Greg McElroy makes pick for Kansas at Texas Tech

The spotlight in the Big 12 shifts to Kansas meeting No. 9 Texas Tech at Jones AT&T Stadium this weekend. Ahead of the huge showdown, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy broke down the matchup and revealed his pick ahead of the monster clash, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Heading into the matchup, the Red Raiders are roughly a two-touchdown favorite. They’re looking to continue their dominant stretch under head coach Joey McGuire.

Meanwhile, Kansas is led by Lance Leipold, who has turned the Jayhawks into a formidable team year-in and year-out in the conference. He’ll be searching for his first win over McGuire since the two became Big 12 foes.

“We’ll go next to 7:30 Eastern Time on FOX when Kansas takes on the ninth-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Red Raiders are about a two-touchdown favorite right now,” McElroy said, via Always College Football. “You’ve got Lance Leipold on one side — his career is just a masterclass in sustainable program construction.

“He built his program from the ground up at the Division III level, creating a dynasty at Wisconsin-Whitewater where he won six national championships and went 109–6 during his time there. On the other side is Joey McGuire, who has had Leipold’s number — he’s 2–0 against him so far.

“Texas Tech beat Kansas in Lubbock back in 2022. Then, they went to Lawrence in 2023 and knocked off the Jayhawks again.”

Moreover, this year’s game features one of the more interesting quarterback duels in the conference. Kansas’ Jalon Daniels has continued to impress as one of the country’s top dual-threat quarterbacks, and he’ll be under center this weekend.

“It’s a really intriguing quarterback matchup, too,” McElroy added. “Jalon Daniels is about as fun of a dual-threat quarterback as you’ll find anywhere in the country. He’s accounted for 17 of the team’s 24 offensive touchdowns — that’s 71%, one of the highest individual rates in the nation.”

Across the field, Behren Morton has quietly put together an efficient season for Texas Tech. However, he’s built from a far different mold than Daniels’ style of play.

“On the other side, Behren Morton has been very efficient through five games — over 1,400 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and just three interceptions, with a strong passer rating. But compared to Daniels, he’s much more of a pocket passer,” Klatt explained.

“He actually has negative rushing yards this season, so keep an eye on how that limits his mobility against Kansas’ defensive front. Texas Tech also has a very capable backup in Will Hammond, who’s been impressive in limited action.”

When it comes to picking a winner, McElroy didn’t hesitate to ride with McGuire’s squad: “All things considered, I like Texas Tech in this matchup — I’ll take the Red Raiders and I’ll lay the points in Lubbock,” he predicted.

Both programs are chasing Big 12 title contention. McElroy expects the Red Raiders to be victorious in Lubbock, but Kansas certainly won’t go away without a fight. We’ll see if his pick is right in the end.