Texas Techs $30 million roster runs into a buzzsaw as Cincinnati delivers Sorsby revenge in Top-10 upset
Texas Techs $30 million roster runs into a buzzsaw as Cincinnati delivers Sorsby revenge in Top-10 upset
Even though former quarterback Brendan Sorsby was obviously not on the field today for No. 8 Texas Tech, the Cincinnati Bearcats had this game circled on the calendar for nearly an entire year.
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 SORSBY
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 taking a drastic turn.
Following the 2025 season, the former Bearcats quarterback decided it was in his best interest to enter the transfer portal and cash in on his play on the field.
It was no secret within the college football world that Texas Tech had all but officially signed Sorsby towards the end of last season.
TEXAS TECH QB BRENDAN SORSBY ENTERING TREATMENT FOR GAMBLING ADDICTION AMID NCAA INVESTIGATION
So, when the Bearcats athletic department decided to sue Brendan for a buyout tied to a contract signed with Cincinnati, it was clear that his former team was not going to make the transition to Lubbock an easy one.
Turns out, just a few months after arriving at Texas Tech, Sorsby was embroiled in an NCAA investigation tied to thousands of bets placed during his college career, with a number of them coming while he was on the roster at Indiana. These bets were flagged by law enforcement officials, who then turned them over to the NCAA.
BRENDAN SORSBY GAMBLED ON
