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The comedian Louis CK had a bit in his 2013 HBO comedy special that has come to be known as “Of course, but maybe.” The premise was that while we all have good, positive thoughts and beliefs, they are oftentimes accompanied by more a cynical response.

"Everybody has a competition in their brain of good thoughts and bad thoughts. Hopefully, the good thoughts win. For me, I always have both. I have like, the thing I believe. The good thing, that’s the thing I believe. And than there's this thing. And I don’t believe it, but it is there. [...] It’s become a category in my brain that I call 'of course, but maybe.'"

Louis CK gave a few examples of this dynamic during his routine, but his joke about children with peanut allergies – boy, that’s a weird thing to write out – is perhaps the best illustration of the internal of course, but maybe conflict that we all experience from time to time.

"Like, of course, of course, children who have nut allergies need to be protected. Of course! We have to segregate their food from nuts, have their medication available at all times, and anybody who manufactures or serves food needs to be aware of deadly nut allergies. Of course. But, maybe... Maybe if touching a nut kills you, you’re supposed to die. Of course not, of course not, of course not."

I can’t help but think back to that Louis CK special as the Texas Tech football team inches closer and closer to its season-opener against Stephen F. Austin.

Of course Rusty Whitt’s strength and conditioning program has instilled a new level of discipline, accountability and toughness in the Red Raiders. His military-style approach should be a huge boost to a Texas Tech team that has been far too inconsistent and worn down late in games to break past the seven or eight-win mark. Of course! Whitt’s style should help erase a half decade of the here-we-go-again mentality that has plagued the Red Raider defense. Of course.

But maybe… Maybe the gushing over Whitt from players and coaches is little more than the obligatory praise that all college teams heap on their strength coaches season after season?

Of course Texas Tech’s receiving corps is the deepest it has been in years. Of course! The Red Raiders are a legit three-deep across the board and might even be four-deep in spots. That depth should pay major dividends for an offense that started walk-ons Zach Austin (1) and Ja’Deion High (5) at times last season. Of course, of course.

But maybe... Maybe that three-deep depth isn’t nearly as important as whether a to-be-determined, legit No. 1 option emerges to replace Jakeem Grant?

Of course Texas Tech’s trio of defensive transfers, all listed as starters or co-starters on the program’s most recent depth chart, are going to be a boost for David Gibbs’ unit. Michigan transfer Ondre Pipkins and Notre Dame transfer Kolin Hill should help improve a Red Raider defensive line that was ineffective at rushing the passer and even worse at stopping the run last season. Luke Stice, a walk-on who left Houston as a graduate transfer before the spring semester started, has experience in Gibbs’ defense and boasts an uber-impressive work ethic that has been universally praised by his teammates. Of course!

But maybe... Maybe that’s too much to expect from players who have basically been in Lubbock for a year or less. Maybe Pipkins will struggle with staying on the field for more than five games, like he did his last two seasons at Michigan. Maybe Hill won’t be much of an improvement over Branden Jackson. And maybe Stice will be about as effective for the Texas Tech defense as Kenny Williams was when he transitioned from offensive back to linebacker.

Louis CK wrapped up his 2013 HBO special with that of course, but maybe bit. The opposite will be true for the Red Raiders. In 24 short days, they will begin to answer all of our inner cynics and we will all find out together just how right or wrong we all were.

Of course, it's unlikely that by the end of the season the Texas Tech football team will have made all of those doubts seem completely ridiculous in retrospect. But maybe...