Schedule us then. We've been talking about it for years.
In Houston this week, a football coach's offhand boast about conference superiority collided with the stubborn reality that reputations must eventually be tested on the field. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian suggested his backups could run the table against Texas Tech's schedule, prompting a billionaire Red Raiders donor to issue a simple, pointed challenge: then schedule us. The exchange illuminates something older than any rivalry — the human tendency to claim dominance from a safe distance, and the discomfort that follows when someone opens the door.
- Sarkisian's public claim that Texas backups could go undefeated against Texas Tech's schedule ignited immediate backlash from the Red Raiders' most powerful supporter.
- Billionaire donor Cody Campbell fired back on social media within hours, exposing the hollow center of conference superiority arguments: if you believe it, prove it by scheduling the game.
- The rhetoric sits uneasily against Texas's own 2025 record — a 9-3 season that included a loss to a 4-8 Florida team and a near-collapse against Mississippi State.
- Advanced metrics tell a quietly damning story: Texas Tech ranked third in the nation in strength of record despite a weaker schedule, while Texas ranked 16th despite playing in the vaunted SEC.
- Campbell's challenge has placed Sarkisian in a corner where declining to schedule the game becomes its own kind of answer — and the college football world is watching.
Steve Sarkisian stepped to a podium in Houston and took aim at an in-state rival, suggesting his second and third-string players could go undefeated against Texas Tech's schedule — and that the Red Raiders would probably make the College Football Playoff regardless. The implication was unmistakable: the SEC operates on a different plane than the Big 12.
Cody Campbell, a billionaire Texas Tech donor, responded the same day. "Schedule us then!" he posted on social media. "We've been talking about it for years and we are more than willing!!" The challenge cut to the heart of a familiar tension in college football: if one conference is truly superior, why not settle it on the field?
Sarkisian's frustration has some grounding. Texas faces one of the nation's toughest 2026 schedules, and the Longhorns carry one of the most expensive rosters in the sport. But the timing of his remarks — following a 9-3 season in which Texas missed the playoff — suggests a coach reaching for explanations. That same season, the Longhorns lost to a 4-8 Florida team, survived Kentucky in overtime, and barely escaped Mississippi State before the fourth quarter. Advanced metrics ranked Texas 16th in strength of record.
Texas Tech, by contrast, finished with the third-best strength of record in the country despite the 45th toughest schedule. The Red Raiders didn't just win — they dominated, beating Utah 34-10 on the road and handling BYU by a combined 63-14 across two meetings. The gap Sarkisian implied looks considerably narrower when the actual results are examined.
The broader posture also strains credibility. Texas spent more than a decade in the Big 12 going 60-61 in conference play before joining the SEC. The Longhorns are a better program now, but the "we would dominate anyone" framing rings hollow — particularly as the SEC itself has struggled against other Power 4 conferences in recent years. Scheduling, as Campbell's challenge makes plain, is a two-way street. Texas has the resources and brand to absorb a road game in Lubbock. Instead, Sarkisian reached for the rivalry as a rhetorical shield. Campbell's public response has ensured that silence, should it follow, will be its own kind of statement.
Steve Sarkisian stood at a podium in Houston this week and took a shot at an in-state rival. The Texas coach suggested that if he fielded his second and third-string players against Texas Tech's schedule, his team would run the table undefeated—and that the Red Raiders would probably make the College Football Playoff anyway. The implication was clear: the SEC plays a different level of football than the Big 12.
Cody Campbell, a Texas Tech donor and billionaire, saw the remarks and responded the same day on social media. "Schedule us then!" he posted. "We've been talking about it for years and we are more than willing!!" The challenge cut to the heart of a familiar tension in college football: if one conference is truly superior, why not prove it on the field?
Sarkisian's frustration is not without foundation. Texas does face one of the nation's toughest schedules in 2026, and the Longhorns roster is among the most expensive in college football. The SEC is a genuinely difficult conference. But the timing of his comments—coming after Texas went 9-3 last season and missed the playoff despite losing only to Ohio State—reveals something else: a coach searching for explanations.
