In the world of college football, where every win and loss matters, the Texas Longhorns and Texas Tech Red Raiders have been locked in a long-standing rivalry. Recently, Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian took a shot at the Red Raiders, claiming that they could go undefeated if they played with the Longhorns' twos and threes. This sparked a fiery response from a Texas Tech booster, Cody Campbell, who dared Sarkisian to schedule a game with Texas Tech. But is Sarkisian's criticism justified? Let's take a closer look.
In my opinion, Sarkisian's comments are a bit disingenuous. While it's true that Texas Tech has a relatively weaker schedule compared to Texas, it's not as simple as saying they could go undefeated if they played with the Longhorns' reserves. The reality is that scheduling is a complex and often unpredictable process, and it's not always a fair comparison between teams from different conferences.
One thing that immediately stands out is the fact that Texas Tech is trying to schedule tougher teams, but finding it hard to do. This raises a deeper question: why is it so difficult for smaller programs to schedule stronger opponents? In my view, it's because the bigger programs don't want to risk a non-conference loss, which could impact their rankings and playoff chances. This creates a power imbalance in the scheduling process, and it's not fair for smaller programs like Texas Tech.
What makes this particularly fascinating is the contrast between the SEC and the Big 12 conferences. The SEC has struggled against other conferences in recent years, and Texas has played a significant role in that. They lost to 4-8 Florida, beat underwhelming SEC opponents, and needed a miracle to beat Mississippi State. This raises a broader question: is the SEC really the superior conference, or are they just benefiting from a weaker schedule?
From my perspective, the real issue here is the scheduling process itself. It's time for a reevaluation of how conferences schedule games, and how smaller programs can get a fair shake. The current system is creating an uneven playing field, and it's not sustainable in the long run. Personally, I think it's time for a major overhaul, and I'm curious to see how the college football landscape will evolve in the coming years.
