STILLWATER - Cody Campbell’s latest social media burst didn’t exactly sound like the measured voice of a billionaire board chair.
After Texas Tech was upset by Cincinnati, the Red Raiders mega-booster jumped on X and wrote, “There is no excuse or reason to lose a game like this,” Campbell posted on X. “We have to be better.”
That kind of reaction would fit a fired-up fan account. It felt a little different coming from the Texas Tech Board of Regents chair, especially after all the money he’s poured into the program. And it immediately stirred the kind of speculation boosters hate and coaches ignore until they can’t.
Campbell later tried to shut that down in emphatic fashion after an article raised questions about Joey McGuire’s future.
“Absolutely nothing is going to change at the head coach position at Texas Tech,” Campbell later posted regarding an article that (not crazily) suggested Campbell’s comments raised questions about McGuire’s job security. “Joey McGuire is a perfect fit for our program, everybody, with an opinion that matters, loves him.
He isn’t going anywhere. If anything, we are ready, willing able to double down on him and this program.
It’s more likely that he gets an extension and raise at the end of the year.”
For McGuire, that should be the end of it. For Oklahoma State, it better be.
Because if Texas Tech ever did open up, Eric Morris would be right near the top of the list - maybe the first call, maybe the second. He and Lincoln Riley are the kind of offensive minds that always seem to get mentioned when a big job pops up, both products of the Mike Leach tree.
With Oklahoma State set to host Texas Tech on Saturday night in a Big 12 showdown, Morris was asked Tuesday how he handles his name getting floated for other jobs before he’s even settled into this one.
“When I was young, I used to always get frustrated because I’d see other people get jobs and I’d be like, ‘Why isn’t that me?’” Morris said. “I think God has a great way of humbling us and putting us in the right situations.
“I’m so blessed to obviously be here. So thankful to be here and to be able to be a part of this community. My family and I are extremely happy, and so yeah, I’ve learned to just stay in my lane and stay focused to our processes and our kids.”
He also addressed his connection to Campbell.
“Great, great relationship with Cody,” Morris said.
That’s not a surprise. Campbell was a senior offensive lineman at Texas Tech in 2004 when Morris was a freshman receiver.
“Been in contact with him ever since,” Morris added.
So yes, the overlap is obvious. But so is the reality that Morris has stayed connected to plenty of former teammates over the years, and he rattled off several names Tuesday. Still, if you’re an OSU fan, you can understand the uneasy thought: if there’s one former teammate who might keep tabs on his old quarterback-turned-coach, it’s Campbell.
Even with all that noise, the bigger point is that McGuire’s seat shouldn’t be warm at all.
He’s 43-19 overall and 29-13 in the Big 12 in his fifth season at Texas Tech. Since the start of last year, the Red Raiders are 20-3 and 13-2 in league play. McGuire led them to their first College Football Playoff appearance last season, and Tech still controls its own path to get back there.
The numbers back him up, too. Pete Cawthon, who coached before World War II, owns the best winning percentage in Texas Tech history at .729. McGuire is next at .694, just ahead of the late Mike Leach at .661.
Critics can point to the money. Tech and Campbell have invested heavily, so the expectation is obvious: win big. But McGuire has done exactly that, and he’s done it at a non-blueblood in a state with two SEC giants breathing down everyone’s neck.
The CFP shutout loss to Oregon didn’t help the mood, but it came after Texas Tech won its first Big 12 title. And while this season has been uneven, the Red Raiders are still 8-1 despite the Brendan Sorsby gambling saga kicking off a season-long mess at quarterback.
Morris, meanwhile, has built his own case for bigger jobs. He won 10 games at Incarnate Word, 11 at North Texas and is 6-3 overall, 4-2 in Big 12 play, in his first season at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys had gone two seasons without a Big 12 win before he arrived.
He’s also turned Drew Mestemaker, a high school safety, into the presumptive No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft.
“We are facing the best quarterback in the nation,” McGuire said this week.
McGuire also had nothing but praise for Morris.
“Man, I have a lot of respect for Eric Morris,” McGuire said. “He is one of my favorite people. He is a guy that I speak to a lot … He was one of the first people to call me when I got the job.”
Morris played down the emotion of facing his alma mater, but the stakes are real enough. A win would give Oklahoma State a major boost in the Big 12 race and add another signature victory to Morris’ first season. It could also create the kind of weird ripple effect only college football can deliver.
If the Cowboys beat Texas Tech, Cody Campbell might decide to do something crazy.
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Mestemakers emergence has helped turn this into the kind of matchup that can tilt the league standings in a hurry, especially with both teams capable of putting pressure on the scoreboard. The betting market has treated it like a game with plenty of offensive potential, which only adds to the sense that Texas Tech is walking into a test that could say a lot about where the Big 12 race is headed next. [Read more 🡒]