Red Raiders Finish Regular Season in Polls
November 28, 2004 | Football
Nov. 28, 2004
LUBBOCK, Texas - Not since the 1989 season has Texas Tech (7-4, 5-3) been ranked at the end of its regular season - until now. Following their win over then-No. 23 Oklahoma State on Saturday, the Red Raiders find themselves ranked 20th in the ESPN Coaches Poll and 24th in the Associated Press poll.
Tech's standing in the ESPN Coaches Poll is the highest for a Red Raider team since head coach Mike Leach's arrival in 2000. Additionally, the 16-point win over the Cowboys was the largest margin of victory for a Tech team over a ranked opponent since knocking off No. 19 Texas, 33-9, in 1994.
The Red Raiders finished the 1989 regular season among the top 25 in the polls and went on to defeat Duke in the All-American Bowl, 49-21. Tech's 1995 finished the regular season 8-3, but did not move into the polls until its 55-41 win over Air Force in the Copper Bowl.