Well, Texas Tech might be ranked higher than any other team from Texas in the latest ESPN Football Power Index rankings, but the Red Raiders aren’t currently the top team in their own conference according to ESPN’s FPI.
It’s weird, it’s going to confuse some folks, but the Texas Tech Red Raiders are currently ranked behind the Utah Utes.
Big 12 rankings: ESPN FPI rankings put Texas Tech Red Raiders behind Utah Utes as Week 13 rolls around
Here’s what the Big 12 looks like this weekend as the Texas Tech Red Raiders get a break and take their last bye week:
- Utah Utes - No. 7
- Texas Tech Red Raiders - No. 8
- BYU Cougars - No. 14
- Arizona Wildcats - No. 36
- Iowa State Cyclones - No. 37
- TCU Horned Frogs - No. 40
- Cincinnati Bearcats - No. 42
- Kansas State Wildcats - No. 43
- Arizona State Sun Devils - No. 45
- Kansas Jayhawks - No. 49
- Baylor Bears - No. 52
- Houston Cougars - No. 55
- UCF Knights - No. 62
- Colorado Buffaloes - No. 69
- West Virginia Mountaineers - No. 73
- Oklahoma State Cowboys - No. 120
I get that there are a number of factors that go into calculating all of this. I get that there’s a bunch of predictions and calculating that help determine what these look like. There’s a ton of data used in all of this.
It’s still so weird to see the Utah Utes ranked ahead of the Red Raiders here when Texas Tech not only beat the Utes but managed to do so by 24 points in a game that ended up not being remotely close at all. And then there’s the fact that Utah also lost to BYU who in turn lost to Texas Tech.
It just doesn’t feel logical. And that’s going to get folks (like myself) a little perplexed and reacting a little bit.
It’s not that big of a deal, truly. It’s just odd. Texas Tech has the inside track to winning the Big 12 and making the College Football Playoff. The Utes don’t really have much of a shot at either of those things unless something truly catastrophically bizarre happens.