LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – After securing its first-ever Big 12 Championship, Texas Tech football now knows what’s next.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-1, 9-1 Big 12) are seeded No. 4 and will play the winner between No. 5 Oregon (11-1) and No. 12 James Madison (12-1) in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla. on Jan. 1. Kickoff set for 11 a.m. CT.
Other rankings include 1. Indiana (13-0), 2. Ohio State (12-1), 3. Georgia (12-1), 6. Ole Miss (11-1), 7. Texas A&M (11-1), 8. Oklahoma (10-2), 9. Alabama (10-3), 10. Miami (10-2), and 11. Tulane (11-2).
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Texas Tech linebacker Ben Roberts celebrates after being awared the Most Outstanding Player trophy following the team’s win in the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game against BYU Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)(Julio Cortez | AP)
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Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire holds up the trophy after his team’s win in the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game against BYU Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)(Julio Cortez | AP)
Here are some notes Tech Athletics provided Saturday:
The Red Raiders recorded their 12th win this season by 20-plus points. That ties the AP Era (1936) record for most 20+ point wins in a season before a team reaches its bowl game. Texas Tech joins 2018 Alabama as the only teams in FBS/FCS (1978) history to have its first 12 wins of a season come by 20-points or more.Texas Tech was previously only the sixth team in the past 100 years (since 1925) to win at least 11 regular-season games by at least 20 points, joining Nebraska (1971), Florida (2008), Florida State (2013), Alabama (2018) and Ohio State (2019).Texas Tech’s 12 victories set a new program record for wins in a single season, topping the previous record of 11 previously set in 1953, 1973 and 2008.Today’s win marks Texas Tech’s fourth versus a current top-25 team in the College Football Playoff rankings. Entering today, Texas Tech was one of three FBS teams with at least three wins versus the current top 25.Texas Tech forced multiple turnovers for the 10th game this season, most in the FBS. The Red Raiders now have 31 takeaways on the season after winning the turnover battle, 4-0, versus BYU. Texas Tech is now 11-0 this season in games Behren Morton starts at quarterback. Morton, who moved into fourth place on the Texas Tech all-time career passing chart with 8,862 yards, has now led the Red Raiders to 26 wins as Texas Tech’s starting quarterback, which trails only Graham Harrell (28) among quarterbacks in the Big 12 era. Texas Tech is now allowing only 10.9 points per game as one of the nation’s top defenses. The Red Raiders entered this weekend as the Big 12 leader and ranked third in the FBS for scoring defense. Texas Tech has combined to allow only 23 points the past four games, including only 14 to a top-15 team in BYU.The Red Raiders are now outscoring opponents by a plus-31.5 points per game margin this season, which was second in the FBS behind only Indiana (33.4) entering championship weekend. In addition to its defense, Texas Tech remains one of the highest-scoring offenses in the country as the Red Raiders are now averaging 42.5 points a game after today’s win. Texas Tech entered the weekend ranked third in the FBS for scoring offense.Texas Tech entered this weekend as the only FBS to rank in the top five in the FBS this season in scoring offense, scoring defense and takeaways per game. The Red Raiders, who are looking to become the first FBS program to do so since Florida in 2008, will likely stay in the top five of all three categories after this weekend.
Texas Tech also shared these points on Jacob Rodriguez:
Jacob Rodriguez led another dominating defensive performance by the Red Raiders with a game-high 13 tackles, including one for a loss. Rodriguez now has 117 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries and an FBS-leading seven forced fumbles this season. As a reminder, he is the only player in the last 20 years (since 2005) to record at least five forced fumbles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries all in the same season. Rodriguez leads a Red Raider defense that now has 31 takeaways this season as Texas Tech entered the weekend ranked tied for second nationally.
Needless to say, Rodriguez is more than deserving of a Heisman nod, especially in a year without a clear-cut winner from the offensive side of the ball. He is already one of five finalists for the Walter Camp National Player of the Year Award.
Rodriguez is looking to become the first linebacker to be a Heisman finalist since Manti Te’o of Notre Dame in 2012. Rodriguez’s success this season more than compares to that of Te’o, who recorded 113 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and caused nine takeaways thanks to seven interceptions and two forced fumbles. Te’o was also the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy during his memorable 2012 season, becoming one of two linebackers all-time to get the invite to New York City.
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