Texas Tech football enters the 2026 season ranked No. 12 in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll after a school-record 12-win season, a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff appearance. Joey McGuire’s Red Raiders are no longer sneaking up on anyone — they’re now the highest-ranked team in the Big 12.

On this episode of the Texas Tech Red Raiders Daily Blitz, we break down why the pressure is different in 2026, the returning stars led by A.J. Holmes Jr., Brice Pollock, Ben Roberts and Terrance Carter Jr., and whether Texas Tech can prove last season was the beginning of something bigger rather than a one-year breakthrough.