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As we all know its never too early to start boning up on your college football knowledge, especially with spring ball right around the corner. With that in mind Collegefootballnews.com is running down some 2009 lookbacks and early 2010 lookaheads and I thought it'd be good for us all to join them. And just to show I'm a good sport we'll continue with everyone's favorite West Texas squad: the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

2009 Recap: Considering it was supposed to be a bit of a rebuilding year, things went relatively well winning nine games including the Alamo Bowl over Michigan State, but it was all overshadowed by the firing of head coach Mike Leach surrounding the allegations of improper treatment of WR Adam James. During the year, the Red Raiders were just about even performance-wise. After battling well in a loss to Texas, Tech lost a one-point thriller to Houston only to come back roaring with three straight wins. But following a 31-10 blowout of eventual North champion, Nebraska, the team came up with an inexplicable disaster in a 52-30 loss to Texas A&M, prompting Leach to remark about how the players’ “fat little girlfriends” were partially responsible for the problems. But as bad as the loss to the Aggies was, that’s how good a 41-13 obliteration of Oklahoma was as part of a run of four wins in the final five games.

Offensive Player of the Year: OG Brandon Carter
Defensive Player of the Year: CB Jamar Wall

Biggest Surprise: Steven Sheffield. Taylor Potts had a big year and was the team’s No. 1 quarterback, while Sheffield, a tall, skinny former walk-on was just supposed to be backup who’d be thrown into the mix in desperate situations. Potts was ineffective at times and was injured with a concussion for a stretch, and Sheffield more than picked up the slack throwing for 490 yards and seven touchdowns in a 66-14 win over Kansas State, led the way to the win over Nebraska, and stepped up to provide a spark in the Alamo Bowl going 9-of-11 for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Biggest Disappointment: Mike Leach. On the field, the Texas A&M loss was easily the team’s roughest moment, made worse by blowouts of Nebraska and Oklahoma that showed just how strong the team could be, but the program’s main issue was Leach, the administration, and how the two got along. The firing was a muddled mess with contractual problems as well as the James incident all contributing to the ugliness. The program got a big boost by hiring Tommy Tuberville, but Leach turned Texas Tech into a power that could compete at a high level with a thrilling offense. While there are plenty of things about Leach that the Tech program could do without, he’ll also be missed for his candor, his offense, and his fearlessness.

Looking Ahead: Will Tuberville really make sure the offense rolls like it did under Leach? That’s the plan meaning the early question mark will be at quarterback where Taylor Potts and fan-favorite Steven Sheffield will wage a fantastic offseason battle. There are more than enough veterans back on offense to be explosive, while the defense should be solid if a shutdown corner can emerge to replace Jamar Wall and the holes on the defensive front can be filled in right away. Getting Iowa State and Colorado from the North is a nice break, even if those games are on the road, while the Missouri battle is at home. The toughest road game is at Oklahoma, but the second-toughest road trip is at Colorado.

Why to get excited: Tommy Tuberville is a strong head coach who has the potential to step into a great situation and succeed right away. Eight starters return on offense including all the key receivers, RB Baron Batch, and two good quarterbacks in Potts and Sheffield, while the defense that wasn’t all that bad throughout last year should be excellent in the secondary despite the loss of Jamar Wall. The experience, combined with the relatively favorable schedule, should mean a shot at ten wins is possible.

Why to be grouchy: The team has exactly two games against SMU and New Mexico to get the defensive line in shape before dealing with Texas. NT Colby Whitlock is the only returning lineman of nose, and while the linebacking corps should be solid, it needs help up front from some unsung sources to produce. While the offense is expected to be its old self, losing Brandon Carter and Marlon Winn on the right side will hurt and center Shawn Byrnes was solid. Schedule-wise, considering the Baylor game is in Dallas, Tech will play just one true home game from September 18 to November 6.

The number one thing to work on is: Making sure the offense keeps on humming. The heat is on Neal Brown, the young whiz kid offensive coordinator who helped make the Troy offense shine. He has the résumé and he has the potential to become a big-time head man, but if the Texas Tech offense goes from devastatingly explosive to mediocre in any way it’s not going to be pretty. There’s a large segment of Red Raider fans who weren’t happy with the firing of Leach, and there’s not going to be any room to grow into the job for Brown or Tuberville.

Biggest offensive loss: OG Brandon Carter
Biggest defensive loss: CB Jamar Wall
Best returning offensive player: QB Taylor Potts
Best returning defensive player: LB Brian Duncan

Top Five Prospects
DE Scott Smith 6-7 275 El Dorado, KS
QB Scotty Young 6-3 185 Denton, TX
RB Delans Griffin 5-10 181 Clinton, OK
DE Jackson Richards 6-4 245 Southlake, TX
DB Tre'Vante Porter 6-0 185 Midwest City, OK