Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders move into Top 4 of CFP’s penultimate rankings
December 02, 2025 | Football
LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech climbed to No. 4 in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night on ESPN. The Red Raiders, who face No. 11 BYU on Saturday in the Big 12 Championship Game at AT&T Stadium, are one of 18 teams still in action this weekend before final selections for the 12-team CFP field are announced the following day on Sunday, Dec. 7.
Texas Tech wrapped its regular season last weekend with a dominant 49-0 win at West Virginia, improving to 11-1, matching the program record for wins in a single season.
By moving into the Top 4, the Red Raiders are in position to receive a bye from the first round of the CFP, and would wait to begin play in the quarterfinal round, which would be played at one of four different sites – the Cotton Bowl (Dec. 31), Orange Bowl (Jan. 1), Rose Bowl (Jan. 1), or Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1). Joining Texas Tech as teams that would receive first round byes are No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana and No. 3 Georgia. Texas A&M, which was previously ranked No. 4, moved back to No. 7 after falling to Texas in Austin last weekend.
The first round of the College Football Playoffs will be played on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20, with the teams ranked No. 5 to No. 8 hosting first-round games. As it currently stands, Texas Tech would play the first round winner between No. 5 Oregon and the No. 12-seed, which is yet to be determined, as it's currently slotted to be awarded to one of the conference champions from the upcoming weekend.
Joining the Red Raiders from the Big 12 Conference in the fifth installment of the CFP Top 25 were four teams, including three that they defeated earlier this season: BYU at No. 11 (W), Utah at No. 15 (W), and Houston at No. 21 (W). Arizona, a team that was not on the Red Raiders' schedule this fall, remained in the rankings at No. 18, moving up seven spots after defeating previously ranked No. 20 Arizona State last week.
The official CFP Playoff Bracket will be revealed on Dec. 7, starting at 11 a.m. CT, on ESPN.
Conference Championship Schedule
Friday, Dec. 5
Kennesaw State at Jacksonville State (C-USA), 6 p.m., CBSSN
Troy at No. 25 James Madison (Sun Belt), 6 p.m., ESPN
No. 24 North Texas vs. No. 20 Tulane (AAC), 7 p.m., ABC
Boise State vs. UNLV (Mountain West), 7 p.m., FOX
Saturday, Dec. 6
No. 11 BYU vs. No. 4 Texas Tech (Big 12), 11 a.m., ABC
Western Michigan vs. Miami-Ohio (MAC), 11 a.m., ESPN
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 9 Alabama (SEC), 3 p.m., ABC
No. 17 Virginia vs. Duke (ACC), 7 p.m., ABC
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Indiana (Big Ten), 7 p.m., FOX
About the College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The CFP selection committee ranks the top 25 teams at the end of the regular season. The five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams will be seeded into a 12-team bracket based on the final ranking, with the four highest-ranked teams receiving a first-round bye. The teams ranked Nos. 5-12 will play in the CFP First Round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds. The Playoff Quarterfinals and Playoff Semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be on Monday, January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com.
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Texas Tech wrapped its regular season last weekend with a dominant 49-0 win at West Virginia, improving to 11-1, matching the program record for wins in a single season.
By moving into the Top 4, the Red Raiders are in position to receive a bye from the first round of the CFP, and would wait to begin play in the quarterfinal round, which would be played at one of four different sites – the Cotton Bowl (Dec. 31), Orange Bowl (Jan. 1), Rose Bowl (Jan. 1), or Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1). Joining Texas Tech as teams that would receive first round byes are No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana and No. 3 Georgia. Texas A&M, which was previously ranked No. 4, moved back to No. 7 after falling to Texas in Austin last weekend.
The first round of the College Football Playoffs will be played on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20, with the teams ranked No. 5 to No. 8 hosting first-round games. As it currently stands, Texas Tech would play the first round winner between No. 5 Oregon and the No. 12-seed, which is yet to be determined, as it's currently slotted to be awarded to one of the conference champions from the upcoming weekend.
Joining the Red Raiders from the Big 12 Conference in the fifth installment of the CFP Top 25 were four teams, including three that they defeated earlier this season: BYU at No. 11 (W), Utah at No. 15 (W), and Houston at No. 21 (W). Arizona, a team that was not on the Red Raiders' schedule this fall, remained in the rankings at No. 18, moving up seven spots after defeating previously ranked No. 20 Arizona State last week.
The official CFP Playoff Bracket will be revealed on Dec. 7, starting at 11 a.m. CT, on ESPN.
Conference Championship Schedule
Friday, Dec. 5
Kennesaw State at Jacksonville State (C-USA), 6 p.m., CBSSN
Troy at No. 25 James Madison (Sun Belt), 6 p.m., ESPN
No. 24 North Texas vs. No. 20 Tulane (AAC), 7 p.m., ABC
Boise State vs. UNLV (Mountain West), 7 p.m., FOX
Saturday, Dec. 6
No. 11 BYU vs. No. 4 Texas Tech (Big 12), 11 a.m., ABC
Western Michigan vs. Miami-Ohio (MAC), 11 a.m., ESPN
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 9 Alabama (SEC), 3 p.m., ABC
No. 17 Virginia vs. Duke (ACC), 7 p.m., ABC
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Indiana (Big Ten), 7 p.m., FOX
About the College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The CFP selection committee ranks the top 25 teams at the end of the regular season. The five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams will be seeded into a 12-team bracket based on the final ranking, with the four highest-ranked teams receiving a first-round bye. The teams ranked Nos. 5-12 will play in the CFP First Round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds. The Playoff Quarterfinals and Playoff Semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be on Monday, January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com.
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Jacob Rodriguez Media Availability
Tuesday, December 02
Behren Morton Media Availability
Tuesday, December 02
Romello Height Media Availability
Tuesday, December 02
Kenny Perry Media Availability
Tuesday, December 02