Texas Tech football bowl game: Projections, live updates from selection day
The Texas Tech football team goes into bowl selection Sunday toward the bottom end of the eligible Big 12 teams. That's what happens when you disappoint, and that's what the Red Raiders did.
Picked to finish fourth in the conference and ranked No. 24 in the preseason USA TODAY AFCA coaches poll, Tech ended up 6-6 and 5-4 in the Big 12, qualifying for a bowl by winning three games in November.
Seven Big 12 teams have better overall records than the Red Raiders, and Tech and Kansas are tied for seventh in the conference standings.
The Avalanche-Journal projects Tech for the Independence Bowl, which is scheduled for Dec. 16, a Saturday night in Shreveport, Louisiana. Tech has played in the Independence Bowl twice, losing to Mississippi in 1986 and 1998.
Realistically, you can rule out, starting at the top, the New Year's Six, Alamo and Pop-Tarts bowls as Texas Tech destinations. Also, don't look for a return trip to the Texas or Liberty bowls, where the Red Raiders won the past two seasons. The Big 12 order after that consists of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, one (but not both) of the Armed Forces or First Responder bowls and then the Independence.
Independence Bowl communications director Erik Evenson said there seem to be more possibilities than usual for the game in Shreveport, given the number of Big 12 teams at or a little better than .500. He said the Red Raiders are an appealing option, though.
"I think our selection committee regards Texas Tech really high," Evenson said. "They have a great history in our bowl game, which we value highly, but then also having that brand of Texas Tech. It's a really big brand in college football, which we love to have.
"And then having the ability to have alumni bases near Shreveport and having tons of fans near Shreveport in driving distance to the game, I think all those are really important. So I think Texas Tech checks a lot of boxes."
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Here are some of the latest bowl projections for Texas Tech.
It's official: Texas Tech football to face California in Independence Bowl
Both schools and Independence Bowl officials announced the pairing on Sunday.
Sunday report: Texas Tech football to play California in Independence Bowl
Brett McMurphy of Action Network, citing unnamed sources, reported Texas Tech will play California in the Independence Bowl.
Nov. 30: The Athletic
The Athletic's Stewart Mandel and Scott Dochterman, in their joint projections, forecast Texas Tech to play Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl, scheduled for Dec. 23. That could take place if all the bowls with Big 12 agreements were filled and the Red Raiders were tapped to take an available spot elsewhere. Georgia Tech is 6-6 and 5-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Yellow Jackets beat the Red Raiders in the 1965 Gator Bowl and the 1970 Sun Bowl.
Nov. 30: The Sporting News
TSN writer Bill Bender predicted the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth to pit Texas Tech against Marshall, which is 6-6 and 3-5 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Armed Forces Bowl is Dec. 23 at Amon Carter Stadium.
Nov. 30: College Football News
Texas Tech is projected to play in the Independence Bowl against California. The Golden Bears are 6-6 and 4-5 in the Pac-12.
Nov. 29: Action Network
Brett McMurphy of actionnetwork.com forecast Texas Tech and California in the Independence Bowl. The Red Raiders upset an Aaron Rodgers-led Golden Bears team 45-31 in the 2004 Holiday Bowl.
Nov. 28: USA TODAY
Erick Smith of USA TODAY projected Texas Tech to the Independence Bowl to play California.
Nov. 28: FOX Sports
Bryan Fischer of FOX Sports forecast Texas Tech to the First Responder Bowl against Georgia Southern, which is 6-6 and 3-5 in the Sun Belt Conference. The game is Dec. 26 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, SMU's home field.
Nov. 26: CBS Sports
Jerry Palm of CBS Sports projected Texas Tech to the Independence Bowl to play California.
Nov. 26: Athlon Sports
Steven Lassan of Athlon predicted Texas Tech to the Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force, which is 8-4 and 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference.
Nov. 26: ESPN
Mark Schlabach projected a Texas Tech-Cal Independence Bowl. His ESPN colleague Kyle Bonagura forecasts the Camellia Bowl to match the Red Raiders against Georgia Southern. That would be an instance of the Big 12 filling its bowl allotments and Tech being bumped to take another available bowl slot.
The Camellia Bowl is Dec. 23 in Montgomery, Alabama. It's played at Cramton Bowl which, from 1938 to 2001, hosted the Blue-Gray Football Classic, a traditional Christmas Day all-star game of players whose teams did not make bowl games.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football bowl game: Projections, live updates from selection day
