Texas Tech's bold offer to play Texas in Week 1 is a strategic move, but it's not without its flaws. While the Red Raiders' proposal to buy out their contract with Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a creative solution, it fails to address the core issue raised by Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. The offer is unserious and disregards the point Sarkisian was making about the quality of Texas Tech's schedule.
Sarkisian's comment was a critique of Texas Tech's upcoming schedule, which includes a mix of unambitious non-conference games and a diluted Big 12 Conference slate. This is a valid point, as Texas Tech's schedule ranks lower than Texas', which faces a tougher national schedule. The Red Raiders' response, however, is a bit disingenuous.
One thing that immediately stands out is the double standard here. When the Big 12 was diluted, Texas responded with aggressive non-conference scheduling, creating home-and-home series against top-tier programs like Notre Dame and USC. Texas Tech, on the other hand, chose not to add legitimate non-conference opponents, and now they want Texas to solve the problem they created. This is a classic case of 'do as I say, not as I do'.
From my perspective, the Texas Tech fanbase's perspective is warped. They view Texas' unwillingness to schedule another series as a sign of fear, but this ignores Texas' scheduling philosophy and the committee's selection criteria. The Longhorns have dominated the all-time series and have a strong record against Texas Tech in Austin. The behavior of Texas Tech fans during the last trip to Austin was abominable, and this is a legitimate reason for Texas to avoid scheduling another game in Lubbock.
In my opinion, Texas Tech's offer is a strategic move, but it's not a serious one. It's a way to create a narrative of Texas being scared, but it fails to address the real issues. Texas Tech should focus on improving their non-conference schedule instead of making empty offers. The Longhorns are off to bigger and better things, and Texas Tech needs to step up if they want to gain legitimacy.
