Texas Tech To Trounce Cougars In Title Game

BYU vs. Texas Tech, 12:00 ET

There are levels to a lot of things in sports. For example, there are a ton of college football teams out there, and while some are great in their own conference, they might not be that good when you send them out with the big dogs. I think about that a lot as I look at the MAC because some of those teams play good schools to start the year and are embarrassed. Then they play against other MAC teams and look solid. There is always the conversation of a college team beating a professional team, and it is always nonsense. Every professional team has players who are professionals. The same cannot be said for a college team. Unfortunately, for as good as BYU was this season, they are not the same level as Texas Tech.

BYU’s 2025 campaign hasn’t just been good — it’s been a statement. They opened strong, leaning on a ground game that’s become a real weapon and a defense that shuts down opposing air attacks before they even take flight. When the schedule got heavy — Big 12 grinds, ranked opponents, road tests — the Cougars were surprisingly poised. Maybe I undervalued them at the beginning of the season, but they clearly have a solid club that knows what they are doing. This won't be an easy game for them, and although it is technically not a home game for the Red Raiders, it might as well be given that it is in Arlington, TX. Over the year, execution made people like me stop sleeping on them. They’ve delivered win after win, built momentum, and shown the kind of consistency that turns outsiders into believers. If they want to make this game into a winner, they need to adjust from the many mistakes in the first game they played against the Red Raiders. 

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 08: Brice Pollock #14,Ben Roberts #13 and John Curry #6 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders tackle Carsen Ryan #20 of the BYU Cougars during the second half of the game against the BYU Cougars at Jones AT&T Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas.  (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)

Texas Tech’s 2025 campaign didn’t just exceed expectations; it shattered them. I suppose there are many out there who saw this coming, but this year has been fantastic, no matter if you were a fan of the team or a casual observer. The Red Raiders blew through non-conference play, piling up points and steam before Big 12 play even kicked off. Once in league action, they kept the throttle down: steady offense, stout defense, and enough blow-outs to truly establish themselves as the cream of the crop. For example, they beat Oklahoma State 42-0. They also took down BYU and Utah, the only ranked opponents on their schedule, by multiple scores. They hit double-digit wins for the first time since 2008, vaulted into the top-5 of the playoff rankings, and quietly built a case that they shouldn't be overlooked. They did lose at Arizona State, so it isn't like they are invincible, but they should win this game with relative ease. 

Of the three ranked matchups from today's slate, this is the one that I feel is least impressive. It is fairly obvious with the total as well given that the spread is almost two full scores. The Texas Tech offense is good enough that I think they will give a good BYU defense fits. If we were to change all three of the turnovers from BYU into touchdown drives, that would put the score at 29-28. We aren't going to do that, though. Texas Tech got pretty much anything they wanted against BYU last time and seemed like they were barely putting effort into it. I'm thinking that Texas Tech will win by 14 or more, so I'll take them to cover the spread. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024