A West Texas Q&A: Kyle Jacobson on Texas Tech Football

College football fans can’t ignore Texas Tech anymore. 

In the absence of Texas and Oklahoma, the Red Raiders are trying to rule the new Big 12 on the gridiron, basketball court and softball field. Storylines abound, from Cody Campbell’s big-money push and his influence in college football, to Joey McGuire’s endless energy on the recruiting trail and a fanbase with a stubborn West Texas insistence on never giving up. After a big summer spending spree and a 4-0 start to 2025, there’s more excitement around football on the Llano Estacado than there’s ever been. To get a pulse check, I caught up with my old friend Kyle Jacobson, co-host of the Gamblin’ Gauchos podcast.

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Kyle started out blogging for a Tech fan site before teaming up with Rob Breaux, a local Lubbock radio host, to launch Gamblin’ Gauchos in 2021. What began as a show focused on betting lines and analytics has morphed into a long-form conversation about all things Red Raiders. The show is equal parts insight and entertainment, with help from their basketball-savvy third co-host Ryan Mainville. Their timing was perfect: they launched right as Tech football made a coaching change, Joey McGuire came on board and Chris Beard bolted for Texas. In other words, they’ve been front-row for Tech’s identity shift in the new world of the Big 12 and college athletics. 

This game has its own Wikipedia page lol https://t.co/DTbKU6oTdY pic.twitter.com/IsSeHrGwPo

— Gamblin' Gauchos 🎙️ (@GamblinGauchos) September 30, 2025

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Here’s IT’s Q&A with Kyle of Gamblin’ Gauchos: 

RT Young: Thanks for joining me Kyle. Man, we spent a lot of time as fanbases a few years ago really angry about Chris Beard and Mark Adams, only for them to end up reunited. Kind of funny how that worked out, isn’t it?

Kyle Jacobson: Yeah. And in many ways it seems like they need each other in a way, like the Joker needed Batman. I don’t claim to have any inside scoop, but it definitely sounded toxic between the two of them after all that went down. Both squandered what was supposed to be their dream jobs, just to end up coaching together again. Very weird.

RT Young: Right now, there’s more momentum around Texas Tech football than at any point since 2008. But back then, it felt like it was more about two superstar players than the program itself. If you had to credit an individual for Tech’s current growth, does it go more to Cody Campbell or Joey McGuire?

Kyle Jacobson: I’d push back a little, in 2013 we started 7–0 and hit No. 10 in the BCS. It was fool’s gold, though, since we lost five straight after that. Anyway, I give McGuire and Campbell equal credit. That might sound crazy given the cash Campbell has infused into the program, but even before that, McGuire was recruiting at a level we hadn’t seen since 2011.

So, I see it as McGuire being the spark and Campbell pouring fuel on the fire. Now McGuire’s job is to manage a highly paid roster while keeping a strong culture. We all saw how A&M struggled with that under Jimbo. From the outside, it’s easy to say, “Cody Campbell bought a roster,” but none of it works without a head coach who’s a motivator and culture guy. McGuire is absolutely that. They’d run through a wall for him.

RT Young: Texas fans still remember McGuire for “everything runs through Lubbock” and some of those preseason comments before 2023, a year that didn’t quite live up to the hype. How do you think McGuire has grown as a coach since then? And I’ll add this: I don’t think Texas fans realize how complimentary he’s been of Steve Sarkisian and even how he’s adapted some of that “trench-first” philosophy Sark used to rebuild Texas.

Kyle: There was a noticeable change in tone after his first three years. He’s insanely optimistic and energetic and he wasn’t shy about big proclamations. Texas fans remember the locker room comment (which he’s since said should have stayed private), but he also said our 2023 squad would beat our 2022 team by 14 points. In reality, they were pretty even.

He’s still an optimist, but now his tone matches expectations. Instead of saying “at least we’re 1–0” after scraping by Abilene Christian in OT, he’s talking about how the team can improve even after a big non-conference win. Early on, he had to build culture and belief, so he leaned into boundless optimism. Now he believes he’s competing for a Big 12 title and he’s coaching/talking like it.

And I love that they’ve doubled down on “everything runs through Lubbock.” It’s on the facility walls and to Tech’s credit, nobody who’s won the Big 12 during Joey’s tenure has won in Lubbock that same season. He could put the exclamation point on that mantra this year.

RT Young: One thing I like about you Gamblin Gaucho guys and even Coach McGuire’s approach is the emphasis on embracing a West Texas identity. My dad’s side of the family is all from Winters. So I have a lot of love for West, Texas. But, for a long time Tech seemed reluctant to do that (see: the Senator Tuberville hire). Why do you think the program was hesitant about leaning into West Texas roots before and what has it done for them to go all-in now?

Kyle Jacobson: It was frustrating. Going from spring games at The Star in Frisco to Sonny Cumbie wearing a giant pump-jack chain at the Liberty Bowl gave me whiplash in a good way. Now the program fully embraces regional culture and identity.

