It’s never a good idea to overlook an opponent that is sneaky good. Take Texas Tech’s opponent on Saturday as an example of this. While the Kansas Jayhawks aren’t perfect, and they’re certainly not the best team that Texas Tech will face this season, this is still a team that can cause problems and headaches for others.
The only teams that Kansas has lost to this season have a combined record of 9-1 right now. The Jayhawks lost those games by a combined 14 points. This is a team that Texas Tech can’t overlook. Especially if Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders are focused on truly elevating what the Texas Tech football program can be.
It really does sound like McGuire wants to take Texas Tech to heights that the program has never reached before and it truly sounds like the Red Raiders are focused on continuously improving as they go while also not letting go of the fact that they need to focus on the present as well.
McGuire seemed to note as much during a recent press conference.
Head coach Joey McGuire seems to believe Texas Tech has a chance to prove itself when the Red Raiders face Kansas
When asked about what Texas Tech’s 5-0 record and the impressive recruiting success might indicate as a possible future for the Red Raider football program, McGuire made it clear that this is a chance to truly improve and build.
“I think we have the opportunity to change the narrative and really create a narrative that we can build off of,” McGuire said. “In saying that though, I was texting with all our 2026 commits, it’s really a funny group text because I’ll wake up in the morning and I’ll have 50+ texts of them texting each other. So it’s a really close group, but I’m thinking about those guys and I’m thinking about the guys that are in that 2027 class, it’s all about what we do.”
What exactly does that mean? Well, for one, it means the Red Raiders can’t look past who they’re playing next.
“I think that’s why this week is so big, we’ve broken into the top 10, we have a well-coached team,” McGuire said. “[Kansas head coach Lance Leipold] has done a phenomenal job, we’ve all been around what Kansas football used to be after Mangino.”
For those who aren’t aware, Kansas once had a 12-win team. And then the Jayhawks found it impossible to get more than three wins in a single season for a dozen years.
“Now, [Leipold’s] got it turned around to where they’re in bowl games and they play at a really high level,” McGuire continued. “That’s why I think this game is so big. We’ve got a quality opponent, they’re 4-2, they’re coming in with a great quarterback and we’re nationally ranked and in the top 10, so we’ve got to back that up.”
And this is a great chance to do just that. If the Red Raiders are able to handle business against a team like Kansas, then McGuire will indeed have that chance to build a narrative to continue to accelerate the growth of this program.
Kansas is a quality opponent and it’s a good thing Texas Tech is taking the Jayhawks seriously. It’s weird to think that this game could impact the future of Red Raider football, but a loss would certainly do just that.