While Longhorns Big 12 Favorite, Joey McGuire Continues To Build Sleeping Giant At Texas Tech

The Longhorns close out their final regular season in the Big 12 against Texas Tech, and the Red Raiders expect to be playing for more than pride.

ARLINGTON -- Joey McGuire is a blend of humility and honesty. Sure, it would be easy for him to give Texas Tech a pat on the back for putting together its best year since 2013, but another first-year coach had a few more games swing their way.

"To be fair, Sonny [Dykes] had the better start," McGuire Thursday said at Big 12 Media Days of the newcomer's first season with TCU.

Dykes did deliver in Year 1 with the Horned Frogs. TCU, projected to pick seventh in the preseason polls, worked its way through and undefeated and punched its ticket to the national championship with a victory over No. 2 Michigan.

But McGuire deserves praise as one of college football's top newcomers. No one expected the Red Raiders to qualify for a bowl game, let alone pull off three upsets over Texas, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss in the Texas Bowl in Year 1 of a new era. This was the program projected to finish ninth in the Big 12, not no where close to playoff bound TCU.

An 8-5 year now has the fan base believing. Even McGuire believes, though he's always known with the right group of kids, anything is possible.

"We had such incredible buy-in from our best players, and whenever you have that, those players to buy in first, you have an opportunity to really build your culture," McGuire said. "I've got some good players here today and they're all in."

It's too soon to determine who's the Big 12's next flagship program once returning to a dozen teams in 2024. TCU is a year removed from a national title run. Kansas State and Baylor are fresh off winning the last two conference titles. Oklahoma State is 18 months removed from a top 10 finish in the AP Poll. The newbies — especially Houston and UCF coming from recruiting hotbeds — could easily take over in time.

But so could the Red Raiders led by McGuire, who said following a Week 4 37-34 overtime victory over Texas that “everything runs through Lubbock.” It could start next fall, but if so, it'll have to begin with winning against the conference's staples again.

"They're going to be a really good football team," McGuire said of Texas. "They're going to be really good on offense. They have some great talent and [Steve Sarkisian] is one of the best offensive coaches in the game."

Headling the Longhorns' offensive corps is quarterback Quinn Ewers. His season-finale matchup against the Red Raiders will be a first after last season's game due to a shoulder injury. His play was mixed. So is his future draft stock. Some consider him a top-10 lock, while others question whether he's even worthy of the first-round buzz.

McGuire is right, though, on Sark's offense in Year 3. Texas is flooded with returning talent like tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders, offensive tackle Kelvin Banks and receivers Jordan Whittington and Xavier Worthy. Then, there's Sarkisian, the architect behind the plan that's supposed to lead Texas back to Arlington in December.

That's one thing both Texas and Oklahoma preached endlessly at AT&T Stadium. Fans and boosters might be focused on the program's future endeavors in the Big 12. Sarkisian and Sooners coach Brent Venables want to leave on good terms.

Strike that, winning ones.

"We've got a roster full of players who quite frankly came to the University of Texas to try to win a Big 12 Championship, and we've got one more opportunity to do that," Sarkisian said Wednesday.

“We fell well below our expectations and standards,” Venables said. “Incredibly excited about the season and about our team.”

The Sooners and Longhorns, who leave for the SEC come July 1, 2024, will be the front-runners to take back the league title. Kansas State snuck its way into second place on the preseason poll, but eyes are on a potential Round 2 of the Red River Showdown.

Teams take pride in watching the conference's two most recognizable programs miss out on making it to Week 14. It's neck-and-neck with celebrating their individual efforts on the year. McGuire knows the Red Raiders are trending up, but he's too energized to settle for second place.

He wants to win the Big 12 now, watching the Longhorns and Sooners fall collapse before the finish line along the way. He's got the roster to do it, too. Tech returns 18 starters from last season, including quarterback Tyler Shough, who's a perfect 8-0 in contests he's played all four quarters. While first-round pick Tyree Wilson might be off with the Las Vegas Raiders, there's depth for Tim DeRyuter's defense to take a step forward this fall.

"They were on the verge of breaking through last year," McGuire said of the Longhorns' 8-5 record. "I feel like we were the same way. It's a long season and we both have to stay healthy, good things have to happen, but it's going to be a fun game,"

The Longhorns will have to survive 11 weeks before welcoming the Red Raiders to town on Nov. 24. The same goes for Tech, which faces Pac-12 powerhouse Oregon in Week 2.

McGuire thinks Week 13 will have the two sides "playing for something." Not for pride, but for prominence in Arlington a week later. A Texas win over Tech and Oklahoma likely secures a spot at Jerry World.

And a win for Tech over Texas and OU?

"To beat Oklahoma would mean we'd be playing in the Big 12 championship," laughed McGuire as the Red Raiders won't face the Sooners during the regular season. "I told Coach Venables I hope we get to play him this year, because that means we're right back here." 

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