Texas Tech has made the cleanest case in the state so far.
At 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 play, the Red Raiders are one of just nine unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. They’re also sitting inside the national top 10, with Texas Tech checking in at No. 10 in the AP Poll and No. 9 in the AFCA Coaches Poll. For Week 7, that combination is enough to put them at the front of the Texas pack.
The simplest argument is also the strongest: Texas Tech hasn’t lost. In a season that has already given the Red Raiders a road win at Oregon State, a statement home victory over then-ranked Houston, and a convincing 29-7 win at Colorado, they’ve done what every contender is supposed to do - take care of business and do it against teams that have given the résumé some weight.
That unbeaten start matters more than anything else in these early-state rankings. Being perfect at 5-0 is the kind of edge that separates a team from the rest of the Texas field, especially when those wins include a tough trip to Oregon State and a road result in Boulder. Those are the kind of games that show up well in the eyes of both voters and the numbers.
And the numbers have liked Texas Tech, too. The Red Raiders’ steady climb into the top 10 has been backed by the kind of week-to-week consistency that gets noticed nationally. Human polls can lean on reputation, but Texas Tech’s profile has been built on results.
That’s why, on paper, the Red Raiders sit ahead of Texas, which is 4-1. The Longhorns do have the more eye-catching win over Ohio State, but that came at home.
Their other victories - against Texas State and UTSA - don’t stack up the same way against Texas Tech’s wins over Colorado and Oregon State. Texas’ road win at Tennessee is another point in its favor, but the Volunteers needed to grind through close games against Auburn and Arkansas, teams that are 5-6 combined.
Texas also has the blemish of a loss to Oklahoma, and the Sooners had already lost to Michigan before falling to Georgia by four touchdowns. That matters in a comparison like this one, especially when Texas Tech is still unbeaten.
There’s also the road factor. Texas has just one road win.
Texas Tech has two. In a close early-season debate, that kind of detail helps tilt the conversation.
Advanced metrics have backed up the Red Raiders’ standing as well. Systems like ESPN’s SP+ and Football Power Index judge teams by efficiency, explosiveness and opponent-adjusted performance rather than just raw record, and Texas Tech has landed firmly inside or near the national upper tier. That strengthens the argument that this isn’t just a pretty record - it’s a team performing at a high level.
So while the top spot in Texas could shift from week to week, depending on what happens next, the case entering Week 7 is straightforward: Texas Tech is undefeated, battle-tested, and ranked in the national top 10. On paper, that puts the Red Raiders at No. 1 in the state.
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