It’s a rodeo showdown down in H-Town as the 7-5 Texas Tech Red Raiders will be looking to rope down the 8-4 Ole Miss Rebels at NRG Stadium.

Two offensive-minded teams better have brought their finest pistols to the Bayou if they want to be the ones still standing after this shootout. 

Enough of the Wild West references. Both teams enter this game with a sense of surprise. Texas Tech was not expected to reach a bowl game under first-year head coach Joey McGuire, and Ole Miss finished the season rather anticlimactically, reaching as high as No. 7 in the AP poll but ending up nowhere near a New Year’s Six bowl.

How We Got Here:

Texas Tech went into the 2022 season firing on all cylinders. After thrashing Murray State 63-10, the Red Raiders would then pull off one of the biggest roller coaster wins of the season, defeating Houston 33-30 in 2OT. 

After a 3-1 start, including a massive win at home against Texas, the Red Raiders would find themselves in a very streaky patch. What was 3-1 would quickly transition to 4-5, and their bowl hopes seemed to be dwindling. A dream start appeared to be destined for a nightmare ending. 

Then came a switch. The Red Raiders finished the year with three straight victories, including a 51-48 triumph over Oklahoma in the finale to head into the Texas Bowl with all the momentum. Despite starting quarterback Donovan Smith transferring to Houston, Tyler Shough finished strong and can lead this team to a bowl victory. 

Ole Miss comes into the 2022 Texas Bowl after a disappointing end to its season in a loss to Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. However, it wasn’t just the loss to the hated in-state rival that made this season a disappointing one for coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels. 

Ole Miss was slated to be in the upper echelon of the SEC this year, and while it was a down year for much of the SEC West, the Rebels’ 8-4 record was good enough for a tie for third in the division. 

Not all was bad for the Rebels though, as they found their offensive form in an unexpected place. Freshman RB Quinshon Judkins ran all over the rest of the country this season, leading the SEC with 1,476 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. 

Kiffin’s offensive scheme continues to confuse teams around the country, and the Rebels found significant success when both their passing and running games were working. 

While QB Jaxson Dart didn’t have the season that many anticipated him having, his 2,613 passing yards and 18 touchdown passes aren’t to be scoffed at. 

The Rebels also found resurgence from RB Zach Evans, who, if you’re familiar with that name (and you should be, he’s pretty great), had one of the most fascinating recruitments in the history of modern college football. Evans ran for 899 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. 

The Rebels have gained a lot of national respect over these past few seasons, and now it’s time to see if Kiffin can guide his team to a victory against a very capable and motivated Texas Tech team that looks to knock off a Mississippi opponent for the second straight year in a bowl game. 

Keys to The Game:

Ole Miss:

Lane, Let Quinshon Cook — If Quinshon Judkins gets the ball in his hands enough, good things will happen. It’s not a matter of if with him, it’s when. He irritated just about every SEC fan base this year, and I’m almost sure he’ll irritate the Red Raiders faithful in Houston. 

Limit Texas Tech’s Scoring Early — The Rebels were in the middle of the pack in college football this year defensively, and they faced a lot of inconsistency on that side of the ball. If Ole Miss is to win this game, it needs to take control and limit a dynamic Zach Kittley-led offense early, rather than playing catch-up, which is where Ole Miss’ weaknesses come into play. 

Texas Tech:

Air Raid That Ole Miss Defense — With Ole Miss ranking ninth in the SEC in pass defense, Texas Tech needs to rely on its strength and throw the ball down the field as much as possible. With the Red Raiders lacking in a consistent running attack, they must keep the ball in the air and try to make Kiffin play catch-up. 

Players to Watch:

Ole Miss:

#4 RB Quinshon Judkins — As I said before, Judkins is the 2022 Ole Miss offense. It literally runs through him. I expect a big game for Judkins. 

Texas Tech:

#9 WR Jerand Bradley — Jerand Bradley ended the regular season with a BANG, catching eight balls for 173 yards and a touchdown grab against the Sooners. The redshirt freshman has a bright future in Kittley’s offense and will show what he’s got against Ole Miss. 

Score Predictions:

Jake: This is a bowl game that I honestly have no expectations with and it could go either way, but I’m really feeling a victory here for the Rebels. Ole Miss 34, Texas Tech 28.

Andrew: With the way Ole Miss ended the season compared to Texas Tech, I can’t help but think that the Red Raiders have the momentum advantage and are looking to put the cap onto their successful season. I like Tyler Shough to make plays and lead this team to victory. Texas Tech 38, Ole Miss 34.