After taking a shot at Ole Miss, the Texas head coach, Steve Sarkisian, has now turned his attention toward in-state Texas Tech. Sarkisian questioned the Red Raiders’ schedule, and Joey McGuire came to his team’s defense. But McGuire wasn’t the only one standing up for the Red Raiders. A prominent Texas Tech booster also weighed in on the growing in-state feud.

Cody Campbell, a former Red Raider who also founded the program’s NIL collective, did not hold back in defending his team’s honor on the Pat McAfee show on May 29.

“So you know, you and I talk a lot about Texas. But I don’t know if you know the difference between bulls and steers. Do you know the difference? Look, there’s an important physical difference, and this is a family show. So I’m not going to lay it out to you. But I think a lot of your viewers know. You get maybe some of your guys to look it up. But Bevo, the Longhorns mascot, is a steer, and it’s become very clear that there are quite a few steers down in Austin and not very many, very many bulls,” Campbell said.

The last time these two teams met was in 2023, just before Texas left the Big 12 for the SEC. That matchup ended in a brutal 57-7 blowout in favor of the Longhorns, a result that still lingers in Texas Tech fans’ memories. So when their old archrivals started taking shots again, they were bound to spark a reaction in Lubbock. The Red Raiders even offered to buy out both teams’ Week 1 opponent to schedule a contest.

“Let me tell you something: when Sark opened his mouth, he picked a fight with a bunch of West Texas boys. He should have known that he’d better get ready to pack a lunch because we’re ready to strap it on. Hell, we’re ready to spot the ball, and we’re ready to go. September 3, September 5, you name the place, we’ll be there, and we’ll go at it,” Campbell said.

It was a smart move by Texas Tech, as the Red Raiders have very little to lose and a lot to gain. By calling out Texas, they challenge the Longhorns to prove they are one of the best teams in the country. If Texas Tech wins, it would be a huge victory over a college football powerhouse. Even if they lose, playing a strong team like Texas would improve their strength of schedule and help their chances in the rankings and College Football Playoff race. For the reigning Big 12 champions, it’s a risk worth taking.

What exactly did Steve Sarkisian say?

Just like his Ole Miss comments, Steve Sarkisian was discussing something else when he took a shot at Joey McGuire’s team.

“There’s a team in our state that plays in another conference that has a schedule that I would argue if I played with our twos and our threes, we could go undefeated, and they’ll probably make the CFP this year,” Sarkisian said.

Last year, the Longhorns missed out on the playoffs after they finished their regular season with three losses. On the other hand, Texas Tech won the Big 12 championship game and earned a first-round bye. But they eventually lost to Oregon in the Orange Bowl. After Sarkisian criticized their schedule, Joey McGuire publicly called him out.

“We’re willing to take our games, and Abilene will go to Texas State; we’ll buy our contract out,” McGuire boasted. “I’m sure, because Texas has got a lot of money, they can buy their contract out. But I do know there are a lot of Red Raiders that will help them buy that contract out if they don’t want to, and they can come to Lubbock Week 1, and we can figure out if their 2’s and 3’s can win this conference.”

It looks unlikely that the two will face each other in September in the upcoming season. But the media battle is set to continue.