Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire’s war of words has reached a boiling point. Everyone in college football wants a piece of the drama, and now BYU head coach Kalani Sitake has been asked to pick a side.
How BYU’s Kalani Sitake Responded to the Steve Sarkisian and Joey McGuire Feud
The Athletic’s Chris Vannini turned to his X handle and revealed his conversation with the Cougars head coach. Sitake, who shares a rich history with Sarkisian from their playing and coaching roots at BYU, and a deep mutual respect with McGuire, opted for unfiltered honesty wrapped in classic competitive fire.
Vannini commented, “I asked BYU coach Kalani Sitake about McGuire vs. Sark “Sark’s a good friend of mine (from BYU). Joey’s my boy. I just want to beat all of you.””
The bad blood erupted when Sarkisian took a thinly veiled shot at Texas Tech’s strength of schedule. The dig was highly specific.
Last season, McGuire led Texas Tech to a stellar 12-1 record and a historic Big 12 Championship, sealing their first-ever playoff berth. Sarkisian’s claim that Texas’ second- and third-stringers could easily replicate that feat in the Big 12 did not sit well in West Texas.
McGuire, in response, issued a direct, logistical challenge. He revealed that he had already contacted Texas Tech’s scheduled Week 1 opponent, Abilene Christian, as well as Texas’ Week 1 opponent, Texas State. McGuire proposed a radical, immediate buyout where ACU and Texas State would play each other, clearing the deck for a Week 1 Texas vs. Texas Tech showdown.
To eliminate any financial hesitation, Texas Tech billionaire booster Cody Campbell upped the ante publicly, offering to personally write the check to cover the buyouts for both schools. McGuire then delivered his own parting shot regarding Texas missing the postseason: “We were in the CFP last year. I forget who Texas had in the first round.”
While athletic directors and TV networks would face an administrative nightmare trying to green-light a Week 1 game on such short notice, the potential repercussions of this series actually happening would alter the entire landscape.
For Texas Tech, it represents a high-stakes bid to erase the ghost of their last meeting, a brutal 57-7 blowout loss to Texas in 2023. A win would instantly legitimize their status as a national powerhouse and vindicate the Big 12’s depth. For Texas, risking a marquee matchup right before facing teams like Ohio State or Michigan could derail their entire SEC and playoff aspirations if an upset occurred.
While Sarkisian and McGuire trade scheduling barbs and buyout threats, Sitake is watching with a grin. Currently, PFSN’s CFB Playoff Meter gives the Longhorns a 66.9% chance to make the College Football Playoff and Red Raiders a 38.1%.
Read More: ‘Got His A** Beat’ : Steve Sarkisian Faces Brutal Texas Truth Amid Joey McGuire Heat
