Did open date cost Texas Tech football in latest CFP ranking?
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The Texas Tech football team benefited last week from an open date, players such as banged-up quarterback Behren Morton and others getting to rest. The Red Raiders didn’t benefit by anyone ahead of them in the College Football Playoff ranking losing.
In the newest ranking released on Tuesday, Nov. 25, the top five remained unchanged from last week with the Red Raiders staying at No. 5.
The teams ranked above Texas Tech are Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Georgia. Behind the Red Raiders in the top 10 are Oregon, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama.
What did CFP committee chairman Hunter Yurachek say about Texas Tech football’s position in the CFP ranking?
CFP selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek was asked by the Avalanche-Journal if the Red Raiders are closer to cracking the top four, which receive first-round byes in the playoff, or closer to No. 6 Oregon and No. 7 Ole Miss, who traded places this week after Oregon beat Southern California 42-27 while Ole Miss had an open date.
“I’d say at 5, they’re very close to 4 and they’re very close to 6, and that’s not to be funny,” said Yurachek, the Arkansas athletics director. “Texas Tech is a really good team. You look at their margin of victory, it leads the country at 33.8 (points). They’ve got 10 wins of 20-plus points. They’re in the top five in relative scoring offense and relative scoring defense.
“They are a really strong team, as are Georgia and Ole Miss and Oregon, the one-loss teams right there. We talk about all four of those teams at great length and great depth each and every week — four really good one-loss teams grouped there together.”
Tech (10-1, 7-1 in the Big 12) plays its regular-season finale at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at West Virginia (4-7, 2-6). The Red Raiders can clinch the program’s first appearance in the Big 12 championship game if Arizona (8-3, 5-3) beats Arizona State (8-3, 6-2) on Friday night or by winning their game on Saturday.
Who’s behind Texas Tech football in the Nov. 25 CFP rankings?
The teams ranked 11 through 15 are Brigham Young, Miami, Utah, Vanderbilt and Michigan. Slotted 16 through 20 are Texas, Southern California, Virginia, Tennessee and Arizona State. Rounding out the 25 are SMU, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Tulane and Arizona.
The CFP rankings come out weekly with the final ranking released on Sunday, Dec. 7, after conference championship games are complete. The top four in the final ranking receive first-round byes in the 12-team bracket. Teams ranked 5 through 8 will host CFP first-round games Dec. 19 and 20 against teams ranked 9 through 12.
The five highest-ranked conference champions will make the field.
If the rankings finished the same as they are this week, Texas Tech would host No. 24 Tulane in a first-round game at Jones AT&T Stadium, and the winner would play Georgia in a quarterfinal matchup.
2025 College Football Playoff Schedule
FIRST ROUND: Friday, Dec. 19 and Saturday, Dec. 20 at higher-seeded school.
QUARTERFINALS: Wednesday, Dec. 31: Cotton Bowl (Arlington), 6:30 p.m.; Thursday, Jan. 1: Orange Bowl (Miami), 11 a.m.; Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California), 3 p.m.; Sugar Bowl (New Orleans), 7 p.m.
SEMIFINALS: Thursday, Jan. 8: Fiesta Bowl (Phoenix), 6:30 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 9: Peach Bowl (Atlanta), 6:30 p.m.
FINALS: Monday, Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), 6:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Did open date cost Texas Tech football in latest CFP ranking?
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