The 2025 season didn’t end the way Texas Tech fans had hoped - that Orange Bowl loss to Oregon in the College Football Playoff was a tough pill to swallow. But let’s not let one bitter night overshadow what was, by just about every measure, a historic ride for Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech finished 12-2, captured its first-ever Big 12 championship, and punched a ticket to the College Football Playoff - a trifecta that would’ve sounded like a pipe dream not too long ago in Lubbock. This wasn’t just a good season. This was a program-defining one.
And it wasn’t just about the wins - though there were plenty of those. What stood out was how they won.
The Red Raiders brought a level of defensive intensity that’s rarely been a calling card in West Texas. For a program known more for lighting up scoreboards than locking down opponents, the shift on that side of the ball was striking.
The defense didn’t just hold its own - it became a strength, a tone-setter, and at times, the engine that drove them through the Big 12 gauntlet.
Offensively, the Red Raiders were no slouch either. They moved the ball efficiently, scored in bunches, and kept defenses on their heels - that is, until they ran into Oregon’s wall in Miami. But one off night in January doesn’t erase months of high-level execution.
All that success earned Texas Tech a No. 7 finish in the final AP Top 25 poll - a fitting capstone for a season that saw the Red Raiders crash the national conversation and prove they belong. Here's how the final rankings shook out:
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Miami Hurricanes
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Oregon Ducks
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- BYU Cougars
- Texas Longhorns
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Utah Utes
- Vanderbilt Commodores
- Virginia Cavaliers
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Tulane Green Wave
- James Madison Dukes
- USC Trojans
- Michigan Wolverines
- Houston Cougars
- Navy Midshipmen
- North Texas Mean Green
- TCU Horned Frogs
That No. 7 spot isn’t just a number. It’s a statement. It’s a reflection of a team that didn’t just rise - it arrived.
What comes next for Texas Tech is where things get even more intriguing. This isn’t a one-and-done story.
McGuire and his staff have built a foundation that looks sustainable. The Red Raiders are active and aggressive in the transfer portal, and the talent pipeline in Lubbock is as strong as it’s been in years.
There’s belief in the building - and now there’s proof on the field.
Sure, there’s still work to be done. The playoff loss showed there’s another level to reach.
But this season wasn’t just a flash of success - it felt like the beginning of something bigger. Texas Tech isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore.
They’ve got the wins, the hardware, and the national respect to prove it.
And if this is the new standard in Lubbock, the rest of the Big 12 - and maybe the country - better take notice.