Red Raiders get a much-needed break before facing a formidable opponent in Miami's Orange Bowl clash. Will injuries heal for a championship push?
The best season in Texas Tech history isn’t close to finished — it's getting a New Year’s Day spotlight in South Florida.
After smashing its way to a Big 12 Championship, Texas Tech held firm at No. 4 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, earning a first-round bye and a trip to the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
The Red Raiders will face the winner of No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison on Thursday, Jan. 1, at 11 a.m. CT. The Ducks and Dukes square off Dec. 20 at Autzen Stadium for the right to take their shot at Tech.
Despite winning the league, Tech didn't budge in the committee's eyes, staying behind No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Georgia.
But for a program that hadn't even appeared in the CFP rankings before this season, simply starting and finishing inside the top four is its own flex.
This is rare air for the Red Raiders.
Their No. 4 CFP and AP ranking is the second-highest in school history, trailing only the midseason No. 2 peak in 2008. The program's best-ever final AP finish is No. 11 - a number that now feels like a distant floor instead of a ceiling.
The postseason stage will be brand new, too.
Tech has never played in the Orange Bowl, and hasn't taken the field in Miami since facing the Hurricanes back in 1986.
Either potential opponent brings intrigue.
Oregon owns a 3-0 all-time mark against Texas Tech, including a 38-30 win in Lubbock in 2023, and comes in 11-1 with top-five advanced metrics across the board.
James Madison, meanwhile, only made the jump to FBS in 2022 and has never faced Tech, but crashed the playoff at 12-1 after hammering Troy 31-14 in the Sun Belt title game.
The bye week might be just as important as the matchup.
Quarterback Behren Morton has been grinding through a lower-body issue late in the year, even wearing a boot in practice, while disruptive defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard hasn't played since Oct. 11.
A healthier Morton and a returning Gill-Howard would only supercharge a team that's already steamrolled its way into the national conversation.
From the 806 to the 305, Texas Tech now gets time to rest, reload and then prove on New Year's Day that this season isn't just historic ... it might be championship-caliber.