Last year, Texas's actual performance told a different story than Sarkisian's rhetoric. The Longhorns lost to a 4-8 Florida team, one of the worst Power 4 programs in the country. They beat Kentucky 16-13 in overtime. They needed a fourth-quarter miracle just to reach overtime against Mississippi State. Against UTEP, they managed only 27 points in a 27-10 win. By season's end, advanced metrics ranked Texas 13th in strength of schedule and 16th in strength of record.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, finished with the 45th toughest schedule but the third-best strength of record in the nation. The Red Raiders didn't just win games—they dominated them. They beat Utah 34-10 on the road. They handled a top-15 caliber BYU team by a combined 63-14 across two meetings. When you account for how decisively Texas Tech won, the gap between the two programs looks considerably narrower than Sarkisian's comments suggest.
The broader context matters too. Texas joined the SEC only recently, after spending years in the Big 12, where the program went 60-61 in conference play from 2010 to 2022. The Longhorns are better now than they were then, but the "we would dominate any other conference" posture wears thin, especially when the SEC itself has struggled against other Power 4 conferences in recent years. Lane Kiffin, LSU's new head coach, made similar claims this week about SEC superiority while simultaneously bragging about padding his schedule with cupcakes—a contradiction that underscores how hollow these arguments can sound.
Scheduling, as Campbell's challenge implies, is a two-way street. Texas Tech is clearly trying to upgrade its non-conference slate, but major programs often decline to play the Red Raiders because the risk of a non-conference loss outweighs the benefit. Texas could schedule Texas Tech. The Longhorns have the resources, the brand, and the roster to absorb a road game in Lubbock. Instead, Sarkisian chose to use the rivalry as a rhetorical cudgel—a way to explain away a disappointing season without acknowledging that his team, for all its talent and expense, simply didn't perform at the level the SEC's reputation demands.
What happens next will be telling. Texas likely has enough talent to reach the playoff even with a brutal schedule, so the scheduling question may remain academic. But Campbell's public challenge has put Sarkisian in a position where silence itself becomes an answer.
Citações Notáveis
If I played with our twos and our threes against their schedule, we could go undefeated, and they'll probably make the College Football Playoff this year.— Steve Sarkisian, Texas head coach, speaking at The Touchdown Club of Houston
Schedule us then. We've been talking about it for years and we are more than willing.— Cody Campbell, Texas Tech donor, on social media
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Sarkisian's comment about Texas Tech's schedule bother people so much? He's not technically wrong—Texas does play harder opponents.
He's not wrong about the schedule. But he's using it as cover. Texas went 9-3 and missed the playoff. That's not because of conference strength—that's because they lost games they should have won, including to a terrible Florida team.
So Campbell's challenge to actually schedule Texas Tech—is that realistic?
Not really. Scheduling is a two-way street, but it's also a risk calculation. Texas has everything to lose and little to gain from playing Texas Tech in Lubbock. Campbell knows this. He's not expecting a yes. He's pointing out the hypocrisy.
What does the data actually show about how good these teams are?
That's the interesting part. Texas Tech won fewer games against a weaker schedule, but they won them decisively—34-10 over Utah, 63-14 combined against BYU. Texas barely scraped by inferior opponents. The strength-of-record metrics favor Tech.
Does that mean Texas Tech is actually better?
No. It means Sarkisian's claim—that he could go undefeated with his backups against Tech's schedule—is probably true. But it also means Texas underperformed relative to its talent and resources, which is the real story he's avoiding.
Why does this matter beyond Texas and Texas Tech?
Because it's about how power programs use conference affiliation as an excuse. The SEC is genuinely tough, but Texas joined it recently and hasn't yet proven it belongs at the top. Sarkisian's comments suggest he's more interested in defending the conference than improving his team.