Well, it’s safe to say that Joey McGuire and the Texas Tech football team did exactly what they needed to this past weekend to take control over the Big 12 football standings. A dominant, 29-7 win over the then No. 7 ranked BYU Cougars allowed Texas Tech to leapfrog BYU to claim the top spot in the Big 12 standings.
And given that the season is winding down (and BYU has some pivotal games up ahead while Texas Tech’s upcoming schedule is pretty easy, all things considered), it’s good to see the Red Raiders in this position right now.
Up ahead on BYU’s slate are the TCU Horned Frogs, Cincinnati Bearcats, and UCF Knights. Meanwhile, Texas Tech has UCF, a bye week, and West Virginia.
That’s a great spot to be in for Texas Tech. That’s a bit rough for a BYU team that has done so well and will now have to go through a TCU team that has been shocking at times and a Cincinnati team that is tied for second in the Big 12 standings right now.
Big 12 football standings, Week 12: Texas Tech moves to the top after solid win at home over BYU Cougars
Here’s what the Big 12 football standings look like right now:
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-1 overall, 6-1 Big 12)
- BYU Cougars (8-1 overall, 5-1 Big 12)
- Cincinnati Bearcats (7-2 overall, 5-1 Big 12)
- Houston Cougars (8-2 overall, 5-2 big 12)
- Utah Utes (7-2 overall, 4-2 Big 12)
- Arizona State Sun Devils (6-3 overall, 4-2 Big 12)
- Arizona Wildcats (6-3 overall, 3-3 Big 12)
- TCU Horned Frogs (6-3 overall, 3-3 Big 12)
- Baylor Bears (5-4 overall, 3-3 Big 12)
- Kansas State Wildcats (4-5 overall, 3-3 Big 12)
- Iowa State Cyclones (6-4 overall, 3-4 Big 12)
- Kansas Jayhawks (5-5 overall, 3-4 Big 12)
- West Virginia Mountaineers (4-6 overall, 2-5 Big 12)
- UCF Knights (4-5 overall, 1-5 Big 12)
- Colorado Buffaloes (3-7 overall, 1-6 Big 12)
- Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-8 overall, 0-6 Big 12)
As long as Texas Tech can take care of business against UCF and West Virginia (who are near the very bottom of the Big 12 when it comes to these standings), then we’re in a good spot for the Red Raiders.
They’ll be able to lock up a coveted spot in the Big 12 championship game and also come one step closer to snagging a really solid spot in the College Football Playoff in the process. This win over BYU paved the way for that to happen. And that’s exciting to see.