Dec. 21, 2025, 5:34 a.m. PT
With a 51-34 home first-round victory over the No. 12 James Madison Dukes, the Oregon Ducks have advanced to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. Awaiting them are the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders, who hold an identical 12-1 record and claimed the Big 12 Conference championship, earning an automatic bid into the CFP field.
Texas Tech leaned into the transfer portal and NIL during the offseason, landing a number of key transfers and bolstering their roster. The proof is in the pudding as it clearly worked, landing the Red Raiders their first ever appearance in the CFP and earning a first-round bye along the way.
Now, Oregon and Texas Tech will meet in the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami, FL, on Jan. 1 at 9:00 a.m. PST with a spot in the semifinals on the line.
In this piece, we’ll take a deep dive into Texas Tech’s resume, break down all three phases (offense, defense and special teams), name three players to watch and provide all the viewing and betting details on the game that you’ll need.
Texas Tech’s Resume
The Red Raiders opened the season ranked No. 23 in the AP Poll, thanks in large part to an influx in transfers and a potentially wide open Big 12. Through three weeks, they lived up to and exceeded expectations, blowing out three far inferior by a combined score of 174-35.
Week 4 against the 16th-ranked Utah Utes was set to be their first challenge, and they passed with flying colors — despite starting quarterback Behren Morton going down with an injury mere minutes into the second half. With Texas Tech holding a 10-3 lead, backup Will Hammond entered the fold and promptly led four fourth quarter scoring drives, resulting in an impressive 34-10 win on the road.
Morton returned the next week and spearheaded another impressive road victory over Houston before getting injured again against Kansas, causing him to miss the team’s lone loss to Arizona State in Tempe.
That proved to be the only blemish on Texas Tech’s resume, as they ran the table from there, winning their final six games including two statement blowout wins over BYU culminating in a Big 12 championship.
Offensive Breakdown
The Red Raiders are nothing short of prolific offensively, coming in at No. 2 in scoring at 42.5 points per game. They have a relatively balanced attack, coming in at 27th in rushing (190.9 rush yards per game) and 11th in passing (289.4 pass yards per game).
In both the rushing and receiving game, Texas Tech deploys an egalitarian approach of sorts, as they have two standout running backs in Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams and have three wide receivers and a tight end with over 500 receiving yards and five reception touchdowns.
Quarterback Behren Morton isn’t especially talented, but he’s a tremendous distributor of the football, accurately delivering the ball to his playmakers and letting them do the rest. The offensive line is susceptible to giving up sacks, as they’ve allowed 23 quarterback takedowns this season, a middling mark in college football.
Curiously, the Red Raiders excel on third down, converting just over 50% of their third down opportunities but are abysmal at finishing drives in the red zone. They’ve scored touchdowns on just 56.2% of their red zone drives, good for 99th in the nation. Explosive plays made up for it during the regular season, but if their red zone deficiencies continue, it could contribute to their downfall.
Defensive Breakdown
While the offense has put up the points, the Texas Tech has arguably been even better. They’re third in scoring defense (10.9 ppg allowed), first in rush defense (68.5 ypg allowed) and yards per carry allowed (2.3 ypc) and 25th in pass defense (185.9 ypg allowed).
The front seven is excellent, with linebacker Jacob Rodriguez leading the charge alongside multiple highly-paid NIL transfer pass rushers. It’s resulted in the Red Raiders notching 39 sacks, the fifth-highest mark in the nation. They’ve nearly reached 100 tackles for loss this season, ranking fourth with 96 TFLs and 7.4 TFL’s per game.
The defense doesn’t just excel at limiting the yardage for their opponents, as they’re also the best defense in college football at forcing turnovers, having intercepted 16 passes and recovered 15 fumbles for 31 total turnovers.
They’re also solid on third down, allowing just 30.8% of their opposing third-down conversions to be converted. Teams are scoring touchdowns on 81.8% of their red zone trips, the 53rd-best mark in the nation and one of the only slight blemishes statistically for this Red Raiders defense.
There are a number of stars on this defense and it rivals Indiana for the toughest that the Ducks will face this season.
Special Teams Breakdown
The kicking game for Texas Tech is excellent, with kicker Stone Harrington knocking down 22 of 27 field goal attempts and being named a first-team All-Big 12 selection and emerging as a Lou Groza Award semifinalist. His range expands past 50 yards, with his season-long coming from 58 yards out. He’s gone 41-for-42 on extra point attempts.
Punter Jack Burgess was middle of the pack in the Big 12, averaging 43.4 yards per punt but has downed 21 punts inside the 20-yard line, proving to be a weapon when the Red Raiders’ offense stalls at midfield. He doesn’t have a massive leg, with a long of just 61 yards but is a competitive punter who can place the ball extremely well.
Players to Watch
There’s a number of talented players across the Red Raiders’ roster, yet these three players will have to be accounted for by the Ducks if they’re to secure a quarterfinals win.
QB Behren Morton
Season Stats: 201-for-300, 2,643 yards, 22 TDs, 4 INTs
Analysis: Morton doesn’t have the biggest arm and is far from a dual-threat with negative -81 rush yards this season, but he does enough to fuel this Red Raiders offense with the way that he distributes the ball accurately. He’s a sound decision-maker, throwing just four interceptions versus 22 touchdowns. His experience has done him well, as Morton has been at Texas Tech for five years and started the majority of the last three seasons.
RB Cameron Dickey
Season Stats: 198 rushes, 1,095 yards, 14 TDs / / 24 catches, 216 yards, 2 TDs
Analysis: Just a true sophomore, Dickey has burst onto the scene this season, emerging as the team’s No. 1 back after seeing little time a season ago as Tajh Brooks received a lion-share of the carries. But with Brooks moving on to the NFL, Dickey has stepped in and ran for over 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns, being named a first-team All-Big 12 selection. At 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds, he’s is a bruising runner, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Dickey and J’Koby Williams, who brings the speed, form arguably the best 1-2 running back duo in the country.
LB Jacob Rodriguez
Season Stats: 117 total tackles, 61 solo tackles, 7 FFs, 4 INTs, 6 PDs, 1 INT
Analysis: Rodriguez is everything that you’d want in a linebacker, as he’s fearless, instinctual and a fierce competitor and leader. Coming into college as a quarterback at Virginia, Rodriguez transferred to Texas Tech and has had to scratch and claw for everything in his five-year career, turning himself into one of the best players in the country, period. He’s always around the ball and literally goes after it before making the tackle, leading the nation with seven forced fumbles while picking off four passes. Rodriguez is the Red Raiders’ top player and garnered Heisman buzz late in the season for his standout play.
Game Details
When: 9:00 a.m. PST, Jan. 1, 2026
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
TV: ESPN
Betting (per FanDuel Sportsbook)
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