Analyst Sounds the Alarm on Texas Tech After Cincinnati Upset

Coming into Week 8, the Texas Tech Red Raiders looked like a surefire CFP contender with real aspirations of potentially contending for a Big 12 championship this year. However, according to CBS college football analyst Danny Kanell, that seems to have changed following an ugly loss on Saturday to the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Texas Tech had essentially no answer for the Cincinnati offense, allowing 427 yards of offense en route to a 37-24 loss that ended their undefeated season. The loss was a particularly bad look considering they came into the game as a top-five defense in rushing yards allowed and allowed Cincinnati to rush for 255 yards.

For some, the poor showing from Texas Tech came out of nowhere given that many deemed them the clear favorite out of the Big 12 coming into the season. But Kanell seems to believe that this result was simply the Red Raiders' weaknesses getting exposed in a rather concerning way.

More news: NFL Scout Compares Miami’s Malachi Toney to 7-Time Pro Bowl WR

"You can't trust them," said Kanell of Texas Tech following the game. "Which is a lot of teams in the Top 15 where you don't feel like you can trust them. There is just a big drop off from what they were last year on both sides of the ball. They ran the ball more consistently last year. Their defense was better last year. You can't trust Will Hammond yet. He's been up and down a little bit this season. Their run game has been the one thing they can rely on. They couldn't get that going today. So I think this was a huge win for Cincinnati and obviously a rough one for Texas Tech."

More news: Curt Cignetti Makes Surprising Admission About Josh Hoover After Michigan Win

Notably, Texas Tech had only played one opponent in the Big 12 with a record over .500 in conference play prior to Saturday's game. So maybe some of Texas Tech's hot start to the season had to do with a favorable schedule.

Regardless, Texas Tech now finds themselves in a position where their aspirations for a CFP spot may be quite as safe as they once were.

Texas Tech will look to rebound in their next matchup in Week 9 against the Arizona Wildcats, who come into Week 8 as the No. 25 ranked team in the last AP Poll.