Yormark, Sitake, & McGuire speak prior to Big 12 Championship
The Big 12 Conference held a press conference prior to the game on Monday morning to discuss the upcoming championship game between Texas Tech and BYU. From Commissioner Brett Yormark giving his case for two Big 12 teams in the College Football Playoff, to the tortillas laws in Arlington, and Coach Kalani Sitake dismissing remarks on the rumors swirling connecting him to the Penn State job, this press conference covered all the news and questions prior to Saturday’s matchup.
Opening remarks from Brett Yormark, Jon Pardi, Joey McGuire, and Kalani Sitake
Commissioner Yormark started off the press conference by congratulating both Presidents, Athletic Directors, and Head Coaches.
“First, BYU. I wanna thank and congratulate President Shane Reese, AD Brian Santiago, and of course, Head Coach Kalani (Sitake). Just a great season. And we welcome you to Arlington later this week.”
“From a Texas Tech perspective, obviously I wanna congratulate Lawrence Schovanec, the President, AD Kirby Hocutt, and of course, Head Coach Joey (McGuire), again, just a great season and we look forward to having you in Arlington later this week.”
“I’m really excited for the Edward Jones Big 12 Football Championship. It’s gonna be a big time event. Limited tickets are available. We do expect a sellout. And we’re gonna show in every facet of the game why the Big 12 is truly a different league.”
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Joey McGuire reflected on his relationship with Kalani Sitake, and praising BYU’s Bear Bachmeier and their talent in all three phases of the game.
“Thanks for having me, man. I’m really fired up because I get to play a good friend in Kalani (Sitake).”
“I love that dude. I think he and I are a lot alike. We’re high-energy guys. We have two very physical teams. I think the two best teams in the conference are playing this weekend. He’s a player’s coach like me. He loves his guys, and I’m just honored and fired up.”
“So impressed with his team. I’m sitting here watching his last few games since we played, and they just keep getting better and better. I think he’s got one of the best freshmen in the country at quarterback, and got an incredible staff. So we’re really honored. We’re excited.”
“We do feel like we’ve earned our right to play in this game. I’m gonna echo what Commissioner ( Brett) Yormark said. I said this after my press conference in West Virginia. I think that, without a doubt, we both should be in the playoffs. No matter what happens on Saturday, I think we’ve earned a right.”
“I think whenever you look at it, they’re discounting both of us whenever you’re talking about where we’re ranked. I think we’re as good as anybody in the country, and we’re gonna put on a great game. We’re excited. I’m excited. It’s my favorite place in the world to coach in AT&T Stadium. I’ve had the opportunity to coach there a lot whenever I was at Cedar Hill and at Baylor.”
“I’m excited. I’m excited for our players to be a part of that. But Kalani (Sitake), man, I’m glad it’s me and you, bro. And I can’t wait for Saturday. You know the respect and the friendship that I have for you. So with that, I’ll turn it over to my good friend.”
Coach Kalani Sitake also had similar remarks to Coach McGuire to open up his side of the press conference.
“first of all, I just want to thank everybody on the Zoom and express my gratitude to everybody involved. First of all, I speak for Brett (Yormark) and Joey (McGuire) when I say how amazing it is that we have amazing coverage from everybody involved in the media.”
“Joey (McGuire) and I have had many opportunities to break bread together and to talk, mostly because I’ve been really interested in him as a leader and as just a person all around I love some of the things that he’s been able to share with me about culture, and I see what they do with their team, their program.”
“He as a leader, has been amazing with the team culture. I’m really impressed with their team, just not just the way that they play the game. Obviously, we went out there and played in the game in Lubbock. Great atmosphere, great environment, not too friendly for us, but it was a really cool experience. And we did not show up at our best. A lot of that had to do with Texas Tech.”“Texas Tech is a complete team with a great coach, great coaching staff, and all three phases, they played amazing football. I think they’re the best team in the country. So when you look at it that way, we’ve got our work cut out for us. We’re looking forward to the matchup.”
“When Joey (McGuire) and I had dinner, we talked about this. We talked about playing each other in the championship game. We manifested it. And now here we are. It’s amazing I get to do it against a great person and a great friend. But then also, his team is a reflection of him and the sportsmanship and the class that they have. After the game, we’re shaking hands. Half of the players were saying, we’ll see you guys in a few weeks. Like, they basically respected us enough to know that we’re gonna get back at this game.”
“It was really cool that, you know, that interaction for our guys to, you know, go out and play three games and get ready to get back into this and have another shot at it. An amazing team.”“We’re looking forward to being at our best because it’s required of us when playing the best team in the nation, and that’s Texas Tech. And so as we go through this, we’re looking forward to the matchup, looking forward to the game altogether. You know, I’m not much of a campaign guy for us during the season, but after the season and looking at everything, I do believe that what Commissioner Yormark and what Joey McGuire said that we are a playoff contending team.”
