LUBBOCK, Texas – Adding up all the aspects that comprise the current standard for an excellent college football program, it’s no wonder Texas Tech sits atop the Big 12 standings after dispatching BYU football.
The Red Raiders have it all – talent and experience on the field, premier facilities off it. And don’t forget the money.
Cash is king, more than ever in college sports. Just look at the BYU basketball roster.
Spearheaded by mega-rich booster Cody Campbell, Texas Tech has spared no expense in building a team that is a virtual lock to make the 12-team playoff. BYU and Utah can attest to it, having both lost to the Red Raiders this season.
Nearly two months after Texas Tech humbled the Utes in Rice-Eccles Stadium, a repeat occurred in Lubbock on Saturday. Handing BYU a 29-7 loss, the first for the Cougars this season, the Red Raiders seized control of the Big 12 race and one of two spots in the conference championship game next month.
Ranked eighth in the playoff poll that came out last week, the Red Raiders will move past No. 7 BYU and close the season with two conference bottom feeders (UCF and West Virginia) sandwiched around a bye on Nov. 22. At 8-1 (5-1 in conference), BYU can reach the conference title game by beating TCU, Cincinnati, and UCF.
The abundance of literal riches is too much to overcome, as Big 12 coaches know full well.
“Who’s leading the Big 12 right now?” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham asked rhetorically last month. “Who’s the team to beat — Texas Tech. Who’s had the most budget by far — Texas Tech.”
Since the late Mike Leach left Lubbock after the 2009 season, Texas Tech has not been much of a player on the national scene. The program has had five eight-win seasons, two of which have come in current coach Joey McGuire’s three years, and suffered five consecutive losing seasons beginning in 2016.
Safe to say, few programs across the country have benefited from NIL more than Texas Tech. Quoting an ESPN story this week, it costs millions to bring the talent necessary to compete at this level.
The Red Raiders began the season with six transfer starters on defense, all of whom ran out of eligibility this season. Edge rusher David Bailey, who leads the country in sacks, got a reported $3 million to play his final season after transferring from Stanford.
“We told Joey to spend what it takes,” Campbell said in the ESPN story. “We were willing to do it to be in this position we’re in now.”
As a result, Tech’s defense has been ranked among the best nationally against the run, sacks, fewest total yards allowed, scoring, and takeaways. Five transfer defensive backs have transformed the pass defense, which was last in the Big 12 one year ago.
Don’t expect much of a drop-off going forward, as recruits continue to reject big-name programs for the chance to live in Lubbock. Texas Tech has lined up multiple high-profile recruits over the subsequent two recruiting cycles.
Texas Tech might have the best chance to reach the status that Oklahoma and Texas enjoyed in the conference for decades before joining the Southeastern Conference two years ago. Campbell, a former offensive lineman in the Leach era, is a committed fourth-generation Red Raider.
He and a childhood friend and teammate, John Sellers, have bought and sold multiple businesses for billions of dollars. Campbell, who is the chairman of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents, donated $25 million for football facilities and has the stadium field named after him.
Driven by Campbell’s leadership, Tech’s Matador Club has raised $63 million from 3,500 donors. He’s also attained celebrity status, making the rounds in media interviews this past week, including an appearance on the DJ and PK show.
