With Texas Tech and Oregon preparing for a playoff run, the game isn’t about talent; it’s about their toughness. As the Big 10’s dominance takes center stage, Texas Tech’s odds look to be fading away. However, CBS Sports’ Josh Pate is right there to back them up.

“Well, my eyes tell me they’re really good because not only have they beaten the competition, but they’ve pretty thoroughly splattered the competition this year, but there’s always that one little pesky voice of doubt in the back of your mind that says, ‘But but it was all against Big 12 teams,  CBS analyst Josh Pate said on his College Football Show.

Yes, that is accurate. However, maybe the Big 12’s okay. And also maybe the fact that it wasn’t just a bunch of three- and seven-point wins, but rather 22-plus-point wins—maybe that means a lot. Maybe it means a little. Yeah. So trust your eyes with Texas Tech.”

Texas Tech and Oregon are both elite teams.  Oregon has not lost since their home defeat against Indiana, whereas Texas Tech matches the same surge, winning six straight games and delivering back-to-back wins against BYU in the Big 12 championship. But despite that, FanDuel Sportsbook names Oregon a -1.5 favorite against the Red Raiders. So, the only reason fans and analysts are doubting them is because of their win against Big 12 teams.

Sure, the Big 10 conference is much tougher than the Big 12, but even Oregon didn’t face a real opponent apart from Indiana this season. Penn State ended up with a 4-8 record, and teams like Oklahoma State and Northwestern don’t count as tough competition. Even USC and James Madison are relatively weaker than the teams Texas Tech faced, like BYU and Arizona State.

Texas Tech’s defense can be Oregon’s real test. They rank third nationally in scoring defense at 10.9 points allowed per game and lead the nation in rush defense, giving up just 68.5 yards per contest and 2.3 yards per carry. Their solid pass defense ranked 25th nationally, while their tendency to pressure quarterbacks totaled 39 sacks against their opponents, which is the fifth-most in the country.

This season, the Red Raiders have smacked a nation-best 31 turnovers through 16 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries. Their linebacker, Jacob Rodriguez, is the backbone of their defense, as he is leading the nation with seven forced fumbles while adding four interceptions. With him, even Ben Roberts, leading the team’s defense, recorded 73 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and six pass breakups.

So, Josh Pate is not wrong when he says that Texas Tech can give Oregon tough competition. So, even if odds are not in their favor, they can turn things in their favor.

With the Ducks focusing on their quarterfinal game against Texas Tech, Dan Lanning and his staff are also balancing transfer portal evaluations as they shape next season’s roster.

Dan Lanning mirroring last year’s portal move

HC Dan Lanning is making a major portal move, in hopes of hitting the jackpot like they did last year. Oregon already links to several transfer portal targets, including Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, and now, as per On3’s Pete Nakos, USC defensive lineman Devan Thopkins emerges as a player to watch.

He spent three seasons with the Trojans and could become the next high-profile addition for the Ducks. That move closely resembles Oregon’s last offseason approach to get defensive lineman Bear Alexzander from USC. And that decision did wonders for Dan Lanning and his team, as he recorded 45 tackles and one sack during the regular season. And in his second career College Football Playoff appearance against James Madison, he added four tackles with two solo stops.

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Even Thompkins can match that success, as he recorded 31 total tackles, 18 solo tackles, and three sacks, one forced fumble, and two pass breakups with 4.5 career sacks with USC. With championship hopes on their backs and a possible defensive star on the line, the New Year looks rewarding for Dan Lanning and his team.