The College Football Playoff selection committee ranked Texas Tech No. 5 in its third set of rankings of the 2025 season, announced live Tuesday night on ESPN.
Texas Tech (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) is currently positioned as the highest-ranked team among the 12 qualifying CFP teams that would play in the first round of the playoffs. That spot would place the Red Raiders in a home game against No. 12 Tulane – the highest-ranked Group of Five program – on either Dec. 19 or Dec. 20. Teams ranked Nos. 1-4 receive a bye into the quarterfinal round, which will be played at the Cotton Bowl (Dec. 31), Orange Bowl (Jan. 1), Rose Bowl (Jan. 1), or Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1).
The Red Raiders, who debuted at No. 8 in the CFP rankings on Nov. 4, impressed the committee with their 29-7 win over then-No. 7 BYU on Nov. 8, moving to No. 6. Tech bettered its ranking once again this week following a 48-9 victory over UCF and a home loss by then-No. 4 Alabama to Oklahoma that helped shake up the top of the poll.
Texas Tech closed its 2025 regular-season home schedule last Saturday, capping an undefeated 7-0 season at Jones AT&T Stadium – its first undefeated mark at home since 2008. It did so in dominating fashion, cruising to back-to-back wins of 29-7 (vs. BYU) and 48-9 (vs. UCF), marking the Red Raiders' first back-to-back wins while limiting its opponents to single-digit scoring since 2000 when the Red Raiders claimed victories over North Texas (13-7) and Louisiana (26-0). It was the first time doing so in conference games since Texas Tech's final season in the Southwest Conference in 1995, when it lost to Baylor (9-7) and defeated Texas A&M (14-7). The Red Raiders' scoring defense ranks No. 3 in the nation in 2025, allowing 12.3 points per game.
Joining the Red Raiders from the Big 12 conference in the CFP Top 25 in the third installment of rankings were four teams that they played earlier this season, including BYU at No. 11 (W), Utah at No. 12 (W), Houston at No. 23 (W), and Arizona State at No. 25 (L).
The Red Raiders' lone setback remains their Oct. 18 game at now-ranked No. 25 Arizona State, when redshirt freshman quarterback Will Hammond started in place of an injured senior Behren Morton. Hammond helped rally Texas Tech late, but Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt led a final drive to seal the Sun Devils' 11th straight win, at the time, over Big 12 opponents in games he has started.
Texas Tech closes its regular-season on Nov. 29 at West Virginia following its open date on Nov. 22. Per the Big 12, Texas Tech clinches a berth into the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 6 this weekend during its open date with a loss by Arizona State, and a BYU win over Cincinnati, or with losses by Arizona State, BYU, and Utah.
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