Texas Tech spent weeks climbing into the national spotlight. One ugly afternoon in Cincinnati sent the Red Raiders tumbling.

Texas Tech dropped nine positions to No. 14 in Sunday’s updated US LBM Coaches Poll, collecting 864 voting points after Saturday’s 37-24 loss to Cincinnati.

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The Red Raiders entered the weekend ranked fifth by the coaches, their highest placement of the season.

Now they’re 6-1 overall, 3-1 in Big 12 play and facing a much tougher road to their biggest goals.

The drop was substantial, but the performance supplied voters with plenty of ammunition.

Texas Tech trailed 24-6 at halftime, committed three turnovers and piled up a season-high 12 penalties for 80 yards. A team carrying championship expectations spent much of the afternoon trying to escape a hole it helped dig.

“For us to get where we want to get, we’re going to have to win out,” coach Joey McGuire said afterward.

That’s the challenge facing a team whose problems extended beyond one position.

Quarterback Will Hammond completed 24 of 37 passes for 227 yards without a touchdown, ending his streak of eight consecutive games with a scoring pass.

The defense surrendered 252 rushing yards after entering the weekend allowing just 82 per game.

Cincinnati’s 37 points were the most Texas Tech has allowed under defensive coordinator Shiel Wood.

Sunday’s rankings also changed the Big 12 picture. Utah rose to No. 5, while BYU fell to No. 9 after losing at UCF.

Texas Tech sits third among the conference’s ranked teams, ahead of No. 19 Houston and No. 21 Arizona.

That last name matters immediately.

The Wildcats visit Lubbock on Oct. 31 for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff, giving Texas Tech a ranked opponent and an opportunity to begin repairing its résumé.

The Red Raiders then face West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Baylor and TCU to close the regular season. Winning those five games would produce an 11-1 finish, although the Coaches Poll itself doesn’t determine College Football Playoff selection.

There’s still a strong season available. One loss hasn’t erased six wins or removed Texas Tech from the Big 12 race.

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But Saturday exposed how quickly mistakes can overwhelm talent. The Red Raiders need cleaner possessions, better run defense and an offense that starts producing before the scoreboard becomes an emergency.

The top-five cushion is gone. Arizona arrives next, and Texas Tech needs its response to be considerably better than its last performance.

Source: Yahoo Sports