It is officially game week, and that means Coach Kliff Kingsbury and two players address the media at the weekly press conference. Last year David Gibbs and Eric Morris both fielded questions, but it looks like Gibbs and Morris will not be addressing the media at all this year.

Kliff Kingsbury

Kliff touches on a few important points during the conference, but I think the two biggest things that Tech fans want to hear are: 1. the depth of the defense, as well as being year two in Gibbs’ system is going to produce better results on the field, and 2. Rusty Whitt has pushed these guys mentally and changed the attitude of coming to the facility.

Patrick Mahomes and Justis Nelson

Mahomes does a great job speaking to the depth of the wide receivers, as well as the offensive lineman that have stepped up this fall and will have an impact this year. He also touches on how taking the year off from baseball has helped him feel more comfortable making plays in the pocket and not necessarily having to leave the pocket. He said he feels more comfortable going through his progressions now compared to last year when he would know he was going to run before the ball was snapped.

Nelson opens the press conference speaking to what it means to be a team captain, which is a great honor. Nelson also touches on what Whitt has brought to the program, including discipline and mental toughness.

Here are your 2016 Texas Tech football team captains

National Predictions

Here is a compilation of some national college football writers and their 2016 predictions for the Big 12 and Texas Tech:

Bruce Feldman at Fox Sports has Tech finishing second in the Big 12 with an 8-4 record, going 6-3 in conference

Jake Trotter over at the ESPN Big 12 Blog has Tech finishing 8-4 as well

The CBS Sports staff takes a look at the Big 12, predicting the finishing order as well as looking at the most overrated, underrated and bold predictions

Stewart Mandel at Fox Sports has Tech finishing tied for fifth with a 7-5 record, going 5-4 in the Big 12