The latest College Football Playoff rankings have arrived and Texas Tech controls its own destiny to get a bye. The Red Raiders are currently ranked No. 5, which would give them a home game against the No. 12 team, but if they win out, they would finish in the Top 4 and get a bye.
What Tech Needs to Do to Get A Bye: Win Out
If Tech wins out, they will be no worse than a four seed. At that point, with Ohio State and Indiana, the top two ranked teams, one of them will have a loss by the end of the season by way of playing each other in the Big 10 Championship game. There’s a chance both of them could have a loss if Ohio State loses to Michigan and then beats Indiana. Either way, a one-loss Big 10 Championship game loser should drop behind Texas Tech.
Texas A&M and Georgia, both in the SEC, are also ranked ahead of Texas Tech at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. The SEC will either have Texas A&M and Georgia playing in the SEC Championship Game or Texas A&M and Alabama. Georgia is done with their conference schedule and hosts Charlotte and then plays at No. 16 Georgia Tech to close the season. A&M’s final conference game will be against No. 17 Texas. A loss to Texas would launch Alabama into the SEC Championship Game, if the Crimson Tide can close out their season with a win at Auburn. It will either be A&M vs Alabama or Alabama vs Georgia, depending on the outcomes in the final week of the season.Â
If the SEC beats up on each other, say A&M loses to Texas and then Alabama beats Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, which is all possible, then Texas Tech (if they win out) could launch all the way up to being the No. 2 team in the country heading into the College Football Playoff. If Georgia or A&M wins out, they would likely take the No. 2 seed. There is a chance A&M and Georgia both win out, and in that instance, Texas Tech could end up as the No. 4 team.
The Best Path to a Championship: Get the No. 2 Seed
Grinding through the College Football Playoff from any spot in the bracket will not be an easy task. But what is the best spot for Texas Tech to land? It has to be the No. 2 seed. There is a VERY slim chance, albeit a chance, that Tech could land the No. 1 seed. That would require Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Georgia to all lose in the next couple of weeks. We can root for chaos, but realistically, the No. 2 seed seems like the best landing spot for the Red Raiders.Â
How to Win it All: Matchups and Health Are Key
There’s still a lot of football to be played, and no matter where Texas Tech ends up, the matchups in the bracket leading up to the championship game will be key to the Red Raiders success and how far they can go in the dance. Getting a bye and having a team that is as healthy as possible for the playoff run will go a long way for the Red Raiders. When they are at or near full strength, they have been dominant all season. Their defense and offense can both play with anyone in the country and a National Championship is not out of the question.Â
Texas Tech has the best chance of any Big 12 with a path to a national championship this season. It’s time to get behind the Red Raiders and put a stop to the Big 10 and SEC domination.
