Texas Tech Coach Makes CFP Case for BYU After Big 12 Title Game Shellacking

Despite his team's dominant victory over the Cougars in the Big 12 title game, McGuire still feels that BYU is CFP-caliber.

McGuire's Red Raiders captured the program's first-ever Big 12 championship with a 34-7 win over BYU on Saturday. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Joey McGuire's Texas Tech team reached new heights on Saturday, as the program captured its first Big 12 Championship with a decisive 34-7 victory over the BYU Cougars. And while an emotional McGuire, who was moved to tears in the waning moments of the Red Raiders' victory, took plenty of time to take in the moment, he also had something else on his mind when it was time to head to the podium for his postgame press conference.

McGuire made a case for BYU, who was ranked 11th in the College Football Playoff entering play Saturday, to remain among the 12-team field when the selection committee releases its final rankings on Sunday.

“...Whenever the selection committee starts looking at teams, I truly believe that the Big 12 deserves two teams in the playoffs,” McGuire said. “When you look at BYU, they're 11-2 and their two losses are to the No. 4 team in the nation. And I have so much respect for [BYU coach Kalani Sitake]. That's a really good football team and I hope the committee looks at it.

“Because there's going to be two two-loss teams out there, but there's not going to be an 11-2 two loss team. They did a great job throughout the season getting here.”

Naturally, Sitake made the same case as McGuire did, calling Texas Tech “the best team in ther country” in the process.

“I’m not on the playoff committee but I can tell you one thing. Who has played the best team in the country twice? We have,” Sitake said, citing BYU’s only two losses, both of which were decisive defeats against the Red Raiders.

Does BYU have a chance to make the College Football Playoff?

BYU likely needed to play a closer game against Texas Tech to convince the selection committee of its worthiness. And unfortunately, that was not what occurred on Saturday. The Cougars marched down the field on a 14-play, 90-yard touchdown drive to start the game, but were stymied by the country's No. 3 scoring defense from that point forward. BYU turned the ball over four times and was outgained 374-200 in a dominant performance by the Red Raiders. While BYU's victories over No. 15 Utah and No. 18 Arizona are résumé-boosters, unfortunately, its blowout loss on Saturday figures to only turn the committee's attention further onto No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 12 Miami rather than the Cougars.

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