The gap between the two programs shows up everywhere in this one, from the ranking to the roster depth to the -37.5 number DraftKings has posted. Texas Tech isn't just favored, it's favored like a team that expects to be in the College Football Playoff conversation by December.
Nicholls59-0
Abilene Christian33-10
What's notable about Texas Tech's start is how it's come in different flavors: a lopsided win over an FCS opponent, a comfortable road win at Oregon State, and then a grind-it-out finish against a ranked Houston team that had the Red Raiders sweating in the fourth quarter. That range is a good sign for a team that will see a lot of different styles the rest of the year. Sam Houston, by contrast, has one data point worth much of anything from these first three weeks, and it came against an FCS team.
- QuestionableT. Carter Jr. (TE) — Carter Jr. is battling with a foot injury, and it is uncertain if he will play against Sam Houston on Saturday.09/21
- QuestionableT. White (LB) — White is battling with a knee injury, and it is unclear if he will play against the Houston on Saturday, September 19th.09/13
- OutA. Boyd (CB) — Boyd is nursing with an undisclosed injury, and he will be out of the lineup against Houston on Friday.09/16
Weather shouldn't be a factor Saturday. Lubbock is forecast for 75 degrees and cloudy skies with only a 21% chance of rain, so this is about as clean a setup as either team could ask for. The bigger variable is simply whether Texas Tech treats an outmatched Conference USA opponent as a tune-up or uses it to keep building toward the ranked matchups still on the schedule.