In a recent conversation with CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd, Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire added some fuel to the fire of the Texas Longhorns on their way out of the Big 12 Conference.
When asked who is the face of the Big 12 following Oklahoma and Texas‘ departure for the SEC, McGuire pushed back and mentioned the OU was the lone face of the league, not Texas.
“It’s easy to say OU and Texas,” McGuire said. “I would say OU without a doubt. Texas had a phenomenal year last year.”
The Longhorns 2023 season was one of their best years in the past 16 seasons, reaching 12 wins and winning the Big 12 Conference for the first time since 2009. Outside of 2009 and 2023, Texas reached double-digit wins just once in between their titles, finishing 10-4 in 2018. Texas’ two Big 12 Championship wins in 16 years trailed Oklahoma (8x Champs ’09-’23) and Baylor (3x Champs ’09-’23) and tied that of Kansas State (2x Champs ’09-’23).
While Texas’ national brand has earned the benefit of the doubt as somewhat of a dominating presence in the Big 12, as those who follow the league closely came to learn, Oklahoma was the lone face of the Big 12. The Sooners hoisted the Championship trophy for six straight seasons from 2015-2020 and earned themselves national praise on a consistent basis.
While Texas may have gotten the last laugh on their way out the door, Joey McGuire held his own against the two SEC-bound schools with a 1-1 record against the Longhorns and a 1-0 record against the Sooners during his time in Lubbock.
