Texas Tech keeps winning, but the warning signs are getting harder to ignore

A regressing secondary and Will Hammond’s turnover troubles have the Red Raiders searching for answers despite a second straight 5-0 start

No. 10 Texas Tech was a heavy favorite to win the Big 12 for the second straight season after cruising to the College Football Playoff last year. Through five weeks, though, returns have been decidedly mixed. The Red Raiders rank outside of the top 10 of the Big 12 in both offense and defense. They're 12th in yards per play and are tied for worst in the conference with six interceptions. Their only ranked matchup at home came down to a stopped two-point conversion against Houston. Texas Tech is sitting at 5-0 in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history. These are champagne problems for a program that has rarely contended for conference championships across its history.

"Do I want to be more explosive on offense? Do we want to be more efficient on offense? One hundred percent," McGuire said. "And we have to find ways to do that. But I'm going to take the win every time." But after winning the Big 12 and recording the program's first AP Top 10 finish in history, more is expected. What's gone wrong in Lubbock? Last season, Texas Tech absolutely nailed its star-studded transfer class. David Bailey, Romello Height and Lee Hunter were All-America candidates along the defensive line. Tight end Terrance Carter Jr. and cornerback Brice Pollock were elite