Can Texas Tech's potent offense conquer altitude and an unbeaten Buffaloes squad? Find out how the Red Raiders can secure a crucial road victory.
If there’s ever been a moment for No. 14 Texas Tech to flip a narrative, Saturday night in Boulder feels like it. The Red Raiders head to the CU Events Center for their first trip to Colorado since 2010, carrying equal parts confidence and unfinished business into a Colorado team that has quietly become one of the Big 12’s early surprises.
Texas Tech (11-4, 1-1 Big 12) arrives fresh off a gut-check loss at No. 7 Houston in a game that felt winnable, physical, and exhausting, which is usually how games against Houston go.
“They make you earn everything,” one Tech assistant joked afterward, sounding like someone who had just finished pushing a truck uphill.
Still, there were positives. JT Toppin delivered another double-double, freshman Jaylen Petty caught absolute fire, and the Red Raiders defended well enough to win most nights.
Now comes the road test Tech has been itching for.
The Red Raiders are 0-2 in true road games, but this group isn’t short on belief ... or shooting. Tech leads the Big 12 in made 3-pointers and lives comfortably beyond the arc, a trait that travels well if legs hold up at altitude. If Tech hits double-digit 3s early, buckle up.
That’s usually when Grant McCasland’s “Toughest Team Wins” mantra starts sounding prophetic instead of poetic.
Colorado (12-3, 2-0 Big 12) has been anything but welcoming at home, going 9-1 in Boulder and already flirting with last season’s entire conference win total.
The Buffaloes don’t overwhelm with star power so much as discipline. They get to the line, they make free throws, and they don’t beat themselves.
This matchup may come down to tempo and toughness. Tech wants pace, space, and threes. Colorado wants control, whistles, and patience.
Can Tech’s guards handle pressure without settling, and can Toppin keep imposing his will inside when the shots inevitably stop falling?
History isn’t kind to Tech in Boulder, but last season’s blowout win over Colorado still lingers, and so does the confidence that came with it.
If the Red Raiders want to be more than a ranked team and start looking like a contender, Saturday night is the kind of proving ground that makes a season feel real.
Matchup: No. 14 Texas Tech (11-4, 1-1) at Colorado (12-3, 2-0)
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Venue: CU Events Center
Tip: 6 p.m. CT, Saturday, January 10, 2026
TV: CBS Sports NetworkTV CALL: Chris Lewis, Chris Walker, Brandon Baylor
TEXAS TECH SPORTS NETWORK: Geoff Haxton and Chris Level