Texas · SECSarkisian’s Schedule Critique Raises Pressure on Texas Tech Before Big 12 Play
Steve Sarkisian has moved from a direct spring jab to broader comments about teams avoiding major non-conference tests. Texas Tech’s three-game opening slate sits at the center of the issue, while Indiana’s past schedule is part of the same argument about freshness, depth and playoff positioning.
AUG 21, 2026
Texas Tech’s non-conference opponents are Abilene Christian, Oregon State and Sam Houston State.
Sarkisian said Texas’ backups could go undefeated against Texas Tech’s schedule.
Sarkisian cited Indiana’s veteran group while discussing how the Hoosiers managed their season.
01 · The NewsWhat Happened
Steve Sarkisian again criticized teams that play weak non-conference schedules, saying on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that some programs “play nobody in the non-conference.” He didn't name Texas Tech or Indiana in that appearance. The connection is easy to make because Texas Tech opens with Abilene Christian, Oregon State and Sam Houston State before Big 12 play. Sarkisian directly referenced Texas Tech in May, saying Texas could go undefeated with its backups against the Red Raiders’ schedule. He also discussed Indiana in early June, saying Curt Cignetti’s use of six-year seniors, transfers and veterans was paired with a schedule that left the Hoosiers fresh and allowed them to play many players early.
02 · The StakesWhy This One Matters
This is bigger than one coach taking a shot at another program. Sarkisian’s complaint is about the reward structure around the College Football Playoff. His view is that teams can protect their records and their roster, then benefit when the playoff field is shaped by fewer difficult games. Texas Tech’s opening schedule gives the criticism a concrete target. Abilene Christian and Sam Houston State are nonconference opponents, while Oregon State is also on the slate. Sarkisian believes that kind of path can preserve a team before conference play. Indiana is the more complicated example because Sarkisian acknowledged the Hoosiers had players, transfers and administrators who were prepared to compete. The disagreement is over how much freshness should count when the schedule gets judged.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
The part getting lost is that Sarkisian isn't only arguing about opponent quality. He's arguing about certainty. A team with fewer early tests can rotate more players, reduce wear and enter league play with a healthier roster. That matters before anyone knows whether the schedule helped or exposed the team. Sarkisian made that point about Indiana by connecting the Hoosiers’ veteran roster and practice approach to a schedule that kept the group fresh. His Texas Tech criticism is harsher because he previously said Texas’ second- and third-team players could go undefeated against the Red Raiders’ slate. The real test is not whether the schedule looks soft in August. It's whether Texas Tech can turn that preserved freshness into wins once Big 12 play starts.
“That’s why Sarkisian’s “2s and 3s” comment landed harder than the newer one.”
The Wire Desk04 · The PersonnelWhat This Changes
The comments raise the cost of every early Texas Tech result. If the Red Raiders win comfortably, the schedule criticism gets framed as a reasonable trade. They preserved bodies, played reserves and reached Big 12 play without spending the roster in September. If they struggle once conference games begin, the same opening slate becomes evidence that the team was never properly tested. That is the failure condition. The schedule can protect a record, but it can't protect Texas Tech from the first real conference stress. Sarkisian’s argument also puts Indiana in a separate category. He has described the Hoosiers’ veteran roster and unusual practice approach as part of the reason they stayed fresh, not as proof that every soft schedule produces a contender. The next result that changes this story is Texas Tech’s first conference performance. That game will tell us whether the early rest was an advantage or just unspent difficulty.
05 · The ThesisThe Pate State Read
The football argument here is straightforward. A light non-conference schedule can help a team arrive at league play with more healthy players and more useful snaps for its depth. It can also leave the team without a real answer when the opponent can match its talent and force it into obvious passing situations. That’s why Sarkisian’s “2s and 3s” comment landed harder than the newer one. He wasn't just calling Texas Tech’s schedule easy. He was saying the gap was large enough for Texas’ backups to survive it. Now, Texas Tech still gets to decide whether that criticism ages badly. Oregon State gives the opening slate a different opponent than Abilene Christian or Sam Houston State, but Sarkisian’s claim won't be settled by the schedule’s labels. It will be settled when conference play removes the margin. The schedule is an advantage only if the team cashes it in.
06 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
How does Texas Tech begin Big 12 play?
A strong conference opening would support the idea that the Red Raiders used the early schedule to preserve the roster. A poor start would make Sarkisian’s criticism harder to dismiss.
Does Texas Tech’s depth show up early?
Sarkisian’s claim centers on the ability to play backups against a softer schedule. The early rotation pattern will show whether Texas Tech gained meaningful depth or simply avoided pressure.
How is Indiana judged against the same standard?
Sarkisian grouped Indiana’s veteran roster and schedule management into the freshness discussion. The Hoosiers’ results will keep testing whether that approach looks like smart roster handling or protected scheduling.
Does Sarkisian name the target next time?
His latest comments were broad, unlike the May reference to a team in Texas and another conference. A direct name would turn a schedule critique into a clearer Texas Tech story.