Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire sings the school song after the game against the Abilene Christian Wildcats at Galaxy Stadium.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders moved to 3-0 in the 2026 season on Friday night with a narrow 28-26 victory over the Houston Cougars to start the Big 12 portion of their season.
Afterward, Tech head coach Joey McGuire had a message for all the haters out there who were doubting his program.
“A couple guys I’d like to thank before we get into questions. I’d like to thank Josh Pate,” McGuire told reporters after the game. “Keep it up, Pate. He’s my buddy and everything, but keep picking against us, man. I appreciate that. You say that he’s watched us the last couple weeks, so we don’t look the same. We don’t look the same, but we’re 3-0.”
“Keep picking against us. We love that stuff.”
-Joey McGuire following Texas Tech’s 28-26 win over Houston pic.twitter.com/uMbZH5TNRK
— A David Collier (@CollieronTV) September 19, 2026
The Pate in question is On3 Sports analyst Josh Pate, and the Red Raiders haven’t looked quite as impressive as they did in 2025 when they went 12-2, stacked with multiple top NFL Draft picks, and finished ranked No. 7 in the nation.
But McGuire didn’t stop there, taking aim at CBS Sports’ Rick Neuheisel next.
“Coach Neuheisel, you started off on your crew, with your old crew, picking against us, man. I appreciate that,” he said. “That just adds fire to it, and man, just keep picking against us. We love that stuff. We love being doubted.”
That alone is nothing new. Coaches have been playing the underdog role for years across every sport. But there’s one big problem.
Texas Tech Is A Big Fish In A Small Pond
The Red Raiders, who seemingly came out of nowhere last season, are the ultimate Goliath in the Big 12.
According to a recent report from The Athletic, Texas Tech is estimated to have spent anywhere between $38 million and $42 million on its roster in 2026. That placed the Red Raiders at the top of the Big 12 by far.
In fact, they’re the only Big 12 program ranked in the top 30 in NIL spending, with TCU coming in next at No. 34 with an estimated $22-25 million.
The Houston team that Texas Tech narrowly escaped on Friday night is estimated to be among the lowest-spending Power 4 teams when it comes to NIL.
Which is all to say: while McGuire is trying to convince his team that everyone is doubting it and they’re the ultimate underdogs, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
On the contrary, Texas Tech megadonor Cody Campbell has been outspoken about turning the Red Raiders into one of the sport’s powerhouse programs. So which is it? Is Texas Tech an underdog or a nouveau riche powerhouse? Because it can’t be both!