Joey McGuire adds to Texas Tech-Texas feud, hopes for College Football Playoff matchup

Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire added to the Texas Tech-Texas feud, saying he wants a matchup in the College Football Playoff. As long as both teams get to the CFP, perhaps college football fans will want the same thing.

Steve Sarkisian alluded to Texas Tech’s schedule, saying Texas could use the twos and threes on their depth chart and go undefeated. He even said that team would make the CFP this year and most assumed he was talking about Texas Tech since Sarkisian referred to “a team in our state that plays in another conference.”

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McGuire clapped back and said the two teams should play Week 1 and was willing to buyout Texas State and Abilene Christian to make it happen. While that didn’t materialize, McGuire wants Texas in the first round of the College Football Playoff, or wherever it could happen in the postseason. The bad blood didn’t go away yet!

“Your twos and threes, there’s a level of respect almost like, c’mon man. I know you’ve got a really good football team, and he does have a great football team,” McGuire told Josh Pate. “I am really anxious to see them this year, and I know when you feel as a coach you have a really good football team. Sometimes you say some stuff, you know, and then you got your players, you got to go back it up on the field.

“My deal was, if you’re going to say that man, one, come out and just say who you’re talking about, and then two, let’s play. Like, I feel great about my team, whoever the quarterback is, I feel really good about my team. I would love to play them man, for so many reasons. I’m hoping, and we’re working our tail off to make the playoffs again, but I hope that round one is against the University of Texas, or whenever we play. I mean, I want to play those games.”

Joey McGuire not ending feud with Steve Sarkisian, Texas

The last time Texas Tech and Texas faced each other was in 2023, and the Longhorns came out on top 57-7. The teams have played each other 73 times, and Texas has won 55 of the matchups.

The reason Texas Tech and Texas don’t play each other on a yearly basis anymore is that the Longhorns moved from the Big 12 to the SEC. Last year, Texas Tech won the Big 12 and reached the College Football Playoff. Texas finished 10-3 and missed the playoffs.

McGuire is entering his fifth season at Texas Tech and has compiled a 35-18 record. 2025 was his best season, winning 12 games and going 8-1 in conference play. A big reason Texas Tech had success in 2025 was the transfer portal. The Red Raiders had the No. 1 transfer class last year, and they enter this season with the No. 2 class behind defending national champion Indiana.

As far as Texas is concerned, Sarkisian’s team is highlighted by the return of QB Arch Manning, who has Heisman buzz once again and is potentially the projected No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft. The Longhorns also bolstered their WR room with the addition of Auburn wideout Cam Coleman.

Brian Jones contributed to this report