Even ESPN Sees Two Big 12 Teams in College Football Playoff

The first official College Football Playoff rankings don’t drop until Tuesday night on ESPN, but that hasn’t stopped the projections from rolling in. ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach released their updated postseason picks this week, and the Big 12 is sitting in a pretty intriguing spot.

Both analysts have BYU and Texas Tech not just in the playoff field, but squaring off against one another in a projected 8 vs. 9 matchup. That’s a first-round showdown between two Big 12 teams, with BYU getting the slight edge as the higher seed and, under the new format, the right to host.

For BYU, this would be a major step in Year Three as a Big 12 member. They came into the league with big aspirations but had to take their lumps two years ago. Now, with a more complete roster and title aspirations, they look every bit the part. Sitting undefeated through 10 weeks, they’ve been one of the more consistent teams in the conference and are earning playoff buzz as a result.

Texas Tech, meanwhile, has taken a different route to the same conversation. The Red Raiders have only dropped one game, but have turned it around with their star quarterback back under center. They’re playing tough on defense, and the offense has done more than enough to keep them in the mix. Joey McGuire has been clear about where he wants to take this program, and if the Red Raiders land in the playoff field, even as a nine seed, it would mark a clear breakthrough.

Of course, this is just a projection, and there’s plenty of football left to be played. But seeing two Big 12 teams locked into the playoff field with a head-to-head matchup shows where the league is trending. It’s not just about one team making a run anymore. There’s real depth starting to form.

Whether or not this exact scenario plays out, the message is clear: the Big 12 is alive in the playoff race, and it’s not riding on just one horse. BYU and Texas Tech have put themselves in the picture. Now it’s about staying there.