Texas Tech Preps for CFP Quarterfinal with Confidence and Clarity
LUBBOCK, Texas - Jacob Rodriguez has no problem tuning in to some College Football Playoff action this weekend - just don’t expect him to be glued to the screen for the Oregon vs. James Madison matchup. Not because he doesn’t care who Texas Tech will face in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day, but because the All-America linebacker prefers to do his film study the old-fashioned way: with the coach’s tape, not the TV broadcast.
“I don’t think that watching like a TV copy helps me very much,” Rodriguez said after Wednesday’s practice. “If anything, it gives me like a skewed view… I can kind of just get away from football and then kind of go attack the work that needs to be done.”
That mindset speaks volumes about where Rodriguez - and this Red Raiders team - are right now. Focused.
Grounded. And ready.
Texas Tech, fresh off its first Big 12 title after a dominant 34-7 win over BYU on December 6, is in wait-and-see mode. At 12-1, the Red Raiders earned a first-round bye in the expanded College Football Playoff and will face the winner of Oregon vs. James Madison in the CFP quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl.
The nearly month-long gap between games could be tricky, but fourth-year head coach Joey McGuire is keeping his squad sharp. The Red Raiders are using the downtime to fine-tune their foundational schemes - the base packages they’ll run no matter who lines up across from them in Miami.
“We’ve worked on base stuff we know we’ll run no matter the opponent,” McGuire said. “We’re keeping it simple and sharp right now.”
McGuire, who secured a contract extension through 2032 before the Big 12 title game, is leaning into both stability and momentum. And with Saturday off, he’s planning to take in the playoff slate with his family - yes, even the late one out west.
“We'll watch it as a family,” McGuire said. “We'll hang out at home and watch it.”
While Rodriguez is saving his film study for after the matchup is set, he’ll still be watching the other playoff games. For him, it’s about balance - a brief step away from the grind, before diving back in with full focus.
Morton on the Move
One of the biggest reasons for Texas Tech’s late-season surge? A healthier Behren Morton.
The Red Raiders’ starting quarterback has been moving with a different kind of energy in practice - and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Morton battled through a lower leg injury that sidelined him for two games and limited him in two others, but now, he looks like a quarterback ready to lead a playoff run.
“I haven’t seen him run the way he’s running in a while,” McGuire said. “He's been both days full-go, and usually we move him out of some stuff. He looks really good.”
Morton missed Tech’s only loss of the season - an October 18 road game at Arizona State - but has been lights out since. In the Big 12 Championship, he threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Over his last four games, he’s tossed seven touchdowns without a single interception.
For the season, Morton is completing a Big 12-best 67% of his passes (201-of-300) for 2,643 yards, 22 touchdowns, and just four interceptions - efficient, smart, and surgical.
And now, with him healthy, the Red Raiders have the kind of balance you want heading into a CFP run: a confident quarterback, a dominant defense led by Rodriguez, and a coaching staff that has this team peaking at the right time.
Texas Tech will return to the field Sunday, with practices running through a walkthrough on December 23 before players head home for Christmas. Once the holiday break ends, it’s all eyes on the Orange Bowl.
Who they’ll face is still to be determined - but make no mistake, the Red Raiders will be ready.