ESPN recently released its latest rankings for the upcoming college football season, and it was according to each team's Football Power Index, which led to a strength of schedule ranking as well.
Unsurprisingly, SEC teams led the charge with nine of the top 10 spots in the SOS rankings, including the Texas Longhorns ringing in with the third most difficult schedule. The seven other SEC teams all made it into the top 20.
Ohio State, Michigan, Northwestern, and USC were the only other teams in the top 20, representing the Big Ten's contingent. The Big 12 and ACC didn't make the cut.
In fact, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who have been begging to get the Horns on their schedule this season, despite both teams already having a full slate of games, were ranked dead last out of all Power Conference programs.
Yes, you read that correctly: out of 68 teams in the Power Four conferences (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC), the Red Raiders were ranked 68th. To top it all off, Texas Tech was actually ranked behind a handful of non-Power Conference programs, earning the 74th spot in ESPN's rankings.
Longhorns could save Red Raiders' SOS but they shouldn't
Over the last few, the Red Raiders and the Longhorns have gone head-to-head following an... unspecified comment by Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Sarkisian speculated that there was a team in the state that the Horns could beat with their second- or third-string players. Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire took it personally and has allowed the Longhorns to live rent-free in his mind ever since.
Between challenging the validity of Sarkisian's comment and directly asking the Horns to change their schedule to fit the Red Raiders in, McGuire has gone all in on making sure Texas and Texas Tech play this season.
McGuire's hopes of scheduling the Longhorns this year have always come off as fairly desperate, but the strength of schedule rankings confirm exactly why that desperation was there.
Read more: Pat McAfee jumping aboard the Joey McGuire train tells you everything you need to know
Without a powerhouse team like Texas or any other program in the SEC, Big Ten, or ACC on Tech's schedule, the Red Raiders are left with an unimpressive slate of opponents. As of now, unless something drastic happens, Texas Tech is only scheduled to play the Oregon State Beavers, Abilene Christian Wildcats, and Sam Houston Bearkats outside of conference play.
In other words, McGuire's desperation can almost be rationalized when you look at the bigger picture coming out of Lubbock.
However, Sarkisian and the Horns have paid McGuire and the Red Raiders pretty much zero attention, other than a few comments here and there, and definitely haven't made a move to adjust their schedule to fit Texas Tech into the fold.
Even legendary Ohio State and Florida head football coach Urban Meyer has weighed in, saying the Longhorns should keep ignoring the challenge coming from Texas Tech and arguing that playing the Red Raiders would do nothing but put Texas at risk of an embarrassing loss if McGuire was able to pull off the upset.
Simply put, Sarkisian and the Horns need to keep doing what they've been doing: staying in their lane and focusing on the actually scheduled games on the horizon.
Add us as a preferred source on Google