Coming off an eight win season and a transfer portal class that ranks amongst in the best in the country, Texas Tech will enter 2025 with high expectations and should be picked to finish towards - if not at - the top of the league in the preseason poll. That said, no game in the Big 12 will be a cakewalk, and Tech will have to bring their A game every Saturday in order to achieve victory.

Which games on the schedule are the biggest “trap games” for the Red Raiders? The RedRaiderSports.com crew tackles this question…

This late-season matchup on the road in Morgantown, scheduled for late November, is the one that jumps off the page for me. Tech’s overall record against the Mountaineers stands at 7-7, with the most recent victory coming last season when Tech thoroughly beat down WVU, 52-15.

Historically, this series has been defined by streaks: WVU held a five-game win streak from 2014 to 2018, followed by Tech reeling off four straight wins from 2019 to 2022. Given everything that could be riding on this game in November, it feels like a potential turning point — one that could derail Tech’s aspirations for a Big 12 Championship Game appearance or even a shot at the College Football Playoff.

New head coach Rich Rodriguez will surely be looking for a signature win, and with the game taking place in late November, weather could be a significant factor — the trip to Morgantown is no easy one.

This is definitely a game to circle on the schedule, considering all that could be at stake for postseason play.

Historically, playing Kansas was not considered a very difficult game to prepare for. In the past few years, the Jayhawks have become a team that keeps games competitive, even having a 9-4 season in 2023. The Red Raiders will face Kansas at the Jones just one week before heading to Tempe to take on Arizona State.

Kansas has added some solid players, several on the defensive side and plenty of offensive linemen. The Jayhawks also bring back key players, such as quarterback Jalon Daniels, who threw for 2,454 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The Jayhawks haven't been to Lubbock since 2022, and Tech went down to Lawrence and came away with a win in 2023 when the Jayhawks were ranked 16th in the country.

Even though this game isn't the biggest, it will be important for Tech to take care of business and not underestimate Kansas. However, lots of eyes will be on Oct. 18 when the Red Raiders travel to play the reigning conference champs.

To put it frankly, Oklahoma State will likely not be very good this upcoming season. Then again, that's what would make this game a trap.

The Cowboys will have at least 32 new faces on the roster from the transfer portal, including their projected starting quarterback Hauss Hejny (TCU), as well as four-star portal defenders in EDGE Wendell Gregory (South Carolina) and safety Zaquan Patterson (Miami).

Then you have to figure in where this game falls on the slate, right between trips to Tempe and Manhattan. With Arizona State figuring to be the top dog in the league in the preseason, that bout against the Sun Devils will be challenging. And we're all aware of the Kansas State dilemma that this Tech program has been unable to shake for years.

That's two opponents with significantly higher expectations than OSU. The Cowboys weren't very good in 2024 and that game in Stillwater turned into a shootout.

To me, a trap game is one you are expected to win but could be closer than you think due to several factors, one of which is looking past the opponent. Oregon State being the last non-conference game before a daunting trip to Utah fits the bill.

The Beavers, like Washington State was in 2024, will be playing pissed off. They’re a program that was a Power 5 school but had that title stripped away from them due to the greed of the Big Ten, USC, Oregon and Washington primarily.

The game being in Lubbock helps, but Oregon State has talented players such as former blue-chip quarterback Maalik Murphy, 1000 yard rusher Anthony Hankerson and Trent Walker, who recorded 81 receptions for 901 yards last season.

Though not the most important game on the schedule, Texas Tech will really need this game to keep momentum and set up a successful conference run.

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