The Texas Tech Red Raiders open Big 12 Conference play with a trip to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns. Here's how the staff at RedRaiderSports.com sees things going on Saturday morning.

To me, the Red Raider roster on paper is better and a lot of that has to do with the experience on their side. Tyler Shough finds his stride in his first Big 12 game behind a steady dose of the run game.

I think this is where Shough will jump onto the spotlight but so will the Texas Tech defense. I expect the linebackers to have a terrific game along with Reggie Pearson in stopping Bijan Robinson. I like the Red Raider win streak in Austin as of late as well.

Score: Texas Tech 38, Texas 28

As I said in the Lubbock or Leave It Podcast, I believe Tech has the better roster. All things being equal, Tech should win this game. This is not the Texas of old and other than Bijan Robinson, there isn’t anyone on that other sideline who is scary.

I also think Texas is favored for a reason. The game is in Austin vs. a program the Red Raiders have historically struggled against. Both sides have a lot on the line.

Unfortunately football is often a game of who can make the least mistakes, and Tech has made several on special teams this season. Muffed punts and shaky return units have been the story. Unless they can get that unit figured out, I think that ends up being the difference maker and Texas wins in a close one.

Score: Texas Tech 26, Texas 31

Who runs the ball well and who stops it better are two huge elements to this one. For Texas Tech, that doesn't mean it has to churn out huge numbers on the ground -- but the Red Raiders do need to establish the run to set up play-action passing. Tyler Shough seemed much more comfortable when he had the time afforded by play-action and his stats reflected that. Texas, meanwhile, does need a big day from Bijan Robinson and Co. because of how well Tech's front seven have played this season. Wearing that crew down would be a major step in the right direction for the Longhorns. Look for this one to go right down to the wire.

SCORE: Texas 34, Texas Tech 31

I’m going to take the Red Raiders.

The roster is experienced, and this isn’t a lot of the players’ first time in a big game. The Texas Tech defense has to account to the Longhorn rushing game and limit it right from the start to stay in it. For the offense, Tyler Shough has to be good in the pocket, and if those long balls work, Tech can send fans home early.

I think Erik Ezukanma gets two receiving touchdowns, Tech’s defense gets a pick stop on fourth down and some critical point in the game and the Red Raiders go 4-0 (that sounds good).

Score: Texas Tech 35, Texas 34

This game is impossible to predict. I think Tech matches up as well as I can remember against the Longhorns, but all of that is based on games against Houston, SFA, and FIU... so not really opponents about which you really want to start making definitive statements. That's what this comes down to, is this Tech team what the analytics are saying, or even close to it? If so, we could be in for a pretty fun season. If not, we will be looking for a new coach in December.

Like most things, it's probably somewhere in the middle. I don't think Texas is as bad as that Arkansas game showed, and I think that they have the front seven talent to make life just difficult enough for the Red Raiders to limit their ability to consistently move the ball, and squeak out a win.

Score: Texas 28, Texas Tech 27

This is a huge game for both sides. Tech will need to contain Bijan Robinson and force Casey Thompson to beat them. I am not a huge believer in Steve Sarkisian, but I do think he will have a decent gameplan to attack the Tech defense. Tyler Shough has to take care of the football in order for Tech to have a shot at winning this.

I expect a lot of RPO’s and play action tomorrow from Sonny Cumbie. Tech leads at halftime and hangs on to win thanks to a late game interception deep in their own territory.

Score: Texas Tech 34, Texas 30

I think the 11am kick off time benefits the Red Raiders, but the team cannot endure another slow start. The Longhorns have talent and weapons, and I believe the Tech defense has enough depth to make them work for points. The key here is Tyler Shough protecting the football and putting points on the board, if the Red Raiders can do that, then the victory bells ring in Austin this weekend.

Score: Texas Tech 30, Texas 24

When I look at the 2021 version of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, I can’t be convinced that this group is not a drastic improvement over last years team that had the Texas Longhorns against the ropes, up 15 points with three minutes to go. The offense has benefited from improved quarterback and offensive line play, and the improvement from our defense is evident across the board, showing increases in almost every statistical category. For the first time in a long time, the defense possesses quality veteran depth at almost every position group. I also can’t be convinced that the 2021 version of the Longhorns aren’t a slight downgrade from a season ago. The Texas offense is loaded with talent much like they always are, but the production, skill set and knowledge from a four-year starting quarterback in Sam Ehlinger can’t be easily replaced. Going into this game, I feel like these two teams are much more evenly matched than they have been in recent years. Even Vegas seems to agree with that assessment. I feel like it’s going to be a tight game that’s ultimately decided in the 4th quarter. The Red Raider defense gets a big stop late in the game to secure the win.

Score: Texas Tech 31, Texas 27