SEC Coaches in the Spotlight

This past week proved to be quite eventful for coaches in the SEC.

LSU’s new head coach, Lane Kiffin, began by discussing the challenges of the SEC schedule. He then pointed out the advantages of an easy non-conference lineup, claiming his team could secure around 20 easy wins over the next five years. Interestingly, Kiffin acknowledged that while there are tough late-season games in the SEC, he gave Ole Miss an unexpected bye week by scheduling a game against The Citadel in November.

Then there was Steve Sarkisian, the Texas Longhorns’ head coach, who not long ago suggested that undefeated teams were a thing of the past—just before Indiana turned things around to finish 16-0. This week, at the Touchdown Club in Houston, he took the opportunity to address the dominance of the SEC. According to reports, Sarkisian subtly criticized in-state rivals, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, saying, “We have teams in our state that play in different conferences. Their schedules will be a topic if we play two-man or three-man,” implying that they could go undefeated while others might make it to the College Football Playoff anyway.

Someone definitely caught onto Sarkisian’s comments. Texas Tech donor Cody Campbell was quick to respond, suggesting that discussions about scheduling had been ongoing and were finally coming to fruition.

Campbell bluntly stated, “Let’s make plans!” in reaction to Sarkisian’s remarks. It seems he wasn’t too impressed.

Sarkisian’s comments about the schedule seem a bit off, especially considering Texas’s recent playoff misses. After losing to Ohio State in 2025, and finishing the season with a 9-3 record, questions emerged regarding future scheduling strategies.

He explained, “I think there are a few layers to this. We’re committed to honoring our agreements with Ohio State and Michigan State,” which seems reasonable. Yet he added, “We need to take a hard look at our non-conference scheduling over the next two years.”

To be fair, it’s hard to argue that Texas Tech’s schedule is tougher than Texas’s, or even remotely close. In fact, some ranking systems have placed Texas’s schedule as the hardest in the nation—obviously a significant disadvantage for them.

Texas Tech’s upcoming opponents don’t inspire fear either:

• Abilene Christian
• In Oregon
• Houston
• Sam Houston
• In Colorado
• Arizona
• In Cincinnati
• West Virginia
• At Oklahoma State University
• At Baylor
• TCU

Historically, Arizona State, one of the weaker teams in the Big 12, even managed to take down Texas in an earlier College Football Playoff. And it seems Texas Tech is struggling to attract stronger teams for their schedule. After all, scheduling isn’t one-sided—many big programs might hesitate to risk a non-conference loss.

Moreover, it’s worth mentioning that Texas played in the Big 12 not too long ago. One user pointed out they were just 60-61 in conference play from 2010-2022. While they are a stronger program now, the narrative about going undefeated in other conferences is getting a bit old—especially with the SEC facing its own struggles against other conferences lately. Just recall how Texas performed last season.

They lost 8-4 to Florida, which was among the weaker Power 4 teams, and even barely edged out Kentucky, winning 16-13 in overtime. Plus, they had a comeback win against Mississippi State that required a last-minute push. Their victory over UTEP was a mere 27-10.

Looking back on 2025, advanced metrics indicated that Texas faced the 13th toughest schedule, finishing with the 16th best record. In contrast, Texas Tech enjoyed the 45th toughest schedule yet still secured a strong record by winning comfortably in their games, like beating a good Utah team 34-10 on the road and dominating a top-15 BYU team by a combined 63-14 score.

Regardless, Texas likely boasts one of the most expensive rosters in college football. They’re likely one of the most complete programs in the sport, and the broader college football community doesn’t seem to view them with pity. Given their challenging schedule, being undefeated isn’t a necessity for them to make the playoffs.