Why Texas Tech Needs to Defeat West Virginia and Why it Impacts Many of their Goals
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Texas Tech is looking to make another statement after their win over No. 24 ranked Arizona but is now looking ahead to defeat West Virginia on Saturday night.
A win over West Virginia in Week 10 is crucial for Texas Tech’s College Football Playoff (CFP) chances. Texas Tech is a top 15-ranked team that is currently tied with BYU and one game back of Utah in the Big 12 conference standings; therefore, there are several important advantages to getting a win over the Mountaineers to keep the CFP hopes alive, and playing in the conference championship game is key to stay in the top two of the Big 12 standings by defeating West Virginia this weekend.
The 12-team playoff structure will once again give automatic berths to the five highest-ranked conference champions, with the top four getting a first-round bye. A win over West Virginia keeps Texas Tech near the top of the Big 12 rankings and on track to play in the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington. A conference title remains the surest, most straightforward road to the CFP for any Big 12 program, including Texas Tech.
Texas Tech needs to eliminate the risk of a loss to an unranked West Virginia team. Late-season playoff résumé reviews are as important to avoid defeats as they are to achieve great wins. If the Red Raider loses this game in November to an unranked team, the selection committee will surely drop Texas Tech in their rankings. If the Red Raiders do not win the Big 12 title, it will be much harder to get an at-large CFP bid.
If Texas Tech falls short of the automatic berth via the Big 12 title game, a solid overall record (like 10-2 or 11-1, if BYU wins the potential tie-break) keeps them in the mix for one of seven at-large playoff spots. A late-season loss to West Virginia would hurt their overall CFP ranking, putting them behind at-large candidates from other big leagues like the SEC and Big Ten. However, a double-digit win over a West Virginia team who has key wins over Virginia, Cincinnati, and at TCU would help Texas Tech in their quest to secure a spot in the Big 12 conference championship game and a potential spot in the CFP.
Not to sound repetitive, but late-season momentum is crucial to the CFP selection committee. A Week 10 win would put Texas Tech in the Top 12 or better heading into the final weeks of the regular season, thus maximizing its advantage for seed positions and potential at-large selection. The first College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings for this season will be released tonight, and the Red Raiders will know where they stand with the committee heading into their home game against the Mountainers.
An early game prediction for Texas Tech's game against West Virginia has the Red Raiders defeating the Mountaineers by a final score of 41-24.
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Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Texas Tech On SI.