I think they catered too much to the big DFW alumni base and neglected West Texas recruits in the process. Lubbock is the most isolated Power 4 campus, which makes it unique. As someone who lived there for 11 years, I get it’s not for everyone, but it’s a culture no one else can claim.

In an NIL era dubbed “the Wild West,” Tech fits perfectly: a plains school with a masked rider, a mascot with six shooters, a Texas high school coaching legend, a hometown QB and an oil billionaire alum who’s all-in. It feels like Friday Night Lights in college form. I’m glad they embraced it instead of pretending to be a satellite campus for DFW.

RT Young: So far, Tech looks like it’s thriving from its approach in the portal. They elevated G5 standouts and star players from struggling teams, like David Bailey or Lee Hunter. But shifting NIL resources back toward high school recruiting in the coming years seems tricky. Does that make you nervous at all? How does McGuire’s job get harder when true freshmen are among the highest-paid players on the team?

Kyle Jacobson: Include this or don’t, but I’m a little lost in the sauce after a night at bowling league. I think Tech will always balance proven portal players with high school swings. The approaches are just different.

James Blanchard, our GM, has said portal evaluations focus on snap counts, production and grades. With high school kids, it’s all about traits…elite track times, multi-sport backgrounds, linemen who can dunk. You take the raw tools and hope to mold them.

That balance works because if you miss on a high school recruit, you can patch it in the portal. And McGuire’s culture makes it work. They also learned from the Micah Hudson ordeal how to handle elite recruits. Sure, expectations for playing time rise with higher-paid freshmen, but I trust McGuire’s honesty and ability to manage NIL dynamics.

RT Young: Talk to me about Cody Campbell. How is he actually perceived inside the Texas Tech fanbase? Is he more of a Vito Corleone godfather figure? An actual god? The good thing about super-donors is that, unlike coaches or players, they don’t leave for another school.

Kyle Jacobson: Great question. We were jealous of Oklahoma State and T. Boone Pickens for years. Tech fans thought, “Why can they do things we can’t?” while we languished at the bottom of Big 12 recruiting.

Campbell is our Pickens. A guy who can completely change the trajectory. What’s wild is how fast his influence rose. In 2019, during the Matt Wells hire, he wanted Dana Holgorsen but didn’t have enough sway to even get him an interview. Fast forward: his name’s on the stadium, he’s chair of the board of regents, spearheaded the NIL collective and is leading national conversations on athletics.

Fans see him as a benevolent benefactor elevating Tech. That’ll only grow if we keep winning. And fun fact: his son’s a freshman with offers from UNT and Tech. Hopefully, we don’t botch that recruitment.

RT Young: Not sure if you’re a soccer guy, but what are the chances Texas Tech is the Manchester City of college football in 10 years? Oil money, desert setting, super-rich benefactor, ultra-religious undertones… feels like there are some parallels. Hopefully it doesn’t mean Texas is setup to be the current version of Manchester United. 

Kyle Jacobson: I’m not really familiar with soccer, but I could definitely see us being viewed as a villain of sorts. The narrative around this team is that we “bought our roster” and are “paying for wins.” Funny how that sticks with a program like Texas Tech, an unwelcome guest at the party of college football’s blue bloods while Ohio State and others can spend even more on their rosters without getting the same criticism.

When On3 is prefacing everything about the Red Raiders with something like “Texas Tech and its highly paid roster ___,” it gets frustrating, especially when other programs (mostly in the Power 2) spend just as much or more. So yes, I think that narrative will stick with the average college football viewer and they’ll probably root for our downfall because they don’t want a team perceived as “buying wins” to succeed.

I don’t really mind, though, given all the years we spent at the bottom of the Big 12 in recruiting budget, assistant coach salaries and facilities investments. It’s about time we spent money like we’re serious about winning football games.

RT Young: I get it. I included an anecdote in an article recently about how Spike Dykes had to buy his own ink for recruiting letters because the athletic department didn’t have ink in its budget. But, here’s a tough one: say something nice about realignment. You were (rightfully) upset when Texas and OU left, since it wasn’t exactly done with other fanbases in mind. But in hindsight, how has the loss of the Sooners and Longhorns actually been good for Tech?

Kyle Jacobson: Honestly, not much positive to say. The current setup is stupid. UCLA playing Rutgers in conference? Absurd. TV contracts don’t mean much to us, donors cover the gap.

But the Big 12 did get a new commissioner out of it and Bowlsby needed to go. Now it’s a league with tons of parity and entertaining matchups. Nobody in the national media cares, but it’s fun.

My hope is football goes back to regional, history-based conferences. Right now, if you’re outside the Power 2, every change feels like an existential threat. I used to love watching SEC/B1G games, now it feels dirty.

My ideal setup: four 16-team regional leagues, with conference championships doubling as the first playoff round. Or go to 8-team conferences where those title games feed into a 16-team playoff. Since you mentioned soccer, I’d also love a relegation system to reward strong G5s and punish P4s that don’t invest.

