Modern college football fans can’t forget Texas Tech’s legendary 2008 squad, coach by the late, great Mike Leach.
ESPN can’t forget those Red Raiders either, putting Texas Tech’s 2008 team and its “Air Raid” offense at No. 5 on its list of the 30 most influential college football teams of all time.
Texas Tech went 11-2 in 2008 but its home win over No. 1 Texas on a last-second touchdown pass from Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree is one of the most memorable college football games of all time.
Texas Tech finished in a three-way tie with Oklahoma and Texas for the Big 12 South Division title but was left out of the Big 12 Championship Game after the league used BCS standings to determine which team would play, selecting No. 2 Oklahoma.
Texas Tech went on to lose to Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl.
“With a four-star quarterback (Graham Harrell) throwing to the best receiver in the country (Michael Crabtree), Tech began the season 10-0 and moved to No. 2 in the AP poll after a classic upset of top-ranked Texas,” ESPN’s Bill Connelly wrote. “The Red Raiders lost two of their final three to slip to 12th, but this season provided a new level of proof of concept for the Air Raid offense.”