There’s no disputing that college football is in decline. Wacky schedules and new NIL rules are only the beginning of groans from crowds complaining that the system is broken and corrupt.
The college football playoff committee’s Sunday ranking selections only fueled that fire. Teams like James Madison University and Tulane were included the 12-team tournament while Notre Dame and Brigham Young University, both ranked among the top 12 teams in the country, were left with nothing. On the other hand, one of the best decisions to come out of the committee’s deliberations was handing Texas Tech University a safe spot in the playoff quarterfinal
The Red Raiders’ prominence in the college football playoff is not due to the generosity of the CFP committee. In its 11 years of existence, the college football playoff has repeatedly cold-shouldered teams from less desirable conferences. This fact was evidenced again this year when the committee decided to gyp BYU of a spot in the playoff due to its poor performance against Tech in both the regular season and the Big 12 championship. Three-loss Alabama, which received a similar thrashing from Georgia in the SEC championship, however, was handed a 9 seed.
Texas Tech’s number 4 ranking was earned fair and square. Not only that, but the Red Raiders’ performance in their January 1 matchup has far-reaching implications for the future of the sport, whether the blue bloods who have long controlled it like that or not. If you’re tired of years of lopsided college football championship wins and want to see a real underdog in the fight, Texas Tech is your team.
Playing By New Rules
A necessary caveat: while I am not a Texas Tech graduate, I am the daughter of one and I married another. I’m also a Lubbock native who is all too familiar with the highs and lows of Red Raider sports. You don’t need to be a victim of countless disappointing walks out of The Jones, however, to recognize that this 2025 Texas Tech team is special.
The Red Raiders’ talent, skill, and determination earned them a 12-1 record, their first Big 12 championship, and now, a cushy spot in the college football playoff quarterfinal Orange Bowl. Contrary to keyboard warriors’ claims, however, Texas Tech’s success is not solely due to the reported $25 million investment in the football program.
SEC teams have long used the power of the pocketbook to secure spots as some of the top teams in the country, and few complained. This year alone, football programs such as Oregon and Texas have poured millions into building what they believe to be the best team money can buy. Yet, neither of them secured a first-round bye in the college football playoff like Tech did. In the Longhorns’ case, they won’t even be a playoff contender.
It’s only when a rough and tough team from the petroleum-rich plains of Texas successfully stewards some sweet oil money to secure results that people suddenly accuse Tech of buying a team.
But that’s not exactly what the Red Raiders did. Yes, Texas Tech financially enriched its football program like never before, but it also strategically combined the skills already acquired under head coach Joey McGuire with a new class of hungry players. As a result, the team’s highest ranking opponent has repeatedly hailed them as “the best team in the country.”
Beyond the bells, whistles, and extra locker room trophy spots adorned with “believe” is a roster of both quality, depth, intentionality, likeability, and even a Heisman hopeful. When they aren’t holding off their opponents’ offense only to further outscore them, the Texas Tech players are using postgame interviews to give all glory to God.
Texas Tech possesses a grit so unique that even commentators like ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, who is notorious for favoring his alma mater Ohio State and shiny teams like Texas, admit it. During his College Gameday stop in Lubbock, Herbstreit admired the “gratitude and appreciation” that shape both the city and the football team.
“If you’re looking to get a pick-me-up on where America is right now, head down to Lubbock, TX. If you need a weekend to just feel good about red, white, and blue and America, they care about their families, they care about their country, they care about the state of Texas, and they care about football,” he remarked in November.
The Red Raiders’ rapid rise to the top doesn’t simply enrich the college football playoff and give fans hope of a fairer future; it may have also saved the Big 12. It’s no secret that the exits of teams such as Texas A&M, the University of Texas, and Oklahoma University to the SEC have taken a toll on the flyover country conference’s reputation and draw. Texas Tech’s unmatched season, however, has turned the eyes of the nation not only to the 806 but to the potential teams in the sleeper conferences can have after some TLC.
Texas Tech should be thanked, not villified, for their performance this season. It’s their accomplishment that has brought some balance back to a dramatically tilted college football system.
It’s true that “Raider Nation,” Texas Tech fans, are a force to be reckoned with whether you choose to root alongside them on New Year’s Day or not. If you care about the future of college football, however, go ahead and point that finger gun high in the air. With nationwide love for the Red Raiders and a little bit of luck, the West Texas winds of change might just be the spark that sets off a new era this beloved sport.
Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on X @jordanboydtx.
