12 Champion, and place discretionary work ethic, towards the goal, then it's time to part ways.

As a former athlete, I just don't see the tenacity, hunger, aggression and leadership on the field. Times are tough as we see, but I feel that Kliff needs time to get the right pieces to fit the puzzle, which I know he will. We're in a culture of instant gratification and success. I have tremendous faith in him, he just needs time. I see the signs of success, just have to tweak the formula until he gets it the way he visions it. I trust Kliff's vision and expectations.

Miscellaneous. The College Football Playoff rankings were released last night and it was all-SEC, Mississippi State, Auburn and Mississippi, and Florida State . . . interesting how Blazer's Edge turned down media credentials, essentially because they were going to give bloggers second class media credentials with no definable way to get in with the "real" media . . . a former UT player has filed a $50 billion class action lawsuit against the NCAA for concussions, yes, $50 billion . . . Fox Sports David Ubben has his weekly Pregame Huddle with discussion about whether or not Kingsbury and Texas Tech will get over 82 . . .