“Looking forward to the matchup, and I’m looking forward to us, both teams, representing the Big 12 in the playoff and doing it the right way. But I do know we have some work to do and some improvement to get to, and seeing the film and Texas Tech making that happen, that’s gonna be key.”“To end my comments, I just wanna say that being in the Big 12 has been amazing for our fan base and for all of Cougar Nation, for our team, being in all the different venues. We enjoyed the partnership in the Big 12, connecting with all the coaches and seeing all the places that we play different venues. It’s been amazing. Thank you for being kind to us and thank you for the leadership that we see from our commissioner.”
Jon Pardi halftime show
Country artist Jon Pardi will perform alongside both school’s bands during halftime on Saturday morning. He had a few words as well, congratulating both schools and preparing for the show.
“Thanks for having me. Congrats to everybody making it here, Big 12, a different league. This is gonna be a high-energy halftime show. I’m very excited, we’ve been working with so many people to bring us all together. You know, we’ve got marching bands and it’s just really gonna get everybody pumped up.”
“It gets me excited. As soon as you started talking, I was like, yeah, football, baby, let’s go football and country music. It’s gonna be great. So I’m so proud to be a part of this. Thank you for having me and look forward to the halftime show and staying for the game.”
College Football Playoff
Personally, regardless of the outcome Saturday, I also believe both schools should be in the CFP. Commissioner Yormark seems to share the same belief of both schools involvement in the postseason tournament.
“A fantastic matchup this week in Arlington when BYU faces Texas Tech. Both programs got to Arlington by earning it on the field with impressive 11-1 records. Just like when these two teams met in Lubbock last month, all eyes again will be on the Big 12 when they take the field this Saturday in Arlington live on ABC at 11AM CT. Both programs are not only worthy of competing in the Big 12 title, but they both deserve to be in the CFP based on their resumes and their bodies of work.”
“Texas Tech’s terrific season has them firmly in the CFP, no doubt. They are for sure, and I said that last Friday. BYU’s body of work at #11 is being undervalued by the CFP committee. Let’s not look at logos; let’s look at resumes. Any blind resume comparison has BYU in the top 10, no question about it. In comparison with Notre Dame, as an example, BYU has a better overall record, better strength of record, and better strength of schedule. I am confident that the CFP will get it right for BYU.”
Kalani Sitake to Penn State?
Starting Sunday afternoon, reports started releasing from various members of the media regarding Sitake’s future at BYU. It was reported that Kalani had been deep in conversations with Penn State, he had this to offer up on the news.
“I have to address it because the world is small now, and people can see stuff on social media and everything. And you guys do a great job at covering things. And so, yeah, I’ll address it. They’re used to me saying, “Hey, this is a good sign that things are going well for us.”, but I will say that this isn’t about me. What I’ve asked our team to do is to be focused on what we’re trying to accomplish.”
“We’re trying to finish the season the right way and get after it. And it’s required of us to be at our best to play against Texas Tech.”
“As we go through this week and go through the prep, I also want them to live through all the moments and have a great experience and not waste a moment thinking about anything else.”“So I’ve asked our team to be focused on what we can control. And right now, we control what we’re doing as a team and not worry about all the distractions. This is a great distraction to have. Let’s be honest, but right now, we need to be focused on making sure that we’re giving our best shot in this game against Texas Tech.”
“…I’m all about the Big 12 Championship and keeping our team focused on that, so we’re going to avoid all the distractions.”
Although amid all these discussions, Kalani seems very happy with his current administration and role within the program after being promoted to associate athletic director.
“Coaching is always the first priority, and so, when there’s extra time to do things, I’ve always, I think the role came because I have a great relationship with our president, vice president, and athletic director.”
“The relationships have been amazing with me. But I don’t know if I bring much to the table other than my perspective and the effort that I can give. Other than that, I mean, I think there are very capable people here at BYU, and I’m just proud and honored that they would give me a voice in things.”
He was also asked if he was happy with the way he’s been treated financially by BYU and the staff.
“Yeah, I mean, I’ve gained weight; you can tell I’m living a good life. And then the more Joey buys dinner for me, the better my life will get.”
The front 7 coming together
Texas Tech arguably has the best defense, and front seven across the board. Coach McGuire gave some insight into how those players and transfers have gelled after arriving in January.
“It’s really fun to talk to Jacob (Rodriguez) and Ben Roberts because they say, and we get to play free because of the defensive line that we get to play behind.”
“When we got beat by Arizona State, the week before we lost a really strong leader. You know, I wish that he was healthy and playing right now, Skyler Gill-Howard. Just an incredible defensive lineman. And Lee Hunter came to our head strength coach Lance Barilow, and said, “what do I need to do?”, and Lance challenged him to be more vocal and be a leader. And that’s what he’s done, man.”
“He gets after everybody in a positive way. And then he’ll get on your tail if you’re not practicing hard. That guy has really made such a difference after we lost Skyler. You know, now Skyler’s starting to rehab and do some stuff, so he’s around practicing every day, and he helps as a leader. But Lee Hunter has been the vocal leader of that group and really pushes everybody to practice extremely hard.”
LJ Martin
Prior to his arrival at BYU, L.J. Martin was a Red Raider commit before ultimately flipping to the Cougars and signing.
