On the Diamond

Double-T 97.3’s Jamie Lent with the latest on the baseball team, including Lukas Pirko being a possible contender for a starting role as well as other notes from Sunday’s scrimmage.

On the Gridiron

College Poll Tracker has the latest AP Poll results, with Texas Tech moving up to No. 7, as high as No. 4 and as low as No. 11.

ESPN is reporting via Pete Thamel that QB Behren Morton is day-to-day, which is better news than I expected as I thought it might be some sort of ankle issue. DT Skyler Gill-Howard’s X-rays also came back negative, which is additional good news.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese opines on the tortilla tossing issue:

Let’s dissect this a touch. First of all, traditions are great, but using the “this is what we’ve always done” mentality is juvenile and stupid. If everyone kept doing things the same way because that’s just what we’ve done, then this Red Raider team wouldn’t have the inside track to a Big 12 championship game appearance, a spot in the College Football Playoff. This team is literally built differently, so shouldn’t that mean treating it differently?

Second, name-calling league coaches and ADs is weak, and you know it. McGuire was mostly prompted to talk about the tortillas because of an exchange he and Kansas head coach Lance Leipold had at midfield after the game. Tortillas, of course, were the main thing tossed from the crowd, but Leipold claims that wasn’t all that landed on the Jayhawk sideline.

ESPN’s Heather Dinich on the top 12 playoff teams with Texas Tech at No. 9:

Why they could be here: The Red Raiders have gained traction and legitimized their place in the playoff with three straight convincing wins against Big 12 opponents with winning records. Entering Week 7, Texas Tech was ranked No. 8 in ESPN’s Strength of Record metric, which gave the average top 25 opponent a 44.1% chance to achieve the same undefeated record against the same opponents. The Red Raiders have the best chance to reach the Big 12 title game and win it, which would guarantee them a spot in the field.

Why they could be lower: Texas Tech’s weak nonconference schedule includes a win against FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-3), Kent State (2-4) and Oregon State (0-7). Their best win is Sept. 20 at Utah, which isn’t as impressive as most of the other contenders’ statement wins.

The Athletic’s Sam Kahn on the Lance Leipold and Joey McGuire handshake exchange as I had not really deciphered the exchange. I mentioned yesterday that McGuire has pleaded with students to not throw tortillas other than at kickoff, so for Leipold yelling at McGuire seems incredibly misplaced, but in the heat of the moment after a loss, I guess I can somewhat understand him wanting to complain to someone. Here’s the exchange:

After the Red Raiders’ victory, the postgame handshake between McGuire and Leipold became tense. Audio from KAMC-TV in Lubbock captured Leipold telling McGuire he has a “really good team,” then saying something indecipherable that apparently included an expletive, which likely was Leipold raising issue with the objects thrown onto the field, which is against Big 12 rules.

In response, McGuire said, “Yeah, I know.” Then, after shaking hands, Leipold said, “That’s bullsh–” and another expletive. McGuire shot back, “Coach, I can’t do anything about it. You want me to do something (expletive) about it?”
As Leipold walked away, McGuire followed the Kansas coach while yelling back at him. “I know! And I said I got it!” before the two were separated.

Here’s the postgame handshake between Joey McGuire and Lance Leipold following Saturday’s game and McGuire’s comments when asked about it in the postgame press conference. https://t.co/4UknCFOODV pic.twitter.com/n7tqLTmODI

— A David Collier (@CollieronTV) October 12, 2025

ESPN’s Bill Connelly has some college football thoughts, which includes a handful of Texas Tech mentions including Jacob Rodriguez being the 2nd best defensive player in the nation according to Connelly:

2. LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech. For all the talk about the difference standout transfers have made for Texas Tech, the best player on this 6-0 Red Raiders team has been in Lubbock even longer than the current coaching staff. Rodriguez, a senior who transferred to town in 2022, has been a dynamite do-it-all man, leading the team in tackles (50) and recording 5.5 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles, 1 sack, 2 INTs and 3 pass breakups.