ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Tech took an aggressive approach last offseason with its sights already set on Dec. 6.

The Red Raiders thought the 2025 season would be their year to finally overcome the hump and win their first Big 12 title nearly 30 years after joining the conference. On Saturday, they proved they thought right.

No. 4 Texas Tech (12-1) put an exclamation mark on an outstanding 2025 campaign, defeating BYU (11-2) 34-7 for the second time this season to claim the Big 12 title at AT&T Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The win, while sloppy at times, secured Tech’s spot in the College Football Playoff and likely a first-round bye as a top-four seed.

Here are five takeaways from the Red Raiders’ win:

TECH GETS OVER CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP HUMP

Tech entered Saturday essentially with a guaranteed spot in the College Football Playoff, but the Red Raiders still had a lot to play for.

The Red Raiders have been Big 12 members since 1996 but had never even made the conference championship game before Saturday. They hadn’t won an outright conference title since 1955 when they were in the Border Conference. They earned a share of the Southwest Conference title in 1976 and 1994.

Tech got over one championship hump and set itself up well to compete for another.

Already ranked No. 4 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, the Red Raiders needed a win to secure one of the top-four seeds and avoid playing in the opening weekend of the 12-team tournament.

Tech is expected to advance straight to the playoff quarterfinals played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. There’s a good chance it’s slated to return to AT&T Stadium on Dec. 31 for the Cotton Bowl.

The question is now whether their opponent BYU did enough to earn an at-large bid. The Cougars were ranked No. 11 entering the championship, and their two losses both came to the same Tech team. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said BYU was the first team ever with an 11-1 record to not be ranked in the top-10 entering championship weekend.

RED RAIDERS’ DEFENSE STAYS DOMINANT, LED BY BEN ROBERTS’ TWO PICKS

Tech’s defense has earned recognition as one of the best in the nation and looked the part when the whole country was watching.

Tech held BYU to just 200 total yards and seven points in the win. Outside of BYU’s first drive — a 14-play, 90-yard touchdown drive — Tech completely stymied Bear Bachmeier and the BYU offense, just like it did in Lubbock a month ago.

Heisman candidate Jacob Rodriguez finished with 13 total tackles, but it was his teammates that made game-changing plays. Tech forced four turnovers in the second half.

After Tech’s turnover on downs in the third quarter, linebacker Ben Roberts intercepted Bachmeier to set up the Tech offense in the red zone, leading to a touchdown by Cameron Dickey on the next play. Roberts had a second interception early in the fourth quarter, a highlight-reel, one-handed grab, leading to a field goal.

Roberts set a record for most interceptions in a Big 12 championship game and was named the game’s most outstanding player.

At the end of the third quarter, defensive lineman AJ Holmes Jr. forced a Bachmeier fumble in BYU territory that linebacker Romello Height recovered, resulting in a field goal. John Curry then forced another fumble in the fourth quarter, which Jayden Cofield recovered, leading to another field goal.

The Red Raiders won the turnover battle 4-0, leading to 14 points.

MESSY GAME UNTIL LATE

Tech started to pull away late in the third quarter, but neither team had a particularly clean game to start at AT&T Stadium Saturday.

Both offenses struggled at times. Both kickers missed field goals. And both coaches made some questionable calls.

The Tech offensive line was flagged four times for false starts in the contest. Some of those stalled drives deep in BYU territory, forcing Tech to settle for field goals. Tech missed two field goals while BYU missed one.

Both teams also made risky calls on fourth down that didn’t pay off. Late in the first half, BYU faked a punt from its own 42-yard line on fourth-and-7 and did not convert. The Red Raiders’ missed field goal came immediately after, so Tech couldn’t capitalize on the mistake.

In the third quarter, Tech chose to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the BYU 14 instead of kicking a field goal to make it a two-score game. Behren Morton threw an incompletion, but the Tech offense was saved by a takeaway from its defense on the next drive.

Tech’s defense ultimately took over in the fourth quarter to allow the Red Raiders to pull away.

RED RAIDERS TOO RELIANT ON UNRELIABLE KICKING GAME

When these two teams met in Lubbock on Nov. 8, kicker Stone Harrington set a program record with five field goals. The Red Raiders struggled to finish drives and had the same issue Saturday.

Harrington attempted six field goals in the Big 12 championship, converting four. He missed his two longest attempts from 48 and 49 yards.

The bigger concern was not that Harrington missed twice but that Tech couldn’t turn prime field position into touchdowns.

Three times after takeaways by the Red Raiders defense Tech settled for field goals — two that Harrington made and one that he missed. Tech also missed a field goal after a BYU turnover on downs. Harrington made a field goal when Tech had driven 70 yards in the first quarter but couldn’t punch it in.

Tech will need to finish drives better against more skilled opponents in the playoff.

TECH STAYS UNDEFEATED UNDER MORTON

Tech enters the College Football Playoff with just one loss — and it was when the Red Raiders didn’t have their quarterback.

Morton capped off an injury-riddled season with his first Big 12 title in his fifth season with the Red Raiders. He finished with 215 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions on 20-of-33 passing Saturday.

Morton was supported by standout performances by a handful of his weapons. Running back J’Koby Williams had 80 yards on 15 carries. Cameron Dickey had 92 total yards and a score.

Morton threw both of his touchdown passes to Coy Eakin, who finished with 66 yards. But his leading receiver was Reggie Virgil, who had eight catches for 86 yards in the win.

The Tech offense wasn’t perfect, settling for field goals on many drives, but did more than enough to win.

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