“Yeah, man, I love LJ (Martin) and his parents. Lucky enough to see him at Big 12 Media Days and gave him a hug. I mean, he’s a stud. Now, I’m fired up that, well I’m not fired up Saturday to face him, but I’m fired up he’s at BYU because he’s such a good person. And he’s with such a good coaching staff.”
“He is a load, man. I think they’ve got him listed like 227 pounds. He’s probably 230 pounds plus. I mean, he’s a really physical runner. He runs behind his pads, catches the ball well out of the backfield. He’s one of those guys when you meet him, he’s got one of those heights* about him.”
“He’s got a great smile. And I think he’s kind of a magnet to where people want to be around him. Now, I’m a big fan of LJ’s and I’m gonna root for him in the playoffs. But we’re just gonna try to stop him Saturday, but I’m gonna root like crazy for him whenever he plays somebody else.”
Tortillas not allowed at AT&T Stadium
After a hefty increase in the fine amount for objects being thrown on the field, including tortillas, Texas Tech increased it’s security and placed a overall ban on tortillas being brought into Jones AT&T Stadium. And that will be the same case on Saturday in Arlington, including following policies against hateful chants for opposing teams according to Commissioner Yormark.
“I’ve said this before, from a conference perspective, we have a zero tolerance for any activity that is not under our sportsmanship policy. I mean, just zero tolerance for it. That being said, we got the best fans in all of college football coming to Arlington this weekend. I know that the focus is gonna be what’s on the field. And I feel really good about it”
Bear Bachmeiers performance
I wrote about the QB’s performance prior to the first time around with these two teams, but Coach Sitake has continued to hammer Bear Bachmeier‘s drum, and his improvement throughout the regular season.
“He’s just bought into what our offense coordinator wants from him, and then just having the players rally around him and not expecting too much from him other than doing his best.”
“I think we started from the season and kind of slowly understanding that he just got here this summer and that we can work with him. And the more that he can take, the more we’re allowing him to do. Now we’re at the end of the year, he’s not a true freshman anymore, you know, he’s a veteran now because he’s had 12 games.”
“That being said, he knows he doesn’t have to do it all by himself, but he gets frustrated when he doesn’t perform as good as he can. And last time we were in Lubbock, he didn’t do as great as he knows he can play. And that has a lot to do with what Joey’s defense did, you know, they’re one of the best defenses in the country. So that’s not going to be easy, but I think there’s a lot of things that he can take from that game and improve on, and he’s looking forward to the matchup.”
“I’ve just been really impressed with his maturity, and he’s a great teammate. He’s just bought into whatever he can do to help the team play and have success, and we are here in this position a lot because of him. But I also want to give credit to our coaches and also his teammates who have been able to rally around him.”
The Big 12’s improved overall image
Commissioner Yormark was asked what the overall plans were to improve the current conference’s image. Brett Yormark is very happy with the growth of the conference, and their path to ultimately get into the same kind of conversations as the SEC and Big 10 within the next 3 years.
“As far as I’m concerned, the trajectory of this conference couldn’t be better. Our schools are investing at a high level. They know the importance of football, and it’s playing out on the field. You know, again, a great year for this conference.”
“When you think about where we are across the board, inclusive of football, and how we’re competing at the highest levels. And I think some of our schools, like in Oklahoma State, West Virginia and others are rebuilding right now. And I expect great things out of them next year. So top to bottom, I’m excited about where this conference is going.”
“I think we’re the deepest conference in America. I’ve always said we got to earn it on the field. I don’t want any gimmies, and I think we did that this year. Our schools are dialed in right now. They are investing and they’re competing at the highest levels. And again, I think this year was very indicative of that. So I’m very excited about the future and where we’re going.”
Red Raider Nation
This will mark the first time Texas Tech will play in the Big 12 Championship. Joey McGuire gave some final remarks, and looking forward to this game for not only his team, but also the fans.
“It means a lot to us. I’m a Texan, man. I ain’t never been anywhere else, and I have a lot of history with Texas Tech. This is something really big. I kind of got a little emotional as my voice cracked in the press conference just talking about it whenever President (Lawrence) Schovanec and Kirby (Hocutt) were in there because we had a vision four years ago.”
“We’ve got some incredible people in our administration and our donors that really got behind it. And between the building of the new facilities and the revenue sharing and everything like that, we pushed all our chips all in this year. And we feel like it’s paid off”“I know there’s a lot of Red Raiders that are fired up and are going to be there in Arlington and have been waiting for this moment for us playing Big 12 Championship. I’m excited, it’s gonna be an incredible game and what’s gonna be fun is the stadiums will be packed.”
“There’s gonna be a lot of red and a lot of blue. There was a lot of blue here in Lubbock. That’s the one great thing about BYU, they travel. I’ve seen it whenever I was at Baylor, there was some green and a whole lot of blue whenever they came to Waco in 2021, whenever I was still there. It’s exciting and it means a lot to this town and means a lot to Red Raider Nation.”
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