Big 12 Coach Takes a Shot Notre Dame’s Schedule and Independence

Notre Dame and the Big 12 do not cross paths often. Usually, if the Fighting Irish are playing a game outside of the five ACC games or a traditional rivalry, it is with a team from the SEC or Big Ten.

However, multiple Big 12 teams have come after Notre Dame this season, for whatever reason. This week, it's Texas Tech and their head coach, Joey McGuire, who took a random shot at the Fighting Irish for being independent.

The whole independence thing tends to rub people the wrong way and has for more than 100 years. It is only getting worse now as there are only two remaining independent schools, Notre Dame and Connecticut.

The people seem to want uniformity and everyone to be in a conference, regardless of whether it makes sense. Many Power Four coaches outside of the ACC, like Joey McGuire, will tell you that Notre Dame has a "cakewalk" to the College Football Playoff every year and gets to "hand-pick" its own schedule to ensure that Notre Dame is in the final 12 teams every year.

Those of us who watch and understand football know that isn't the case, of course, but that did not stop McGuire from running his mouth, unprompted, this week.

We live in a world in which Joey McGuire, the head coach at Texas Tech, a program with 3 double-digit win seasons since 1970, is taking shots at Notre Dame, a program with 20.

Sticking to 2025 — TTU’s strength of schedule is No. 68 per the Sagarin Ratings. ND’s is No. 22. pic.twitter.com/57JxU7YaMG
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) November 10, 2025

Blue and Gold Illustrated's Tyler Horka hits the nail on the head in the above tweet, commenting on McGuire's odd rant about Notre Dame. McGuire, like many coaches across the country, seems to think that Notre Dame only plays Group of Five teams and the academies.

However, Notre Dame's schedule would be MUCH easier if it joined the Big 12 or just took on Texas Tech's schedule. Arkansas Pine-Bluff and Kent State are some real tough ones.

McGuire's odd comments, during Texas Tech's best season in ages, has led to a war on Twitter/X between the two fanbases who rarely interact. It seems to be a "act like you've been there before" situation here, but the Red Raiders have not been here before.

Texas Tech has never once made the College Football Playoff, much less have any CFP wins or a national championship appearance.

Lastly, how strange is it to not just call Notre Dame out by name if you are going to take a random shot like this? I have seen dozens of Texas Tech fans claiming he is talking about UConn, the only other independent, as if that makes any sense.

McGuire is campaigning for playoff positioning and sees Notre Dame as a threat, clearly, but can't call it out by name.