Oregon's dominant defense stifles Texas Tech's potent offense, ending the Red Raiders' championship hopes with a stunning shutout.
Texas Tech this year has been billed - with snark and maybe with jealousy - as "The Best Team Money Can Buy.''
And on New Year's Day in the Red Raiders' College Football Playoff debut against Oregon?
The critics can now chirp, "Maybe Tech should've bought more offense.''
Oregon recorded a 23-0 shutout of Tech in this Orange Bowl game in Miami to move to 13-1 ... and the Ducks did so with pedigree as a program long heralded as a contender ...
In part due to the money that powers that program.
Texas Tech also came in at 12-1, as its utilization of the new money-related rules that have made college football a Wild, Wild West of balance had allowed the Red Raiders to rise to the No. 4 slot in the tournament rankings.
But what Tech could not do today - at all - was move the football.
Tech and QB Behren Morton really never came close to managing to threaten on offense - the Red Raiders were sacked four times and coughed up four turnovers while totaling just 206 yards of offense - and now the No. 5 Ducks emerge from this New Year’s Day showcase and will advance to the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9 to play the winner of the Rose Bowl between No. 9 Alabama and No. 1 Indiana.
Tech coach Joey McGuire’s upstart group won the Big 12 championship to earn a CFP berth - both accomplishments first for the program in Lubbock - and there is plenty to build on for the future ...
Not only from this season, but also more specifically from this game.
"Defense wins championships''? That's where the Red Raiders probably had their best shot here, having come into the game ranking second in the nation in yards allowed per play (3.96), second in total yards allowed per game (254.4) and most important, third in fewest points allowed per game than Texas Tech (10.9).
But TTU couldn't quite hold down Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and his weaponry to that paltry figure.
Yeah, Oregon only scored 23. But they only needed ... two or three.
The Tech defense, led by Butkus Award-winning linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, pass-rush star David Bailey and Ben Roberts, played valiantly.
But as the Red Raiders program builds on the foundation they helped create? Here's betting McGuire and company will work to assemble a true title threat via the other side of the ball.