The year 2006 was an extremely unique one for Texas Tech. In his seventh year as head coach, Mike Leach had firmly established his Air Raid attack in the Big 12. He achieved relative success with the Red Raiders, winning the Tangerine Bowl in 2002, the Holiday Bowl over No. 4 ranked Cal (led by Aaron Rodgers) in 2004, and losing a heart-breaker to Alabama in the 2005 Cotton Bowl on a last second field goal.
Leach enjoyed the luxury of starting a senior at quarterback in each of the four seasons preceding 2006; Kliff Kingsbury in 2002, B.