The Texas Tech football program is coming off an outstanding 2025 season and is looking to build on it in 2026.The Red Raiders finished the 2025 season with a 12-2 record after winning the Big 12 title over the BYU Cougars. They qualified for the College Football Playoff before losing to the Oregon Ducks in one of the CFP quarterfinals (Orange Bowl). Joey McGuire is heading into his fifth season as the Red Raiders head coach and has a 35-18 record over the last four seasons. Hes done a great job building the program up, even though a lot of college football fans dont like the way the Red Raiders have gone about things, whether its the Brendan Sorsby situation or spending a lot of NIL money on their roster. MORE:Report: A 20-team College Football Playoff format could be discussed on MondayMcGuire likes how hated the Red Raiders have become and likes being the villain.Were the most hated team in college football. And I absolutely love it, McGuire told his team, via On3s Brett McMurphy. The Red Raiders will have a new starting quarterback for the 2026 season after Behren Morton led the way last year. Will Hammond is set to step into the starting role after serving as Mortons backup last season. Hammond finished with 680 yards through the air, seven touchdowns, and only three interceptions.The Red Raiders will open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 against the Abilene Christian Wildcats. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter