If you have kept up with college football at all recently then you know how insane it has been this season. Amidst NIL and the transfer portal, the sport is drastically different from what it was before. This has created a more level playing field across college football, which is breeding way more competition nationally than ever before. This is a great thing in general for college football from a competition standpoint, but within this new era every program has a choice. The choice is simple: adapt or die. And the consequences of the failure to adapt are dire. You can see this in the recent mid-season firings of six Power Four football program head coaches. The two biggest shockers were James Franklin, who was fired from Penn State after 12 years as their head coach, and Mike Gundy, who was let go by Oklahoma State after 21 years at the helm. Last season Franklin led the Nittany Lions to the Big 10 Championship game and two college football playoff wins, and he was even a few plays away from taking them to the National Championship. Just this season his team was ranked 2nd in the nation and almost took down Oregon, which would’ve likely put them as the top team in college football. Instead, they not only lost to Oregon, but also suffered embarrassing defeats to UCLA and Northwestern. A three-game skid and just like that, James Franklin is gone. The craziest part? Penn State had been aggressive with NIL and the transfer portal, even spending massive resources on their coaching staff. Which is why everyone was so high on them in the preseason. But their gamble didn’t pay off and now their program is back to the drawing board. And then you look at Mike Gundy’s case at Oklahoma State and it’s even more bizarre. In his first 19 seasons as their head coach, he had one losing season but after going 3-9 in 2024 and starting this season 1–2 with a loss to Tulsa, he was fired that same week. Gundy was known for developing players in his program and building up strong teams over time, and that method was proven to work as he had eight seasons with double-digit wins. But that doesn’t work today. You have to utilize NIL and the transfer portal instantly for success or you’ll sink to the rock bottom of college football. Under Gundy, Oklahoma State failed to evolve and now he’s not only gone, but the program is in shambles. While these two examples involved long-tenured, successful coaches, you can also look at shorter-term head coaches: Sam Pittman at Arkansas, Brent Pry at Virginia Tech, De-Shaun Foster at UCLA, and Trent Bray at Oregon State. None of these coaches lasted five full seasons, and it’s because they couldn’t find success in this era of college football. Their methods didn’t work and now all those programs are soul searching. Like I said—adapt or die. I bring all this up to bring appreciation to the current state of the Texas Tech football program. They took a risk by spending major money in the offseason, which is what you have to do in today’s college football landscape, and it’s paying off big time. Through the portal, they’ve obtained not only the best defensive line in the country, but weapons at every position. Those new additions have been blended with a core of impact players who were recruited out of high school and developed in-house. Alongside that roster, they brought in two modern, innovative coordinators: Mack Leftwich on offense and Shiel Wood on defense. Yes, they spent a lot of money, and some people are criticizing that, but that’s ridiculous. Every currently successful college football program is doing the same thing. Texas Tech football went for it this offseason and adapted with the times, and it’s paying off big time, which clearly isn’t the case for everyone. Head Coach Joey Mc-Guire has this team rolling and is showing his ability to succeed in modern college football. Texas Tech is on pace to have its best football season in school history. They’re on track to win the Big 12 and could even host a College Football Playoff game and make a championship run. But their recent success goes even beyond that as they already have eight commitments from blue chip high school football recruits between the 2026 and 2027 classes, including two five stars and six four stars. The program is experiencing new highs in every aspect, and they are set up to win for at least the next few years. So, if you’re a Texas Tech football fan, make sure to enjoy and appreciate it. In a time when many schools are drowning, the Red Raiders are thriving and entering what seems to be their prime. Soak it in, and don’t take it for granted. We live in an era of college football where everything can change in an instant.