RT Young: Is your ideal realignment based on a prediction from Mr. Campbell himself? It’s tough to see Tech missing out on any eventual “Super League” with his involvement. But what’s your prediction from the Tech side of things for how all this plays out? I’d imagine there’s a decent amount of healthy fear of getting left out that’s driving so much of Tech’s desire to win.

Kyle Jacobson: I’d say it’s partly based on that. Campbell is obviously well connected and influential in these types of conversations. I’m personally a little more pessimistic than most Texas Tech fans about where we end up in all of this. I think a 64 or 68-team league and we’d be a lock. If it’s 48 teams, I get a little nervous. Texas Tech’s prior leadership had the naive belief that we were tied to the hip of Texas and would wind up wherever the Longhorns did. That obviously didn’t happen and it was foolish to think that it would. 

Texas Tech could have been a lot more proactive in terms of how it positioned itself for realignment. But I think you’re right; Campbell and others know these next several years are probably going to be critical in terms of how it all shakes out. And they believe a winning product, quality facilities, an engaged fan base, etc. is going to bolster their standing. I’m glad they’re finally so dedicated to maximizing their potential instead of relying on the wishful thinking that Texas would just drag us with them to the B1G or the SEC. 

Yes, I’m pretty bitter towards Tech’s past leadership and Bob Bowlsby for being asleep at the wheel in all of this.

RT Young: You and I almost have inverse fan experiences, I grew up in Austin, but in a house divided with heavy sway from my Dad who is a Red Raider. But…then I went to Texas. You grew up liking the Longhorns, then went to Tech. 

If there were four players from my childhood I could steal from Tech to make them Longhorns they’d be Zach Thomas, Wes Welker, the other Ricky Williams and Dwayne Slay (to see how many games he’d be able to play in the 2020s before being banned for life for targeting). 

Any Longhorns you still have an affinity for?

Kyle Jacobson: Oh man, great question. In the spirit of friendliness I’m going to pick way more than four. Major Applewhite and Ricky Williams were the first two dudes I really remember back when I started watching football in kindergarten. I didn’t have the perspective at the time of what Williams’ record and Heisman meant. I googled his college stats this offseason during a discussion we had on our podcast and was blown away. I still think to this day Texas doesn’t lose to Colorado in the Big 12 championship if Mack Brown (who I also love) makes the switch to Applewhite earlier. I’ve got a Priest Holmes Kansas City Chiefs bobble head and Jamaal Charles is also a favorite both from his time at Texas and as a Chief (a former Texas Tech QB plays for the Chiefs now so I’m a pretty big fan). 

Vince Young is still probably the most clutch college quarterback I’ve ever seen; Michigan, Ohio State, then USC comebacks on those stages in the span of 14-15 games was just incredible. Most guys are legends if they have even one game winning drive on that level in their college career. I think he should have won the Heisman and might have if he ever had to play beyond the third quarter with any regularity. I don’t remember the exact timelines of all these DBs, but it feels like Quentin Jammer, Aaron Ross, Michael Huff, the Griffin brothers, etc. all played at or near the same time. That was a really fun group on the defensive side of the ball. I loved Colt McCoy both for his style of play and leadership. He was roommates with Jordan Shipley. 

Insanely tough to follow a guy like VY and have the career he did. I heard him speak at an FCA banquet shortly following the end of his tenure at UT and he told us the offense knew what Alabama’s defense was doing on every play; he swore that Texas would have won that game had he been healthy. I believe him. Ramonce Taylor was really fun to watch; wish he would’ve stayed out of trouble. And lastly, I don’t think I’ve ever marveled at a punter’s performance as much as Michael Dickinson in 2017. He nearly won that game for Texas with how well he flipped the field position and pinned us deep so many times.

RT Young: Great answers. You’ve earned yourself a drink in Austin! 

Well Kyle, this has been really fun. I suspect our softball teams will see one another in Oklahoma City again, but do the football squads have an opportunity to meet in the postseason? How does it all shake out?

Kyle Jacobson: The final game in Lubbock between our schools and the final game in Austin were both wild for different reasons. The former because of an OT win, field storming and the infusion of energy during Year 1 for McGuire. The latter because it was a deeply cathartic beat down of a team (and Yormark, in a way) that Texas felt disrespected by for an entire year leading up to the game. And yet, just two short years later it doesn’t seem out of the team that Austin or Lubbock could potentially play host to a rubber match of sorts. 

I definitely hope Texas Tech’s loss in the softball natty was some sort of karmic buildup to seeing the shoe on the other foot in the CFP. If that game is in Lubbock… my God. You were there for the 2008 football game and I was there for Beard’s return in 2022. A CFP game in Lubbock between these schools would be truly unimaginable levels of energy for any sporting event I’ve ever experienced. If it does happen, I’m happy to pregame at a bar with any fans in burnt orange and remember some more dudes and wild games from the 2000s. Wreck ‘Em. 

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RT Young: I’d love to see a playoff game hosted in Lubbock, but I hope the Aggies are the ones making that trip West. Hook’ Em. Thanks Kyle.