Call it a revenge game for what had taken place leading up to the 2026 season, or the Red Raiders finally running into a team that could present a viable challenge, this expensive roster that was assembled through the transfer portal ran into a buzz saw on Saturday afternoon.The reality check for this Texas Tech football team took place in the first half, trailing 24-6 as both teams ran into the locker room after what was an eye-opening performance by the Red Raiders offense with two turnovers and just six points.Cincinnati would end up winning 37-24, in a game that never truly felt close after the opening 10 minutes.And, for a squad that could not afford a Big 12 loss like this with how BYU and Utah are currently playing, the uncomfortable truth is that head coach Joey McGuire had to rely on quarterback Will Hammond to lead this football team after Brendan Sorsby was ruled ineligible for the season due to his gambling situation.But most importantly, the Red Raiders are just not as explosive as what we saw in 2025.For a lot of college football fans, they will look at this result as karma for making their Big 12 colleagues file a federal lawsuit in order to scare Texas Tech enough to end the charade surrounding Sorsby suiting up for the Red Raiders this season.BIG 12 FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST TEXAS TECH SEEKING COURT APPROVAL TO SANCTION SCHOOL OVER BRENDAN SORSBYJoey McGuire of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks on during the first half of a game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium on Oct.24, 2026, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
(Getty Images)But there was no denying what type of beating we all witnessed on Saturday in Cincinnati, where the Red Raiders looked like a mediocre football team that had spent more than $35 million on their roster this season in hopes of competing for a CFP title.Well, unless the Big 12 sees an absolute meltdown over the next 45 days, Texas Tech will undoubtedly be looking back at this performance on the road as the culprit for its season ...