Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders rise to No. 6 in second installment of CFP rankings
November 11, 2025 | Football
LUBBOCK, Texas – The College Football Playoff ranked Texas Tech No. 6 in its second installment of rankings, announced live Tuesday night on ESPN.
The Red Raiders, who debuted at No. 8 last week in the CFP, moved up two spots after wrecking then-No. 7 BYU, 29-7, at Jones AT&T Stadium to improve to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in Big 12 play. BYU dropped to No. 12, while Utah landed at No. 13, and Cincinnati joined the CFP Top 25 at No. 25 to round out the Big 12 representatives in this week's rankings.
Texas Tech sits at No. 8 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches polls, released Sunday. The CFP committee, however, favors the Red Raiders (No. 6) over Ole Miss (No. 7) and Oregon (No. 8), as the Ducks and Rebels are ahead of Texas Tech in the AP and Coaches polls. The five teams ahead of the Red Raiders in all three rankings are Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Georgia.
Texas Tech returned to the top 10 of the AP and Coaches polls two weeks ago following a 43-20 win at Kansas State and has since added another decisive victory over BYU. The Red Raiders have won nine games by 20 points or more this season, the most in the country.
Their lone setback came Oct. 18 at Arizona State, when redshirt freshman quarterback Will Hammond started in place of injured senior Behren Morton. Hammond helped rally Texas Tech late, but Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt led a final drive to seal the Sun Devils' 11th straight win over Big 12 opponents in games he has started.
Texas Tech closes its regular-season home schedule Saturday against UCF for Senior Day. A win would secure the Red Raiders' seventh 10-win season in program history and bolster their bid for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game and their first College Football Playoff appearance.
The CFP selection committee meets in person each Monday and Tuesday before unveiling its rankings live on ESPN. The final rankings and 12-team playoff bracket will be revealed on Selection Day, Sunday, Dec. 7.
Upcoming CFP Rankings Release Dates (run of show)
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The CFP selection committee ranks the top 25 teams at the end of the regular season. The five highest ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams will be seeded into a 12-team bracket based on the final ranking, with the four highest-ranked teams receiving a first-round bye. The teams ranked Nos. 5-12 will play in the CFP First Round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds. The Playoff Quarterfinals and Playoff Semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be on Monday, January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com.
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The Red Raiders, who debuted at No. 8 last week in the CFP, moved up two spots after wrecking then-No. 7 BYU, 29-7, at Jones AT&T Stadium to improve to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in Big 12 play. BYU dropped to No. 12, while Utah landed at No. 13, and Cincinnati joined the CFP Top 25 at No. 25 to round out the Big 12 representatives in this week's rankings.
Texas Tech sits at No. 8 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches polls, released Sunday. The CFP committee, however, favors the Red Raiders (No. 6) over Ole Miss (No. 7) and Oregon (No. 8), as the Ducks and Rebels are ahead of Texas Tech in the AP and Coaches polls. The five teams ahead of the Red Raiders in all three rankings are Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Georgia.
Texas Tech returned to the top 10 of the AP and Coaches polls two weeks ago following a 43-20 win at Kansas State and has since added another decisive victory over BYU. The Red Raiders have won nine games by 20 points or more this season, the most in the country.
Their lone setback came Oct. 18 at Arizona State, when redshirt freshman quarterback Will Hammond started in place of injured senior Behren Morton. Hammond helped rally Texas Tech late, but Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt led a final drive to seal the Sun Devils' 11th straight win over Big 12 opponents in games he has started.
Texas Tech closes its regular-season home schedule Saturday against UCF for Senior Day. A win would secure the Red Raiders' seventh 10-win season in program history and bolster their bid for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game and their first College Football Playoff appearance.
The CFP selection committee meets in person each Monday and Tuesday before unveiling its rankings live on ESPN. The final rankings and 12-team playoff bracket will be revealed on Selection Day, Sunday, Dec. 7.
Upcoming CFP Rankings Release Dates (run of show)
- Tuesday, Nov. 18: 7:30-8:00 p.m. CT
- Tuesday, Nov. 25: 6:00-7:00 p.m. CT
- Tuesday, Dec. 2: 6:00-6:30 p.m. CT
- Sunday, Dec. 7: 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. CT
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The CFP selection committee ranks the top 25 teams at the end of the regular season. The five highest ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams will be seeded into a 12-team bracket based on the final ranking, with the four highest-ranked teams receiving a first-round bye. The teams ranked Nos. 5-12 will play in the CFP First Round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds. The Playoff Quarterfinals and Playoff Semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be on Monday, January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com.
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