Two wins don't mask Texas Tech football shortcomings | Williams - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

The Red Raiders now sit at two wins, and on paper that looks fine. But an old sportswriter friend summed up the mood in a text sent during the game itself, calling it out plainly: Tech has regressed to the mean, and 2025 was the outlier. That line cuts right to what people around the program are starting to wonder out loud.

For a fan base that got used to a certain level of play last year, this season feels like a step back, even with the scoreboard showing a win. Beating Oregon State on the road isn't nothing, but the final score tells a different story once you look past the record.

Folks in Lubbock who watched last season build real expectations for this program are now sitting with a harder question. Was 2025 the new normal, or just a fluke season that raised hopes too high? Two wins don't answer that. They just delay the reckoning.

Tech takes the win and the record improves, but the doubt travels with the team back to Lubbock.