Texas Tech Red Raiders Football

🏆 2025 Big 12 Champions

2025 Record: 11-2 (8-1 Big 12) | AP Ranking: #4 | CFP: First Round vs. Notre Dame

Listen. I’m going to try to be professional about this. I really am.

WE’RE BIG 12 CHAMPIONS.

Okay. I tried. — Jake

He’s been insufferable for a week. I’ve muted him three times. He keeps finding new ways to text me. — Mike

Quick Facts

Traditions: Tortilla tossing (yes, real tortillas, yes after every touchdown), Raider Power hand sign, the Masked Rider on a black horse, “Raider Red” mascot with the oversized head and guns. If you’ve never been to Jones AT&T for a night game, you’re missing out. The place gets LOUD. — Jake

Mike & Jake’s Take

🍺 Jake’s Take (Texas Tech Fan)

I don’t even know where to start.

Thirty-one years. That’s how long it’s been since Tech won a conference championship. I wasn’t even alive for the last one. My dad was in his twenties. We’ve been waiting THIRTY-ONE YEARS.

And then we beat BYU 34-7. In Arlington. On national TV. With the tortillas flying and the crowd losing its mind and I’m pretty sure I blacked out somewhere in the third quarter because I don’t remember how I got home.

Joey McGuire said he was going to build something special in Lubbock. People laughed. “It’s Tech,” they said. “They’ll always be a basketball school.”

Who’s laughing now?

Behren Morton was a revelation. Jacob Rodriguez might be the best defensive player in the Big 12. Tahj Brooks ran through people all year like they personally insulted his family. The offensive line — which everyone said was going to be a problem — turned into a strength by October.

Is this real? I keep checking. It’s real.

We’re in the playoff. Texas Tech. In the College Football Playoff. Playing Notre Dame. In South Bend. On national TV.

I’ve already told my boss I’m sick on December 21st. And 22nd. Probably the 23rd too depending on how this goes.

Confidence Level: I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT ANYTHING IN MY LIFE

🛋️ Mike’s Take (Oklahoma State Fan)

Look, I’ll give credit where it’s due. Tech was good this year. Really good.

I went back and watched the championship game — the full thing, not just highlights — and it wasn’t even close. BYU had no answer for that defensive front. Rodriguez was everywhere. Their offensive line moved people off the ball in ways I didn’t think Tech was capable of.

McGuire has built something real. The culture, the physicality, the way they close out games… it’s legit. I didn’t see this coming three years ago when he was hired. I’ll admit that.

Do I want to hear Jake talk about this for the next decade? Absolutely not. Is he going to anyway? Obviously.

The Notre Dame game is interesting. Tech’s getting 7 points, which feels about right. South Bend in December is a different animal. But if the offensive line plays like they did against BYU, they can compete with anyone. Check our Big 12 Betting Guide for more on how to approach that matchup.

I’m not saying they’ll win. I’m saying I wouldn’t be shocked if they did.

(Jake is going to screenshot this and send it to me every day until the game. I already regret typing it.)

Confidence Level: Begrudgingly impressed

2025 Betting Trends

Jake’s Betting Notes: Tech at home is free money. I said it all year. The crowd is insane, the team feeds off it, and visiting teams hate playing in Lubbock. 6-1 ATS at home. Print it.

Mike’s Betting Notes: The over/under splits are interesting. They went under more in the second half of the season as the defense improved. If you’re betting Tech totals in the playoff, factor in the defensive growth — this isn’t September’s team. For more context on betting Big 12 games, check our complete betting guide.

Key Players (2025)

Behren Morton — QB

268-of-412 (65.0%) | 3,287 yards | 28 TD | 7 INT | 152.3 rating

The guy who everyone said couldn’t lead a championship team. He heard it all. Too inconsistent. Turnover prone. Can’t win big games. He answered every single one of those questions this year.

Jacob Rodriguez — LB (Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year)

118 tackles | 14.5 TFL | 8.5 sacks | 2 INT | 3 FF

The heartbeat of the defense. Rodriguez is going to be a first-round pick. Every single game, he was the best player on the field. The BYU game was a masterpiece — 11 tackles, 2 sacks, constant disruption.

Tahj Brooks — RB

247 carries | 1,389 yards | 5.6 YPC | 14 TD

Brooks ran angry all year. Physical, patient, explosive when he needed to be. The offensive line gets credit too, but Brooks made plays that weren’t there. First-team All-Big 12.

Rivals & Key Matchups

Baylor — The closest thing to a real rivalry. Two Texas schools, 90 miles apart, games always get weird. Tech won this year 31-24.

TCU — Fort Worth vs. Lubbock energy. Different programs, different vibes, always chippy. Tech won 28-21.

Oklahoma State — Mike’s team. Jake enjoys this one for obvious reasons. Tech won 45-17 this year. Jake still brings it up weekly.

More

• Big 12 Betting Guide — Everything you need before placing a bet on any conference game
• The Recliner vs The Barstool — How we rate games (and why we never agree)
• New Fan’s Guide to Big 12 Football — Just getting into the conference? Start here
• Current Standings | This Week’s Schedule
• Our Predictions Archive — Full transparency on every pick we’ve made

Recent Articles