Joey McGuire Pushes for Expanded College Football Playoff
The Texas Tech head coach cites strong Big 12 performances as evidence that the conference deserves a larger playoff role.
Updated on Oct. 19, 2026 in Football
Live Poll
Do you support expanding the College Football Playoff to include more teams?
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire is calling for College Football Playoff expansion as three Big 12 teams currently hold 6-0 records. With three conference teams ranked in the top 10 of the Week 8 AP Top 25 Poll, McGuire believes the league remains historically under-represented in national narratives.
Why it matters
McGuire advocates for expanding the playoff to 24 teams to better reflect current on-field performance across the conference. He argues this structural change would allow higher-seeded teams to secure critical home-field advantages.
Texas Tech, BYU, and Utah are all undefeated with 6-0 records, while Houston holds a 6-1 mark following a 35-32 win against Oklahoma State. These performances follow competitive victories including BYU's 28-24 win over Notre Dame and Texas Tech's 28-26 result against Houston.
The players
Joey McGuire
He is the head football coach at Texas Tech University.
Big 12 Conference
This is a collegiate athletic conference consisting of universities primarily located in the central United States.
Texas Tech
This is the major public research university located in Lubbock, Texas, that competes in the Big 12.
BYU
Brigham Young University is a private research university that competes in the Big 12.
Houston
The University of Houston is a public research university that competes in the Big 12.
The details
Drawing on his background scheduling high-level high school opponents, McGuire argues that the current playoff format does not adequately reward conference dominance. The coach is leveraging the recent success of his 6-0 team and other Big 12 programs to bolster his case for a 24-team postseason model.
Timeline
BYU defeated Notre Dame and Houston beat Oklahoma State on October 17, 2026.
The article was published on October 19, 2026.
Houston is scheduled to travel to face Utah on October 24-25, 2026.
Season Trajectory
The success of three undefeated Big 12 teams disrupts the traditional playoff conversation dominated by other major conferences. This surge fundamentally alters the postseason picture and forces a reconsideration of how conference strength is weighted in national rankings.
The push for expansion directly threatens to change the playoff math for Big 12 teams currently fighting for top-10 seeds. A 24-team bracket would significantly impact which programs secure home-field advantage and how individual player stats are valued in end-of-year award races.
The takeaway
McGuire is using his team's undefeated start to lobby for institutional change in how the sport determines its champion. Readers should watch for how Big 12 performance trends influence the official selection committee's final rankings this season.
What happens next
Houston is scheduled to face Utah on October 24-25, 2026.
Further reading
For more on the current season performance, visit the Football section.
Live Poll
Do you support expanding the College Football Playoff to include more teams?
