College football spent Saturday tearing itself apart, and Texas Tech made sure it didn’t get dragged into the mess.
The Red Raiders blasted Arizona State 53-25 in Week 7, then watched the rest of the country’s rankings get shaken to pieces. That combination pushed Texas Tech even higher in both polls, giving the program its firmest grip on the top 10 all season.
In the AFCA Coaches Poll, Texas Tech landed at No. 5, one spot behind where the Red Raiders peaked in 2025. The A.P. poll has Tech at No. 8, up two places.
That climb came during a wild Saturday that saw No. 1, No.
2, No. 5, No. 6, and No. 7 from last week’s A.P. poll all lose.
Georgia and Texas, previously No. 1 and No. 7, both fell at home to unranked opponents, which sent the top of the rankings into a complete reset heading into Week 8.
Miami now sits at No. 1 in both polls. In the A.P., BYU moved up to No.
2, Ohio State is No. 3, Notre Dame dropped to No. 4, and Georgia slipped to No.
- The Coaches Poll has Ohio State, BYU, Georgia, and Texas Tech following Miami in that order.
The Big 12 is starting to show up in a big way, too. Three conference teams are in the top 10 of both polls this week. Utah checks in at No. 10 in the A.P. and No. 9 in the Coaches Poll.
Texas Tech also posted, “No. 8 in the AP 📈 pic.twitter.com/ciTVBOwRBm”
Beyond the Red Raiders and Utah, Houston is ranked No. 14 in the A.P. and No. 16 in the Coaches Poll, while Arizona is No. 25 in the A.P. Texas, meanwhile, took the week’s biggest hit after losing at home to unranked Florida. The Longhorns slid from No. 7 to No. 19 in the A.P. poll.
The polls don’t carry quite the same force they once did, but they still shape how teams are viewed. For Texas Tech, staying as high as possible matters before the College Football Playoff Selection Committee begins releasing its rankings in November. Poll position tends to matter, and a strong spot in the voting usually helps set the tone for the committee.
It has been tougher for Texas Tech to keep climbing because the Red Raiders have faced only one ranked opponent this season. Still, if the chaos keeps swallowing up the teams around them and Tech keeps handling its own business, the Red Raiders are positioned well for the stretch run.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Just Watched A Huge Big 12 Win Turn Complicated
For Texas Tech and the rest of the Big 12, BYUs 28-24 win over No. 2 Notre Dame was the kind of result that can ripple through the league, even if it did not involve a conference game. A road victory like that carries real value for the Big 12s national profile, especially with the Cougars ranked No. 8 and playing on one of college footballs biggest stages.
But the finish quickly turned messy. The Big 12 acknowledged there was still one second left after the final play, which meant Notre Dame should have had another snap, and there was also a disputed no-call on what might have been pass interference at the end. For a league that can use every marquee win it gets, the conversation around this one is now as much about officiating as it is about the upset itself. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Finally Delivered The Statement Win Fans Wanted
Texas Tech got the kind of emphatic win that can change the tone around a season, rolling past Arizona State 53-25 to stay unbeaten and move to 6-0 while sitting atop the Big 12. The Red Raiders looked sharp on both sides of the ball, with linebacker Ben Roberts scoring on a pick-six, running back J'Koby Williams breaking loose for two long touchdowns and the defense piling up six sacks to keep the Sun Devils off balance.
Will Hammond added steadiness at quarterback, completing 18 of 26 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown as the offense kept pressing after every turnover and stop. For a fan base looking for a true measuring-stick performance, this was the kind of complete showing that suggests Texas Tech is more than just undefeated - the next question is how far this version can carry in conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Fans Just Got A Clearer Look At The Big 12 Race
Texas Techs perfect start keeps paying off in the metrics, too. After Week 7, the Red Raiders moved ahead of Utah to become the highest-rated Big 12 team in ESPNs Football Power Index, landing at No. 9 nationally after their win over Arizona State pushed them to 6-0.
The rest of the league picture got a little clearer as well, even if not every team moved the way a rsum might suggest. Utah slipped to No. 13 after a narrow escape against Colorado, BYU stayed at No. 14 despite beating Notre Dame, and Houston checked in at No. 18, leaving the conference race looking crowded near the top and a little more intriguing underneath it. [Read more 🡒]