I watched this football game from 2:00 A.M. to 5:30 A.M. local time in Japan, and even I was more awake than BYU during the Big 12 Championship Game.
With their playoff fate resting firmly in the balance of this game's result (a 99.9% to 0.8% pendulum offered to the Cougars by ESPN depending on the final), BYU approached this game anxious to atone for their only loss of the season, to fight for their returning head coach, and make a statement to the college football world, that there were, in fact, two College Football Playoff-caliber teams in the Big 12 Conference.
But one look at the majority scarlet crowd inside AT&T Stadium, and my optimism began to sink.
The scoreboard read 29-7 after four quarters in Lubbock. This afternoon, with their season at stake, BYU was stifled, smothered, and snuffed in a 34-7 drubbing. Texas Tech are the winners of the Big 12 Conference in 2025, and deservedly so. BYU, however, affirmed all accusations of fraudulent at-large consideration as they were incapable of delivering even a competitive result.
The Red Raiders have been the Cougars' kryptonite this year, emasculating and erasing the identity of a team that had dominated the remainder of the regular season. 11 wins don't arrive accidentally -- BYU is a deserving top-15 team this season no matter how you split it -- but both meetings with Tech have affirmed that the Cougars are not equipped to compete at the highest level as currently constructed.
In the pre-game period, I had shaken off all of the Cougars' shortcomings from early November as little more than a wake-up call -- a warning of potential challenges ahead. The second meeting with the Big 12's titans only cemented the truth of this BYU football team and its place in the higher echelons of the greater college football landscape.
BYU scored just once in Lubbock, a garbage time touchdown. And despite punching in the first points of the game on an LJ Martin power run, those maiden seven points would stand as the team's only visible offensive product of the afternoon. Even after three straight Tech drives resulted in points, BYU entered the halftime break down just six -- a one-possession game -- and set to receive the halftime kickoff.
In the second half, however, the wheels completely fell off.
Citing Bear Bachmeier's turnover-prone nightmare in Western Texas, I was confident that the BYU offense wouldn't replicate their -3 turnover margin from the prior loss. I was correct, though unfortunately not how I had hoped, as the Cougars were -4 on that scale.
Aaron Roderick's offense had a miserable second half. Drive-by-drive, here is how the final 30 minutes played out with BYU in possession:
Missed FG
Interception
3-and-out
Fumble
Interception
4-and-out (turnover on downs)
Fumble
Punt
In a ghoulish flashback to early November, the BYU offense consistently coughed up possession and Tech was more than happy to respond with point of their own. After scoring with 4:58 remaining in the first quarter, the offense went stagnant; scoreless for 50 minutes.
Texas Tech's defense, led by Butkus Award winner Jacob Rodriguez, shut down Bear Bachmeier, LJ Martin, and a fully-healthy BYU offense that included returning Senior wide-out Chase Roberts and even second-string half back Sione Moa, providing some much-needed depth in the backfield.
Be it overly cautious play-calling, a failure to match the Red Raiders' physicality, or the fear of the known enemy struck in the hearts of the BYU Cougars on nearly every play of the second half, BYU was outmatched in every aspect of this battle for the Big 12 belt.
On offense, Texas Tech imposed their will, rushing the ball through freight train-sized holes in the trenches, hitting open receivers with ease, and gliding into BYU territory on nearly every possession. On defense, the Raiders were often in the backfield before Bachmeier had time to turn his head to look downfield, including a hit from behind that jostled the ball loose and fed the Raiders yet another free possession.
Say what you will about resume: wins, losses, strength of record, quality of opponents, and everything in between. Though BYU may have had a strong case for an at-large bid at the end of 12 games, it's hard to watch this team take the field against a bonafide championship contender and honestly say they deserve to be in.
11th-ranked BYU was never going to reach the final bracket as an at-large -- that much has been abundantly clear -- but it's tough to accept that Miami and Notre Dame will have the benefit of not playing in their conference championships and leapfrogging a team competing against a top-4 giant.
The Cougars' season is not over (especially if you, like me, are an avid viewer of the Pop-Tarts Bowl) but losing in such drastic fashion at this stage will almost certainly be how many remember what has one of the strongest seasons in the BYU football program's history. This was the year that BYU couldn't compete with Texas Tech.
The better team won this game. Both parties stand to benefit greatly from a very strong recruiting season, and could meet once again in Arlington in a year's time. Until then, however, the mantle has fallen on Texas Tech to represent the Big 12 in the College Football Playoff. Now, go win the whole thing.