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Texas Tech and Texas Football Rivalry Elevated on Social Media

The Red Raiders and Longhorns football programs are having a dialogue via social media. It is spurring fans to express their thoughts on social media platforms.
Ryan Kay|
Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive back breaks up a pass against the Texas Longhorns. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive back breaks up a pass against the Texas Longhorns. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

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Before we discuss the recent news between the Texas Tech and Texas football programs, let's take a look at the recent history between both teams.

Texas Tech and Texas have a rivalry that is one of the fiercest and most historically charged in college football in the state of Texas. Games between these teams have often been high-stakes, dramatic, shocking, and marked by deep-seated rivalry over the last 10 games they have played against one another.

The rivalry began to pick up historically when Texas Tech finally joined the SWC in 1956, and they started playing Texas regularly beginning in the 1960s. Then, both teams moved to the Big 12 Conference when the SWC broke up in 1996. The Chancellor's Spurs became the first official trophy for the rivalry. A pair of silver spurs was passed back and forth between the chancellors of the two universities based on who won the game that season.

As the rivalry progressed, the Longhorns' games at Lubbock's Jones AT&T Stadium were always at a minimum entertaining and close games, especially when they were played later in the day and into the night.

An example of this was the game in Lubbock on November 1, 2008. Texas Tech scored a touchdown with only a second remaining. Texas was the best team in the country, ranked No. 1 and undefeated entering that game. No. 7 Texas Tech, with the late Mike Leach as head coach and the Red Raiders quarterback and Texas Tech football legend Graham Harrell, had a plan to defeat the Longhorns that night.

There are only a few seconds left in the game, and Texas is ahead 33–29. Harrell throws a sideline pass that hits wide receiver Michael Crabtree. There was only one second left in the game, and Crabtree shook a Texas defensive back and ran into the end zone to win 39–33.

Red Raiders fans ran onto the field as football fans often do after a dramatic home rivalry win, and the loss led to a three-way tie in the Big 12 South, which famously made it difficult to see who would win the BCS National Championship.

In 2015, Texas Tech beat Austin for the first time since 1997. Jakeem Grant scored a touchdown on a trick play that sealed the 48-45 win, and Patrick Mahomes passed for 372 yards that game.

In Lubbock, Texas, in 2022, Texas Tech beat Texas 34–37 in overtime thanks to a late field goal by Texas Tech's Trey Wolff. Shortly after, when Texas said it was leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, the rivalry entered a new era of doubt.

Since they aren't in the same conference anymore, their annual rivalry has been put on hold. But because both football programs reside in the state of Texas and have a history of taking jabs at one another through the media and via social media, there will be no letting up when these two teams play each other in a non-conference game, which may happen this season if Texas agrees to play the Red Raiders.

Fast forward to this week, Texas Tech is calling out Texas and saying that they can even buy out contracts for games in order to play the Longhorns in week 1.

The Big 12 conference even sent out a social media post confirming the possibility.

Former Texas Tech football legend Patrick Mahomes sent out a social media post wanting the game to happen.

TV shows, podcasts, and college football analysts are calling out the Longhorns and listing reasons why Texas should play Texas Tech this upcoming season.

Robert Griffin III, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2011 and played at Baylor, said that the game between the Red Raiders and Longhorns is what fans in Texas need and want.

A good number of college football fans would love to see Texas Tech and Texas play each other in week one.

A college football analyst called out Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and said that the Longhorns should agree to play the Red Raiders this upcoming season

It is uncertain whether Texas will agree to play Texas Tech in week one, but time will tell whether the Longhorns decide to play the Red Raiders this upcoming season in non-conference play.

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Ryan Kay
RYAN KAY

Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Texas Tech On SI.

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