The Texas Tech defense has dominated all year Happy New Year Everyone. The Doofus family had a great 2025 with a new addition and an engagement. Here's hoping 2026 is just as enjoyable.
Of course, the New Year always starts out on a joyous note with Bowl games galore. This year, New Year's Day slate is cleared to have just Playoff Games starting with:
Texas Tech ML vs Oregon (+100) – Texas Tech is in uncharted waters. They haven’t finished a season ranked in the Top 25 since 2009. This is their fourth straight bowl appearance under Joey McGuire, but those games have been the Liberty, Independence, and Texas Bowls. Not exactly a CFP-level bowl game. This is the first time since 1955 they have won a conference title (the defunct Border Conference) outright.
They did it exploiting the portal and NIL money. They didn’t look for an experienced HC when the Joey McGuire was hired. His reputation was as a recruiter. He was the associate head coach at Baylor under Matt Rhule and Dave Aranda, but also just a position coach. Give Texas Tech credit because in the transfer portal era, you need a closer as a head recruiter and that’s precisely what McGuire is.
And the formula has worked. They lost only one game this year and that was when they were missing their starting QB. The defense is elite. The Red Raiders were the only team in the nation to allow under 1,000 rushing yards. Not only that but they were the only team to allow under 900 rushing yards. Their 39 sacks is tied for sixth and their 31 takeaways lead the nation. They are a top-10 defense on third down.
It’s strength-on-strength here, as Texas Tech’s No. 1 run defense goes against Oregon’s No. 1 rushing offense. The Ducks average 5.9 yards per carry, second only to Utah on the season. But it was held to just 81 yards on the ground by Indiana.
Oregon has struggled with elite defenses. Against Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin, the Ducks averaged just 143 passing yards per game in those three games. Indiana was able to stifle the Duck running game, pin their ears back and go after QB Dante Moore. He was sacked six times.
I’ll take Texas Tech and their defense to win the game outright.
Of course, the New Year always starts out on a joyous note with Bowl games galore. This year, New Year's Day slate is cleared to have just Playoff Games starting with:
Texas Tech ML vs Oregon (+100) – Texas Tech is in uncharted waters. They haven’t finished a season ranked in the Top 25 since 2009. This is their fourth straight bowl appearance under Joey McGuire, but those games have been the Liberty, Independence, and Texas Bowls. Not exactly a CFP-level bowl game. This is the first time since 1955 they have won a conference title (the defunct Border Conference) outright.
They did it exploiting the portal and NIL money. They didn’t look for an experienced HC when the Joey McGuire was hired. His reputation was as a recruiter. He was the associate head coach at Baylor under Matt Rhule and Dave Aranda, but also just a position coach. Give Texas Tech credit because in the transfer portal era, you need a closer as a head recruiter and that’s precisely what McGuire is.
And the formula has worked. They lost only one game this year and that was when they were missing their starting QB. The defense is elite. The Red Raiders were the only team in the nation to allow under 1,000 rushing yards. Not only that but they were the only team to allow under 900 rushing yards. Their 39 sacks is tied for sixth and their 31 takeaways lead the nation. They are a top-10 defense on third down.
It’s strength-on-strength here, as Texas Tech’s No. 1 run defense goes against Oregon’s No. 1 rushing offense. The Ducks average 5.9 yards per carry, second only to Utah on the season. But it was held to just 81 yards on the ground by Indiana.
Oregon has struggled with elite defenses. Against Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin, the Ducks averaged just 143 passing yards per game in those three games. Indiana was able to stifle the Duck running game, pin their ears back and go after QB Dante Moore. He was sacked six times.
I’ll take Texas Tech and their defense to win the game outright.
Indiana sacked Moore six time - Texas Tech can match that Texas Tech vs Oregon 1st half under 24.5 (-139) – Games have tended to go under during bowl season as teams are playing conservative and feeling each other out. Texas Tech is stingy in giving up points. They have allowed 20 points only twice this year (in a 26-22 loss to Arizona State and in a 43-20 win over Kansas State) but otherwise held its opponents to 10 or fewer six times, including in its last four games. That includes games against strong offenses like Utah (10 points) and BYU twice (seven each time).
Tech has given up just 13 red-zone touchdowns all season, and Oregon's offense has struggled to convert scoring opportunities into points at times.
I also have slight concerns about Texas Tech's offensive also tends to struggle in the red zone failing to score a touchdown 32 times this year. They've also settled for 23 red-zone field goals this season, so I could see Oregon’s strong defensive front causing problems for Tech once the field is condensed.
