How Texas Tech's Win Over the BYU Cougars Impacts the College Football Playoff Race

Pete Golding and Co. remain in the College Football Playoff race, eyeing first berth in program history.

Dec 6, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton (2) throws during the first half against the BYU Cougars at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1 SEC) remain firmly in the College Football Playoff race with the program on the verge of clinching its first berth in school history.

Following the departure of Lane Kiffin after taking the LSU Tigers head coaching gig, social media began swirling surrounding the impacts it could have in the Rebels' seeding in the Top-25 rankings.

Fast forward to Tuesday's reveal and the Ole Miss program moved up a spot to No. 6 with an opportunity to host a first-round matchup if all remains the same.

But as Conference Championship Week continues, there's certainly going to be some shakeup among the Top-12 where Ole Miss' fat is undecided.

On Saturday afternoon, the Texas Tech Red Raiders crushed the BYU Cougars with a 34-7 win in the Big 12 Championship to further cement their status as a Top-4 program in the College Football Playoff - seemingly clinching a first-round bye.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Heading into the weekend, the projected bracket would have looked like:

The Projected Bracket:

First-Round:

• No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Tulane [TBD]
• No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Virginia [TBD]
• No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Notre Dame
• No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama

Quarterfinal Round:

• No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 8/9 winner
• No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 7 /10 winner
• No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6/11 Winner
• No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5/12 winner

Now, as Conference Championship Week continues, there are questions surrounding how the final bracket will look in the coming days.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

"With Texas Tech’s victory, they’re now Big 12 Conference champions and are guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff," On3 Sports wrote. "The loss for BYU is the team’s second of the season and is likely to eliminate them from playoff contention.

"The outcome of Saturday’s Big 12 title game bodes well for teams like Notre Dame and Miami, who are on the cut line and couldn’t afford to have BYU steal a bid.

"Miami isn’t playing for an ACC title, and Notre Dame is unaffiliated with any conference. Their current body of work is all they can argue to the playoff committee. Texas Tech’s victory allows for the Miami-Notre Dame drama to continue as Selection Sunday draws closer."

Now, as the final brackets shape up, a win from Texas Tech could have locked in their spot as a Top-4 seed, but an SEC Championship between Georgia and Alabama will certainly make an impact down the stretch.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Makes Final Decision on Lane Kiffin Coaching CFP As LSU Tigers Pick Up Steam

Potential Lane Kiffin Replacements Revealed As Future With Ole Miss 'In Doubt'

Tony Vitello Pokes Fun at Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin in Goodbye to Tennessee

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.