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OutKick Sports Culture Analysis Shows OutKick Shop Newsletters Search Log In Recommended Videos Recommended Articles Left Arrow Greg Sankey insists SEC is 'strongest league' despite Big Ten winning three straight national championships Phillies look to upset Dodgers behind Zack Wheeler as Philadelphia's turnaround continues in LA Five of the most shocking upsets in sports history, from Michigan-App State to Virginia-UMBC Joey McGuire calls Steve Sarkisian's bluff, dares Texas to play Texas Tech in Week 1 Caitlin Clark breaks WNBA assists record to a chorus of boos as Valkyries spoil the milestone Rams troublemaker WR Puka Nacua says he's a changed man after biting incident and stint in rehab Ireland-Qatar friendly stopped twice as fans throw tennis balls to protest Nations League games with Israel Chiefs have no plans to release Rashee Rice and see jail time as a 'life lesson' opportunity Hailey Van Lith waived by Connecticut Sun after just nine games, marking second cut in under a month Diamondbacks fans catch same player's home run on back-to-back nights after showing up on the wrong date Mauricio Umansky rips California trans athlete controversy ahead of AB Hernandez state title push Ancient wasp species frozen in amber named after McLaren F1 driver Oscar Piastri NHL coach Bruce Cassidy comments on Vegas Golden Knights keeping other teams from interviewing him Angel Reese tried to stretch her range, but her ugly shooting streak only got worse in Dream loss to Lynx UCLA quarterback attempts to exploit loophole in transfer portal window with unique tactic Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek demands SEC change game times for Razorbacks' football team Chris Evert says Jannik Sinner 'shouldn't have been allowed' to leave court during French Open controversy NASCAR team member suspended after arrest for allegedly hitting man with golf cart at Charlotte Motor Speedway Giants claim locker room meeting resolves Dart-Trump controversy, but player who started it wasn't in the room Jemele Hill's sidekick Cari Champion finally admits she 'doesn't like' WNBA star Caitlin Clark Right Arrow Left Arrow Students SHOCK principal with senior prank surprise 'Chipotle Karen' caught hurling burrito bowl at worker's face Trump announces demands for Iran nuclear deal, enters Situation Room Jimmy Kimmel GOES OFF on Spencer Pratt in late-night 'screed' US and Iranian negotiators reach tentative agreement awaiting Trump's approval Blue Origin rocket explodes during engine test at Cape Canaveral High-Tech techniques for battling GLP-1 hair loss Treasury Secretary Bessent unveils Trump Accounts Michael Allen: US needs military force leverage in Iran deal High school seniors surprise principal with epic musical prank The Farmer's Dog co-founder on fresh food for pups during National Pet Month Jill Biden dismisses concerns of Joe Biden's cognitive decline US-Iran tensions heat up over Strait of Hormuz and nuclear deal NYC mayor skips Israel Day Parade for first time in over 60 years BREAKING: Amtrak fire PARALYZES commuter service Blue Origin rocket explodes into MASSIVE fireball Amtrak train fire in NYC tunnel causes commuter chaos NASA reveals plans to build $20B moon base by 2032 China-backed 'shadow fleet' helps Iran skirt US oil sanctions Victoria Coates: US can disrupt Iran's illicit oil trade despite sanctions evasion Right Arrow OutKick-Sports Texas Longhorns have nothing to gain by answering Texas Tech challenge, would be foolish to accept terms A loss to the Red Raiders would hurt far more than a win would help in the eyes of the CFP selection committee By Austin Perry OutKick Published May 29, 2026 12:23pm EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Steve Sarkisian says Texas should UNEQUIVOCALLY be in the playoffs | FULL INTERVIEW | The Herd Texas HC Steve Sarkisian joins Colin Cowherd to discuss Texas’ playoff chances, and Arch Manning’s development. That giant gust of wind you feel blowing from the Lone Star State isn't a tornado, though we are definitely in season for that. No, it's just a bunch of hot air from a couple of college football coaches calling each other out while knowing they won't face any repercussions on the field.For those not in the know, Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian made a not-so-subtle jab at Texas Tech's strength of schedule, while Red Raiders head coach Joey Maguire clapped back, saying they would love to play the Longhorns and are even willing to cancel their out-of-conference game against Abilene Christian to accommodate. Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire calls a timeout during an NCAA college football game against BYU in Lubbock, Texas, on Nov. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Annie Rice) Let's be clear before we go any further: this will never happen. Texas and Texas Tech would never cancel games with non-conference opponents to play each other, nor would their conferences and the NCAA let them. But if they could, I'm here to tell you the Longhorns should reject the Red Raiders' and Maguire's terms outright.Texas has nothing to gain from adding Tech to their schedule and everything to lose. WHICH TEAMS HAVE THE TOUGHEST STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE HEADING INTO COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON?In an era where teams are canceling tough non-conference games left and right to create an easier path to the College Football Playoff, why on God's green Earth would the Longhorns make an already brutal schedule even harder? Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns holds the Horns Up gesture as he walks into Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium before the SEC football game against Texas A&M on Nov. 28, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (David Buono/Icon Sportswire) Just take a look at last season, where a 9-3 Texas team was playing some of the best football in the country by year's end, narrowly missing the Playoff despite going 3-1 against top-10 teams from the month of October onward. It could be argued beyond any shadow of a doubt that if the Longhorns had scheduled some in-state FCS scrub instead of Ohio State in Week 1 of last year and finished 10-2, they would have waltzed into the CFP as a top-10 team.WHICH TEAMS HAVE THE MOST VALUABLE COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROSTERS HEADING INTO 2026 SEASON?This year, Sarkisian and his squad play Ohio State once again, in addition to two teams from the state of Texas that were bowl eligible last season in UTSA and Texas State. Not exactly a cakewalk of a non-conference slate, but it only gets tougher once they enter league play.The Longhorns play Tennessee, LSU and rival Texas A&M on the road in addition to home games against Florida and Ole Miss, not to mention their annual neutral-site showdown against Oklahoma.FIVE SEC TRAP GAMES IN 2026 THAT COULD UPEND THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RACE, FROM LSU TO GEORGIA Three of those teams were Playoff teams in 2025, and LSU and Tennessee should both be much improved this coming season. Throw in the fact that Florida has one of the best rosters year in and year out (regardless of record) and they took down Texas last season, and the Longhorns undoubtedly face a gauntlet of a schedule in 2026. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian celebrates with offensive linemen Trevor Goosby and Brandon Baker after a win over Texas A&M in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)Adding Texas Tech to the fray wouldn't do anything to strengthen their resume in the eyes of the CFP selection committee, so a loss would hurt way more than a win would help in this hypothetical scenario. I understand why Maguire would want to talk tough in this scenario.For one, he likely knows this fantasy matchup would never occur, and secondarily, since Tech's schedule and resume are considerably less daunting than Texas', it would only help bolster their strength of schedule should they add another Power Four playoff contender. ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW! The SEC gets dogged for playing "cupcakes," but Texas' schedule proves that's often overblown.This hypothetical showdown will obviously never occur, nor should it. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Texas and Texas Tech will have every opportunity to play each other in the CFP, I doubt either of them would want to jeopardize that by picking up an extra regular season loss.That's just where we are in college football these days. Austin Perry is a writer for OutKick. Related Topics OutKick-SportsTexas LonghornsCollege FootballTexas Tech Red RaidersSEC Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox Arrives Weekdays Subscribe Subscribed Subscribe You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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