Joey McGuire’s Texas Tech isn’t the team that might be good or possibly can sneak up on other teams. That phase is over. Its official arrival into national prominence once again is here.
A year ago, the Red Raiders popped off in a big way. They secured their first Big 12 title and a CFP berth for the first time in program history, finishing the season 12-2 and ranked No. 7 in the final AP poll. Now they head into 2026 with expectations much higher than they’ve seen in a long time, and they aren’t running away from it.
Joey McGuire’s Texas Tech Red Raiders Have Become the Big 12’s Clear Favorite
That dominance hasn’t gone unnoticed. National college football analyst Josh Pate didn’t hold back when describing just how far ahead Texas Tech has pulled from the rest of the conference:
“Joey McGuire has ruined the Big 12. I don’t know how he sleeps at night. Probably with a pillow and a comforter and chapter 2 of a book. But look at that, -370 to make the playoff, and then it’s Brigham Young and Utah miles and miles and miles behind them.”
Look at last season. They weren’t scraping by; they were dictating games with the league’s best offense and best defense. The biggest shift showed up on the defensive side of the ball, which allowed only 11.8 points per game (third nationally) and a league-best 68.1 rushing yards per game.
Their PFSN CFB Defensive Impact score landed at 95.8, second nationally, and it actually matched the eye test. Fast, physical, and way more consistent than anything Tech had put out in years.
And the scary part? They didn’t stand still after that. It was all go-mode, looking to get better.
The staff went into the offseason and still found ways to raise the ceiling. Adding quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who transferred from Cincinnati on a reported $5.1 million NIL deal, was a big piece of that after the offense withered in the College Football Playoff.
Sorsby, who totaled over 3,300 total yards and 36 touchdowns last year, graded out as a top-10 quarterback according to PFSN CFB QB Impact grades. He is a dual-threat playmaker and an experienced starter who gives the Red Raiders a massive upgrade under center.
That’s kind of the theme with this team. They’re not just stacking talent; they’re being deliberate about it. Fix a weakness, then move on to the next one.
So yeah, when people around the conference look up and see Texas Tech sitting there with an absurd 11.5 win total (the clear favorite above the field), it can feel like the gap got wide in a hurry. Programs like BYU and Utah are still solid, but right now they’re chasing a roster that Pate warns might be the most talented in the conference.
Did McGuire “ruin” the league? Probably not in the literal sense. This is just what it looks like when a program fully leans into how college football works now (portal, NIL, and roster turnover) and actually gets it right.
The bigger question is whether anyone else can close that gap. Because at the moment, Texas Tech isn’t just on top of the Big 12; they’ve set the pace. And they’re not easing up anytime soon.
