- Kyle Whittingham predicted money would shape college football rankings, now evident in Big 12.
- Texas Tech, benefiting from NIL, leads Big 12 with a 6-0 record.
- Billionaire Cody Campbell's donations boost Texas Tech's recruiting and facilities, enhancing their success.
SALT LAKE CITY — Already known for making predictions on conference realignment, virtually all of which happened, Kyle Whittingham saw the impact that paying players would have on college football.
At the time, barely a few years ago, he believed the top 25 national rankings would mirror the teams doling out the most money to players. Chalk up another one for the old ball coach.
"It is playing out in the (Big 12) conference as well as the national scene," Whittingham said.
A glance at the Big 12 standings provides proof. Two loaded teams (Texas Tech and BYU), along with Cincinnati, are the remaining unbeatens at 3-0.
One-third into the Big 12 season, with six games remaining, it already looks like Texas Tech has locked up first place. The seventh-ranked Red Raiders have crushed all three conference opponents on their way to a 6-0 start, including a 34-10 beatdown of Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Aside from games against Arizona State and BYU, Texas Tech plays three teams with losing records overall (Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and West Virginia) and another against UCF, which has lost all three conference games. Tech fans might as well start making plans for the Big 12 championship game across the state in Arlington the first Saturday in December.
"Who's leading the Big 12 right now?" Whittingham asked rhetorically. "Who's the team to beat — Texas Tech. Who's had the most budget by far — Texas Tech."
Whittingham emphasized he isn't complaining, saying: "Congratulations to them. They're committed to winning."
After Texas Tech's defense dominated the line of scrimmage against Utah, Whittingham declared "never in a million" years did he expect to witness it. Turns out, millions of dollars make a difference.
Since the late Mike Leach left Lubbock after the 2009 season, Texas Tech has not been much of a player on the national scene. The program has had five eight-win seasons, two of which have come in current coach Joey McGuire's three years, and suffered five consecutive losing seasons beginning in 2016.
Safe to say, few programs across the country have benefited from NIL more than Texas Tech. For all the talk of player development, coaching, facilities, etc., money always screams the loudest.
The Utes have pointed out Devon Dampier wasn't fully healthy for the Texas Tech game last month, the overtone being the offense would have been more effective with the athletic quarterback playing at full capacity. For argument's sake, go with it, but they still weren't winning the game that day.
To beef up the defense, McGuire went shopping in the transfer portal. The Red Raiders began the season with six transfer starters, all of whom run out of eligibility this season. Ten of the 21 new transfers were on the defense, including all the interior starters.
As a result, Tech's defense is ranked No. 1 nationally against the run and is in the top 10 across multiple other categories, including sacks, fewest total yards allowed, scoring and takeaways. Five transfer defensive backs have transformed the pass defense, which was last in the Big 12 last season, to sixth best in the conference.
Don't expect much of a drop off going forward, as recruits continue to reject big-name programs for the chance to live in Lubbock. Texas Tech has lined up multiple high-profile recruits over the next two recruiting cycles.
Spurred on by multi-billionaire Cody Campbell, Texas Tech might have the best chance to reach the status that Oklahoma and Texas enjoyed in the conference for decades before joining the Southeastern Conference two years ago. Campbell, a former offensive lineman in the Leach era, is a committed fourth generation Red Raider.
He and a childhood friend and teammate, John Sellers, have bought and sold multiple businesses for billions of dollars. Campbell, who is the chairman of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents, donated $25 million for football facilities and has the stadium field named after him.
Driven by Campbell's leadership, Tech's Matador Club has raised $63 million from 3,500 donors.
