The Big 12 spent Saturday taking hits from two sides at once.
Texas Tech and BYU both entered the day with conference-title and College Football Playoff hopes attached to them, and both walked off with losses to unranked opponents. For a league trying to strengthen its CFP case, it was the kind of afternoon that can linger.
Texas Tech was first to stumble, falling on the road to Cincinnati 37-24. The Red Raiders were 10.5-point favorites against a 4-2 Bearcats team, but their offense never found enough rhythm to take control. Texas Tech had to settle for four field goals, and Cincinnati took a 24-6 lead into halftime.
The Red Raiders did show some life after the break. They opened the third quarter with 10 points, getting a field goal and a pick-six.
Texas Tech also picked off Bearcats quarterback JC French IV a second time, but Stone Harrington missed a 38-yard field goal, and Cincinnati answered with a touchdown on the next drive to push the lead to 31-15. Texas Tech added 10 more points in the fourth quarter, but the Bearcats finished the job with an insurance touchdown and closed out the 37-24 win.
Then came the bigger shock.
BYU, coming off a huge home win over then-No. 2 Notre Dame, went to UCF and lost 39-31 in double overtime.
The game stayed tight from start to finish, with UCF leading 17-14 at halftime and 24-21 after three quarters. BYU’s Matthias Dunn tied it at 24 with a 47-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and that score held until regulation ended.
Both teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime to force a second.
That’s where the game turned on a controversial sequence. UCF was ready to settle for a field goal on its first possession of the second overtime, but a roughing the kicker call gave the Knights new life.
From there, UCF quarterback Keyone Jenkins found Grayson Brousseau in the end zone, and the Knights converted the two-point try to go up 39-31. On BYU’s next possession, Bear Bachmeir could not connect with Walker Lyons in the end zone, and the upset was sealed.
For the conference picture, the damage was immediate.
According to DraftKings, BYU still sits at +110 to make the CFP, which is the 11-best mark in the nation. Texas Tech is at +340. Utah, which plays Houston later Saturday at home, has the best odds in the conference at -115.
ESPN’s FPI had Texas Tech at a 67.9% chance to make the CFP entering Saturday, while BYU was at 71.3%. BYU may still have some breathing room thanks to the Notre Dame win, but the road ahead is no joke.
The Cougars still have Arizona State, Utah on the road, Baylor, Kansas in Manhattan and Cincinnati at home. Another loss would make the path to the CFP much harder.
In Other News...
UCF Backfield Loses A Key Weapon Before Its Biggest Test Yet
UCFs rushing attack took a hit Wednesday when Taevion Swint landed on the injury report and was ruled out for the Knights upcoming trip to BYU. Swint has become a key part of the ground game, so his absence shifts more of the workload onto Duke Watson and Landen Chambers as UCF heads into one of its biggest tests of the season.
Scott Frost did not offer any details on what sidelined Swint or when the injury occurred, leaving the Knights to sort through the backfield without one of their most reliable options. The timing is notable, too, with BYU also expected to be without star running back LJ Martin, setting up a game where both teams will need to adapt quickly on offense. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Gets A Huge Boost For Its Shot At No. 2 BYU
A healthier receiving corps could be exactly what UCF needs with No. 2 BYU looming, and Duane Thomas Jr. is expected to be available for his season debut after missing the opening weeks with a lingering injury. His return would give the Knights another option in a passing game that has been leaning on Josh Derry, who has emerged as a key target for Keyone Jenkins in recent weeks.
Quarterback health is still part of the equation, too, with Alonza Barnett III possibly returning from injury even though Jenkins remains the likely starter. For UCF, that creates a little more flexibility as it tries to piece together an offense capable of keeping pace in a matchup that already carried plenty of weight before the injury news began to shift the picture. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Gets Its Biggest Home Test Yet Against No. 2 BYU
Saturdays matchup at FBC Mortgage Stadium carries the feel of a measuring-stick game for UCF, with No. 2 BYU bringing a top-tier national profile into one of the Knights biggest home stages of the season. The broadcast and radio setup is in place for a late kickoff, and the backdrop only adds to the buzz, with clear skies and cool temperatures expected in Orlando.
The on-field puzzle is centered on the run game, where both sides are dealing with key injury absences at running back. BYUs defense has been stout against the ground all season, and UCF has had trouble generating much there at times already, which puts even more pressure on a game that has long been tilted in the Cougars favor on paper. The odds reflect that reality, but this is the kind of home test that can still tell you a lot about where the Knights stand. [Read more 🡒]