No. 4 Texas Tech rode a strong second half defensively to a 34-7 rout of the No. 11 BYU Cougars on Saturday afternoon to win the Big 12 championship.
The win for the Red Raiders locked up a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff, while the loss for BYU likely ends their College Football Playoff hopes. Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire believes BYU should still be under consideration to make the field, and Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake made his case during postgame media availability, in which he called Texas Tech "the best team in the country."
"I think if you look at what Texas Tech's done, they're the best team in the country for a reason," Sitake said. "Their only loss came when they didn't have their starting quarterback. That's difficult. And on the road. You look at when they're a full strength team, they're dangerous. I'm not on the playoff committee but I'll tell you one thing, who's played the best team in the country twice? We have. And does that mean you're not one of the best 12? I have no idea. I'm not in that committee. I don't make those decisions. But others will find out. That's the great thing about the playoffs, everybody else will find out what we had to go against. ... From seeing them twice, and even seeing how they responded to adversity. They played really strong. I'd love to have a third chance at them, but that's a really good team and Joey [McGuire]'s done a great job with them."
"Who's played the best team in the country twice? We have... everybody else will find out... I'd love to have a third chance at them."
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 6, 2025
More from BYU head coach Kalani Sitake on Texas Tech after their second loss to the Red Raiders this season. pic.twitter.com/X4ktkRygCs
The problem for Sitake is that the committee doesn't view Texas Tech as the nation's best team—rather, the committee viewed Texas Tech as the fourth-best team entering conference championship weekend.
The loss all but assures that BYU, even at 11-2, will be out of the College Football Playoff despite the strong season.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kalani Sitake Makes BYU Playoff Case Despite Blowout Loss in Big 12 Championship.
