The Red River Conference has plenty of contenders for this season's league title, including LSU, Baylor, Arkansas, and Texas A&M... add Texas Tech to that list.

The Red Raiders kick off their spring RRC slate at Baylor on Saturday, Jan. 20, and here are four reasons why Texas Tech should be considered a threat in the 2018 conference race.

Watch Texas Tech at Baylor LIVE on FloRugby

Big-Score Shutouts Mean Something

Outscoring a poor team 98-5 tells you nothing. But when you play a team that has good players and you score 53 on that team, as TTU did against Oklahoma back in November, and you shut out said team, as Tech did against OU, then it’s worth noting.

This fall, the Red River, Rugby East, Rocky Mountain, Liberty, and Big Ten played 135 games and we saw only seven shutouts with the winner scoring 40 or more (5 percent). So it's a pretty rare thing, and the squads that accomplish that feat are always good: Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Iona, Binghamton, and Army.

And now Texas Tech. 

They Lost A Game But…

Texas Tech’s one loss so far in the Red River was a 40-36 setback against Arkansas on Dec. 2. It was about as close to a win as you could get. Tech got a bonus point for four tries and a bonus point for a close loss — so in two league games the Red Raiders have seven points out a possible 10.

A four-point loss to the Razorbacks is not a death knell and may well be a signal that Texas Tech has potential, as only a small improvement could have turned that into a victory.

They Have Learned From Old Mistakes

Two seasons ago, the Red Raiders had one win in D1A. Last year they had five. Some of the players on the roster know about the old days and what it takes to get better. 

Team president and inside center Bobby Flinn was one of those 2015-16 players. He's part of the leadership group now and playing some of his best rugby.

They Have Learned From More Recent Mistakes

"We felt we squandered a chance to beat Arkansas," TTU head coach Phil Terrigno told FloRugby. "I think the team is starting to figure out to play well late in games. But we need to learn how to make the right decisions late in a game."

Terrigno's message to his players is to just be patient in these situations. When they have the ball with time winding down and have to score to win, they need to keep moving forward — and don't rush. Tech learned that against the Razorbacks.