Tech has given up just 13 red-zone touchdowns all season, and Oregon's offense has struggled to convert scoring opportunities into points at times.
I also have slight concerns about Texas Tech's offensive also tends to struggle in the red zone failing to score a touchdown 32 times this year. They've also settled for 23 red-zone field goals this season, so I could see Oregon’s strong defensive front causing problems for Tech once the field is condensed.
Kirby is the master of rematches Money Line Parlay (a) Georgia over Mississippi and (b) Indiana over Alabama (+195) – For Georgia vs Ole Miss, we saw this game before. The Rebs had the Dawgs on the ropes, scoring a touchdown on their first five offensive possessions of the game, leaving UGA's defensive staff searching for adjustments. They dialed up the right buttons as they held Mississippi scoreless thereafter and the offense went on three back breaking drives, scoring 17 unanswered to pull out a 43-35 win.
This Bulldogs defense has now shown itself to be the vaunted front of years past, but this group has been nasty over the last month of the season. The last four opponents to play Georgia have failed to score more than 10 points.
Don’t overlook the coaching advantage. Lane Kiffin is gone with Charlie Weiss Jr on loan for the game. Georgia's Kirby Smart is arguably college football’s best coach, and has quite the record in rematches. This year, he shut Alabama down, 28-7, in the rematch; last year, Smart beat Texas twice, the second to clinch an SEC title; in 2021, he avenged an SEC Championship loss to Alabama with a 33-18 win over the Tide in the National Championship game. Even in consecutive years, Smart’s approach improved. Last year, he allowed 42 to Georgia Tech in a wild multi-overtime affair. This year, Tech managed nine points and 70 rushing yards.
This Bulldogs defense has now shown itself to be the vaunted front of years past, but this group has been nasty over the last month of the season. The last four opponents to play Georgia have failed to score more than 10 points.
Don’t overlook the coaching advantage. Lane Kiffin is gone with Charlie Weiss Jr on loan for the game. Georgia's Kirby Smart is arguably college football’s best coach, and has quite the record in rematches. This year, he shut Alabama down, 28-7, in the rematch; last year, Smart beat Texas twice, the second to clinch an SEC title; in 2021, he avenged an SEC Championship loss to Alabama with a 33-18 win over the Tide in the National Championship game. Even in consecutive years, Smart’s approach improved. Last year, he allowed 42 to Georgia Tech in a wild multi-overtime affair. This year, Tech managed nine points and 70 rushing yards.
The Indiana Miracle continues with a Heisman Trophy winner Indiana is the darling of college football for the second year in a row. They are 13-0, defeating Ohio State in the Big Ten title game and have this year’s Heisman trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
Not even the most talented offenses in the country (Oregon, Ohio State) were able to overcome the vicious Indiana defensive front. The Hoosiers held both to a single offensive touchdown (Oregon scored its second touchdown on a pick-six) and completely overwhelmed both offensive lines.
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin took a season-high five sacks, while Oregon QB Dante Moore took six, almost half of his season total.
Alabama’s offense can be shelved by elite defensive lines. It floundered for just seven points against Georgia, a game the Tide rushed for negative three yards. Alabama has nearly abandoned the run game after following that up with 28 rushing yards against Oklahoma.
With no threat in the run game, Indiana pass-rushers like Mario Landino and Rolijah Hardy can pin their ears back and get after the quarterback. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has taken 10 sacks in the Tide's last three games (Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma) and another 12 in games against Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Missouri.
I went 2-1 last night to bring the overall record to 34-32
Not even the most talented offenses in the country (Oregon, Ohio State) were able to overcome the vicious Indiana defensive front. The Hoosiers held both to a single offensive touchdown (Oregon scored its second touchdown on a pick-six) and completely overwhelmed both offensive lines.
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin took a season-high five sacks, while Oregon QB Dante Moore took six, almost half of his season total.
Alabama’s offense can be shelved by elite defensive lines. It floundered for just seven points against Georgia, a game the Tide rushed for negative three yards. Alabama has nearly abandoned the run game after following that up with 28 rushing yards against Oklahoma.
With no threat in the run game, Indiana pass-rushers like Mario Landino and Rolijah Hardy can pin their ears back and get after the quarterback. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has taken 10 sacks in the Tide's last three games (Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma) and another 12 in games against Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Missouri.
I went 2-1 last night to bring the overall record to 34-32
