Texas Tech Beats BYU, CFB Playoff Bracket Scenarios After Big 12 Championship

The No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders clinched their spot in the College Football Playoff on Saturday with a 34-7 drubbing of the No. 11 BYU Cougars in the Big 12 Championship Game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Texas Tech Wins BIg 12 Title

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Given that Texas Tech was already ranked fourth entering the Big 12 title game, Saturday's victory likely ensures the 12-1 Red Raiders a first-round bye in the CFP as well.

Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback and Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes took to X to congratulate his alma mater on its first-ever CFP berth:

Despite being No. 11 in the rankings, BYU will almost certainly be on the outside looking in with regard to the CFP since the five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed a CFP spot.

That means the American champion in No. 20 Tulane will leapfrog BYU into a playoff spot, as will one of No. 17 Virginia or No. 25 James Madison.

Virginia will be in if it beats Duke in the ACC Championship Game, but if UVA loses, it would open the door for James Madison to enter the field as the Sun Belt champion.

BYU's loss also immensely helps the odds of No. 9 Alabama and No. 10 Notre Dame making the CFP field as at-large teams.

Bama can secure an automatic berth by beating Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, but the Tide may now be safe even in the event of a loss.

The rankings suggest Notre Dame is the final at-large team in the field right now, and while BYU can no longer surpass the Fighting Irish, there figures to at least be a debate among the committee between two-loss Notre Dame and two-loss Miami, which is ranked two spots below Notre Dame despite beating the Irish head-to-head at the start of the season.

Saturday's victory was the second of the season for Texas Tech over BYU, as the Red Raiders previously beat the Cougars 29-7 last month.

This time around, Texas Tech fell behind early before taking control of the game and never looking back.

BYU scored a touchdown on its opening drive of the game when LJ Martin rushed for a 10-yard score, but the Red Raiders answered with a field goal, followed by a 33-yard passing touchdown from quarterback Behren Morton to wide receiver Coy Eakin:

Texas Tech added another field goal to enter the locker room for halftime with a 13-7 lead on the strength of 13 unanswered points.

A Texas Tech turnover on downs opened the door for BYU in the third quarter, but Red Raiders linebacker Ben Roberts intercepted Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier, leading to an 11-yard rushing touchdown by Cameron Dickey to extend the TTU lead to 21-7:

Texas Tech continued to pour it on after that with a field goal and then another Morton touchdown pass to Eakin from 28 yards out to make it 31-7 in the fourth quarter.

With another insurance field goal, it gave the Red Raiders 34 unanswered points in what proved to be a statement-making rout.

Entering this season, Texas Tech hadn't won double-digit games since 2008, it hadn't won a conference title since 1994 and it had never won a Big 12 title.

The Red Raiders have been among the best teams in college football all season long under head coach Joey McGuire, though, as they entered the Big 12 title game third in FBS in both points scored and points allowed per game.

Texas Tech more than earned its first-ever CFP berth, and with a bye to the quarterfinals in tow, the Red Raiders have be considered legitimate national title contenders in the same conversation as Ohio State, Georgia, Indiana and others.