Every season starts with hopeful optimism, and that will once again be the case for the Texas Tech football team

But what would the near-perfect, ideal, best-case scenario season look like for the Red Raiders in Joey McGuire's third year as head coach? It's layered, but also a bit obvious.

Here's a look at how this year's Texas Tech team could reach its highest level in decades.

Behren Morton goes through full season healthy for Texas Tech football

All of the talk out of camp has been centered around Behren Morton looking like his old self. Coming back from a shoulder injury he suffered before even taking the reins as the starting quarterback last year, Morton was never really able to unleash his full arsenal. The hope is that he can be that guy this year, and get through the full season unscathed.

Tahj Brooks reaches the all-time rushing record

Even with a healthy Morton, the Red Raiders are determined to be a more balanced offense. Last year, Tahj Brooks became the offensive catalyst almost by default. Now that it's known he can carry a very heavy load, Tech has made it clear that they intend to get Brooks the 1,168 yards needed to break Byron Hanspard's career rushing record. Brooks ran for 1,538 yards last season, so it's feasible he could achieve the record without being leaned on so heavily this season.

Receiving options make Texas Tech's offense a juggernaut

Transfers Josh Kelly and Caleb Douglas, returner Coy Eakin and five-star freshman Micah Hudson — plus Drae McCray and Jordan Brown — give Texas Tech an array of weapons on the outside. And that's before factoring in tight ends Jalin Conyers, Mason Tharp and Johncarlos Miller, all of whom could have lengthy professional careers. That's a lot of mouths to feed, but the sheer volume of talent could be what shallows up opposing defenses as they try to account for everybody as well as Brooks out of the backfield.

New faces on defense emerge early

Depth has been the buzzword around just about every defensive position during preseason camp. That kind of interchangeable roster makes up for the lack of veteran names who have graduated. An injury here or there won't be a detriment to the team as there's another two or three players ready to fill the void without missing a beat.

Fast start leads to Big 12 Championship appearance

Five of Texas Tech's first seven games are at home. Six of those seven games, Texas Tech should be the heavy favorites. It is entirely possible Tech is 6-1, ranked in both national polls and already bowl eligible by the time Halloween comes around. And if that's the start of the season, there's no telling just how much momentum that can create for the last half of the season, even with the much tougher schedule late in the year. A fourth-straight bowl game for the first time since the Mike Leach era should be a given. Could the Red Raiders contend for a Big 12 Championship appearance? Maybe even the College Football Playoff?

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: What's Texas Tech football's best-case scenario for the 2024 season?