Kingsbury’s future contingent on first three games of this season

I watched a weird movie on Netflix last night.

It was called, “The Discovery,” and it was about a guy who finds scientific proof of an afterlife, but doesn’t know where you go - just that there is an afterlife.

I won’t bore you with the details, but (spoiler alert - stop reading if you want to watch it, but I wouldn’t - the movie kinda sucked) basically they find out that the afterlife is pretty much your same life again, except you get to re-do some of the mistakes you made. All of the regrets you had in life could be erased, now that you know better. I guess you could call it a series of second chances.

After 63 games at Texas Tech, Kliff Kingsbury is down to his final chance. If he doesn’t turn things around this season, there won’t be an opportunity for a do-over. No ability to go back in time and change a playcall, or redshirt a player, or recruit a player differently.

All he can control is what happens next. And before him lies a daunting schedule with a nonconference lineup that’ll test every bit of his coaching competency.

The Ole Miss Rebels, Lamar Cardinals and Houston Cougars await Texas Tech. One power five SEC program with a healthy number of NFL prospects. One trap game if your players aren’t focused. And one in-state rival with the nation’s best defensive tackle and an aggressive offense.

How the Red Raiders fare against the opening trio of opponents will dramatically impact how the team performs the rest of the season. Win all three, and Kliff is all but guaranteed a bowl appearance and another year in Lubbock. Lose two out of three, we have a different story.

I’ve laid out each scenario below and the proceeding result regarding Kingsbury’s contract status:

So, out of eight possible scenarios, Kingsbury will only keep his job in three. The odds are certainly against him, but with a stronger defense than ever, a solid offensive line and capable playmakers, he just may pull off a miracle and win eight games this year.