Texas A&M isn’t interested in a future non-conference date with Texas Tech, and the Aggies are hardly alone.
Per reports from On3, Texas A&M is among several programs that have declined Texas Tech’s offer to line up a future series. The list of schools that have reportedly passed includes Mississippi State, USC and NC State.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said the Red Raiders are still working the phones.
"We’re talking to everybody and anybody. So far, everybody’s told us no," Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire told On3.
For Texas A&M, the fit doesn’t make much sense under the current scheduling landscape. With the SEC moving to a nine-game format and the College Football Playoff committee putting more weight on total wins than win quality, the Aggies don’t gain much by adding another Power 4 opponent to the non-conference slate.
There’s also the on-field question. Some around the sport believe Texas Tech wouldn’t present a major obstacle anyway.
That view was reinforced by what happened when the Red Raiders met Oregon in the College Football Playoff this past year. Texas Tech was shut out in a 23-0 loss, and the argument goes that a matchup with Texas A&M could wind up looking just as one-sided.
Texas Tech’s schedule last season didn’t help its case, either. When the Red Raiders finally ran into their first real test, the result was an absolute goose egg.
McGuire deserves credit for trying to correct that problem by chasing stronger non-conference games. But the risk is obvious: Texas Tech could end up embarrassed either way.
If the Red Raiders keep loading up on softer opponents, they’ll hear about it. If they step up and take on elite programs, they could get beaten badly and hand critics exactly what they want.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, could still change course on its future non-conference slate down the line, as other programs have done. For now, though, the Aggies already have some intriguing games ahead, and it remains to be seen whether they’ll make any adjustments - including the possibility of canceling the Louisville series altogether.
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