'It's time to win': Texas Tech's Joey McGuire embraces pressure ahead of championship-or-bust season
In this story:
Fans in Lubbock have always hoped that the Red Raiders would achieve success on the football field, but that hope has transformed into lofty expectations ahead of the 2025 season. At the heart of those lofty expectations is a roster that features 21 newcomers from the transfer portal and a reported investment of over $25 million.
Entering his fourth year with Texas Tech, head coach Joey McGuire understands what the 2025 season represents.
How an influx of NIL money changed Joey McGuire's job overnight at Texas Tech: 'It's time to win'
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) June 11, 2025
Column: https://t.co/OEb9DFENf7 pic.twitter.com/3VzcVbsAkQ
“It’s time to win,” McGuire told On3. “Is there more pressure this year? 100 percent. But I’d rather be in this situation. I’d rather be in the situation I’m in than being the guy who is like, ‘man, we have to have a lot of stuff go our way.’ There are teams deeper than others where you can withstand some things, where in the past we couldn’t sustain them. We couldn’t handle losing our left guard last year because we basically had six linemen who could play at this level and now we have nine. I love where we’re at. I’m telling you, this is better.”
With all of the firepower in Lubbock, Texas Tech is viewed as one of the early favorites to win the Big 12 championship and earn a spot in the College Football Playoff - both of which would be a first for the football program. But in order to get there, an 8 or 9-win season won't cut it. The Red Raiders have achieved just one double-digit win season since 1977, and a double-digit win season will be required to reach the level of expectations ahead of this team in 2025. For some coaches, that type of pressure isn't ideal. For McGuire, it's a privilege.
"I’m so fired up, but of course there’s pressure," McGuire told On3. "People say different things to me, and everything they say to me I’ve said to myself 10 times before they even thought of it. I don’t see the pressure as a bad thing, whereas some people would."
Texas Tech's willingness to go all-in on NIL has placed the football program on the doorstep of a much-needed breakthrough season, one that could completely change the trajectory for the football program moving forward.
- Enjoy more Texas Tech coverage on Texas Tech On SI -
More Texas Tech News
Texas Tech receives commitment from massive offensive lineman
Looking to make history at Texas Tech, GM James Blanchard turned down Notre Dame
Texas Tech football adds another commitment to 2026 recruiting class
Texas Tech working to flip elite wide receiver committed to rival Baylor
Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.
Follow TWH_Chris