Texas Tech football is entering unfamiliar territory as the defending Big 12 champion and a new Paramount+ documentary will take fans behind the scenes as Joey McGuire’s program embraces the pressure.

The four-part series, produced in partnership with Skydance, will begin streaming Friday, Sept. 4.

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Cameras have followed the Red Raiders since January, capturing an offseason filled with championship expectations, quarterback upheaval and the challenge of turning one breakthrough season into sustained success.

Texas Tech begins its 2026 campaign next Saturday against Abilene Christian at Galaxy Stadium.

It will be the program’s first season opener as the reigning Big 12 champion, raising expectations considerably in Lubbock.

McGuire doesn’t appear interested in lowering them.

“We are the most hated team in the country,” McGuire says in the documentary’s trailer. “I love it!”

That declaration provides an intriguing glimpse into the mentality Texas Tech plans to carry into its title defense.

The Red Raiders are no longer chasing the conference’s established powers from the background. They’re the team everyone else wants to knock off.

The documentary won’t be limited to motivational speeches and championship highlights.

One of its central storylines is expected to be the loss of Brendan Sorsby. The highly recruited quarterback was positioned to become an important piece of the Red Raiders’ offense before being ruled ineligible following a gambling-related controversy.

That development forced Texas Tech to alter its quarterback plans and elevated Will Hammond into the starting role.

Hammond now inherits an offense attempting to defend a conference championship while replacing the player originally expected to lead it. How he responds could define both the documentary and Texas Tech’s season.

The series should offer viewers a closer look at how McGuire and his staff handled that disruption behind closed doors.

It also arrives at an ideal time for the program: one day before the Red Raiders’ season opener and just as national attention turns toward the 2026 College Football Playoff race.

Programs often claim they want the pressure that accompanies winning. Texas Tech is about to discover what that pressure actually feels like.

Opponents will bring extra intensity. Every conference road game will carry greater hostility. Anything short of another Big 12 championship run could feel disappointing after last season’s breakthrough.

McGuire clearly wants his players to lean into that reality.

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Texas Tech spent years trying to become relevant enough to attract this kind of attention. Now the Red Raiders have a championship to defend, a new quarterback to trust and cameras documenting every step.

Being hated might be the easy part. Staying on top will be considerably harder.

Source: Yahoo Sports