BYU coach Kalani Sitake and Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire met for dinner earlier this year and did what no football coach would want to admit.
They let their minds wander to the postseason.
“We talked about this,” Sitake said Monday. “We talked about playing each other in the championship game. We manifested it, and now, here we are.”
After Texas Tech beat BYU 29-7 in Lubbock four weeks ago, Sitake said his players received a similar message from Tech’s.
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“After the game, we’re shaking hands, and half of the players are saying, ‘We’ll see you guys in a few weeks,’” he said. “They basically respected us enough to know that we’re going to get back in this game.”
A month later, the players were right, as No. 4 Tech and No. 11 BYU will play in the Big 12 championship at AT&T Stadium Saturday at 11 a.m. It’ll be a rematch between the two best teams in the conference, both fighting for spots in the 12-team College Football Playoff that begins Dec. 19.
“We have two very physical teams,” McGuire said. “I think the two best teams in the conference are playing this weekend.”
Tech faces the challenge of having to beat an opponent twice in a single season. It’s uncharted territory for the Red Raiders, Big 12 members since 1996 in the conference championship for the first time.
But as much as Tech is unfamiliar with playing into December, the Red Raiders can draw from their experience against the Cougars just a month ago.
The win in Lubbock was boosted by a stunning defensive performance, as linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had two takeaways, leading a Tech defense that held BYU to a season-low 255 total yards and seven points. Tech shut out BYU through 3 ½ quarters.
It was the marquee performance of a defense that has transformed over the last 12 months from 121st last season in FBS, allowing 34.8 points per game, to third this season, allowing 11.25 on average.
Tech was able to capitalize on two takeaways and a muffed punt to put itself in the driver’s seat for a spot in the Big 12 championship. But in the rematch against BYU, Tech knows a handful of areas it can improve.
One focus will be on stopping the run. They did so well in the first meeting, holding BYU to 67 yards on 27 carries. But Rodriguez says that’s been a point of emphasis for the defense.
“I think they do a really good job with running the football. They don’t see a lot of pressure, and they don’t get sacked a lot,” he said. “It’s something they’re really good at, driving the pile, and it’s something we need to be ready for.”
The Red Raiders also settled for five field goals in the November meeting, with kicker Stone Harrington setting a program record. BYU has played its best football since, outscoring opponents 111-48, so Tech will likely need to be able to punch it in more than twice to beat the Cougars this week.
“I’m just so impressed,” McGuire said. “I’m sitting here watching his last few games since we played, and they just keep getting better and better.”
Tech can take some comfort entering Saturday knowing it should be firmly in the playoff regardless. But after securing a top-four seeding in the latest rankings released Tuesday, the Red Raiders could lock up a first-round bye with a win. With a loss, they’d likely have to play an extra game in an already lengthy season.
Their opponent may be even more motivated. At No. 11, BYU is on the verge of a playoff berth. It’s unclear how the committee would treat a team whose only two losses came to the same team. But the Cougars would probably also need an Alabama loss to Georgia to get in the field if they lost to Tech. The only way to guarantee their spot is with a win.
“I think that without a doubt, we both should be in the playoff,” McGuire said. “No matter what happens on Saturday, I think we’ve earned the right.”
On Twitter/X: @Lassimak
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