The fates have smiled on the Red Raiders so far this season as Texas Tech carries a winning record through the halfway mark.

Regardless of the current state of the programs, the wins (and how they were won) against TCU & Oklahoma State are big for this Tech team & coaching staff. Tall mountains are flanked by deep valleys, however, which leads us to this week’s reading. . .

… The Fool

New beginnings, originality, believing in the universe; conversely, poor judgement, stupidity, & chaos

I think most are safe in saying that the heat is down on Kliff, especially if the back half of the season plays out how the first half did. This Tech team is playing loose, getting stronger as games get on, which is something we haven’t seen in years. The Big 12 is relatively open, and if the injury pendulum swings back in favor of the Red Raiders, we can dare to dream. However, you have to win the games you’re supposed to win for that to happen. Beating TCU on national television with a huge defensive performance is plenty for this team to get excited about, but they can’t buy their hype too much and have a letdown game against Kansas. The secondary can still be a liability, and if the Jayhawks find even a little success there, that can open up the running game for Pooka Williams. The wave needs to continue to build through Kansas and on to a refreshed and dangerous Iowa State team (who, like Kansas & TCU, will also be coming off of a bye week heading into the Tech match-up), not crest early or crash against a shoe-wearing bird shaped rock. The goalposts for this get moved every week, but a demolition of Kansas after the highs of last week will be another indicator of whether or not #ThingsHaveChanged.