The AP Poll ranks *checks notes* 25 teams at any given time. There are technically other teams that receive votes, but for the purposes of the top 25 rankings, only 25 teams are able to get in. Heading into the 2025 college football season, Joey McGuire and the Texas Tech football team find themselves among the teams that earned a spot in the top 25.
To be specific, Texas Tech is weighing in at No. 23 in the 2025 preseason AP Poll.
Which is solid! It could be better, but it could be worse. And given that the Red Raiders still have a lot to prove as a program, it makes sense why some AP Poll voters might be a bit wary of putting a ton of confidence into Texas Tech.
I mean, the Red Raiders really haven’t had much overwhelming success in the 21st century.
Anyways, the Red Raiders weren’t the only team to get ranked. Texas Tech finds itself among a handful of Big 12 teams to sneak into the top 25 rankings.
2025 College football preseason rankings: Four Big 12 teams make it into AP Poll
Here are the four Big 12 teams to earn a preseason top 25 ranking from the AP Poll:
- Arizona State Sun Devils - No. 11
- Kansas State Wildcats - No. 17
- Iowa State Cyclones - No. 22
- Texas Tech Red Raiders - No. 23
That’s a pretty decent grouping for the Red Raiders to be included with. And it’s definitely better than the alternative of not being ranked at all.
Take the following teams, for example. This group received a few votes here and there, but they weren’t good enough to get into the top 25:
- Utah Utes
- Baylor Bears
- TCU Horned Frogs
- Colorado Buffaloes
- Kansas Jayhawks
And then there’s the folks that just simply didn’t get any votes and weren’t ranked at all:
- Arizona Wildcats
- BYU Cougars
- Cincinnati Bearcats
- Houston Cougars
- Oklahoma State Cowboys
- UCF Knights
- West Virginia Mountaineers
I’ve written elsewhere that I think Texas Tech probably deserves to be ranked higher, but also that the Red Raiders still have a lot to prove. And the more I think about that, the more I believe that. There’s just so much that Texas Tech needs to prove as a program right now. It’s not enough to win the transfer portal the way the Red Raiders did in the offseason.
Thankfully, there are plenty of chances for Texas Tech to go out and get some noteworthy wins throughout the season. And if McGuire and the Red Raiders do that, then they’ll be able to move up and earn a bit more respect each and every week.