It could prove to be the most important regular season game of the year for the Big 12 when No. 16 Utah hosts No. 17 Texas Tech. Both teams are off to flying start, and while there’s a long way left to go, they’re also the two favorites to win the Big 12 heading into this one.
The winner will become the clear favorite.
There was plenty of attention paid to Texas Tech and its transfer class during the offseason, and so far it looks to be money well spent. The Red Raiders have won their first three games of the year and have done so with ease. The transfers to Salt Lake City were a little below the radar, but new QB Devon Dampier (as well as new offensive coordinator Jason Beck) have been a smashing success for the Utes, too.
It’s an early start, as the game will kick shortly after 10 a.m. local time, and both teams will have to make sure they’ve wiped the crust out their eyes. A slow start could wreck your Big 12 title hopes.
Utah vs. Texas Tech: Need to know
Texas Tech is looking to get off to its best start since 2013: I mentioned Tech has started the season 3-0, which is the first time it has done that since 2021. That was before head coach Joey McGuire took over in Lubbock. If the Red Raiders pick up the win here they’ll be 4-0 for the first time since 2013. It was Kliff Kingsbury’s first year in charge, and Tech would actually get off to a 7-0 start and into the top-10 of the AP Poll before a five-game losing streak derailed the campaign.
The Red Raiders haven’t allowed a point in the first half: There hasn’t been much need to sprint full speed in the second half for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have outscored Arkansas Pine-Bluff, Kent State and Oregon State 123-0 in the first half this year. They are the only FBS team in the country to have scored more than 100 points in the first half this season, and they’re one of only three yet to allow a point. One key difference this week? All three of Tech’s games have been at home. This Saturday will be the first time they’ve ventured outside Lubbock.
Utah went 0-4 at home in Big 12 play last season: The Utes would love to put last year in the rearview entirely, and getting a home win here would be nice. Rice-Eccles has always been a house of horrors for opponents, but last year it was a funhouse mirror for the Utes. Not only did they go 0-4 at home against Big 12 opponents, but three of the losses were one-score defeats.
Where to watch Utah vs. Texas Tech live
Date: Saturday, September 20 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium — Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: Fox | Live stream: Fubo (Start watching, save $20!)
Utah vs. Texas Tech prediction, picks
It’s not an old-fashioned Big 12 matchup, but it could resemble an old-fashioned Big 12 shootout. Texas Tech’s offense trails only USC in explosive play rate, and while the Utah defense is better than any its faced, it should still be able to find some big plays in the passing game. On the other side, I like Tech’s defensive line a lot, but Utah has one of the best offensive lines in the country, and the Utah offense has been incredible at finishing drives. I like both offenses to succeed in this one, so I’m going over. Pick: Over 57.5
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