Red Raider Review

College Football Projections have Texas Tech in the CFP

On3 and CBS Sports have the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the College Football Playoff according to their latest predictions.
Julio Gonzales, Jr.|
Sep 20, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire speaks with Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham before the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit:
Sep 20, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire speaks with Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham before the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

In this story:

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Following Texas Tech's convincing 34-10 road victory against the Utah Utes on Saturday, the Red Raiders climbed five places to reach No. 12 in the AP Poll. Many experts, including the entire ESPN College Gameday crew, had predicted that the Utes would win the game.

Experts and fans are increasingly predicting that the Red Raiders will win the Big 12 Conference and secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. One notable expert, On3 College Football Insider Brett McMurphy, has listed Texas Tech as the No. 10 seed, projecting a matchup against the No. 7 seed Oklahoma Sooners in the first round in Norman.

Andy Staples, from On3, has also predicted that the Red Raiders will be a No. 10 seed, but facing the Oregon Ducks in Eugene. "The roster upgrades were apparent, and now we probably should view the Red Raiders as the favorites in the Big 12," Staples said.

Additionally, Brad Crawford from CBS Sports has Texas Tech pegged as a No. 7 seed, hosting the Texas A&M Aggies in Lubbock. "The Red Raiders passed their first Big 12 test after taking care of business on the road against nationally ranked Utah. And most impressive? They did it in the second half without Behren Morton under center after he was sidelined following a shot to the helmet. Texas Tech has been our pick to win the Big 12 since the preseason, and the Red Raiders are moving up in this week's projected playoff seeding," said Crawford.

All three of these predictions would be interesting matchups due to the familiarity of these programs. From 1996 to 2011, the Red Raiders, Aggies, and Sooners were all members of the Big 12 and played each other annually, until Texas A&M left for the SEC, which the Sooners also did after the 2023 season. Also in 2023, the Red Raiders and Ducks met in Lubbock, with the latter winning a close one, 38-30.

Although there is still a lot of football left to be played, as we are only in September and just a quarter of the way through the season, Red Raider fans have plenty to be excited about and discuss after Saturday’s game. With the bye week coming up, this excitement will continue until next Saturday.

There are still many challenges and exciting games ahead on the path to a Big 12 championship for the Red Raiders. The first is the health of starting quarterback Behren Morton, who missed the second half of the game on Saturday after suffering a hit to the head. He was replaced by redshirt freshman quarterback Will Hammond, who passed for 169 yards, threw for two touchdowns, and rushed for an additional 61 yards. It was reported that Morton is not expected to miss any time and should be good to go after the bye week.

The upcoming schedule includes some challenging games, but it's manageable. The Red Raiders have their bye this week before facing the Houston Cougars on the road. The Cougars currently have a record of 3-0 and are 1-0 in Big 12 play. Following the game against Houston, the Red Raiders will host Kansas in Lubbock. Then, they will travel to Arizona State to play against the defending conference champion Sun Devils. After that, Oklahoma State will visit Jones AT&T Stadium.

The final four games of the season include a challenging road trip to face the Kansas State Wildcats, traditionally a tough venue for the Red Raiders. This will be followed by two consecutive home games against No. 25 BYU and UCF. The season will conclude with a matchup against the Mountaineers in Morgantown, West Virginia.

A lot can change between now and when the final CFP standings are announced on December 7. I believe the Red Raiders have a strong chance of winning the Big 12 and making the playoffs. However, their road trips to Arizona State and Kansas State will be challenging, along with the game against BYU.

If the Red Raiders win all their remaining games and claim the Big 12 title, they will be in the CFP.

More From Texas Tech On SI

Published
Julio Gonzales, Jr.
JULIO GONZALES, JR.

Julio Gonzales Jr. is from Lubbock, Texas, and graduated from Lubbock Christian University. He is a writer for Texas Tech On SI. He has previously written for Mike Farrell Sports and Rivals. There, he covered recruiting for JUCO Football, UTSA, Texas Tech, and SMU. He continues to cover recruiting on his Sports Madness page on Substack. You can reach him at:jrgonzales213@gmail.com.

Home/Football