For a Heisman winner out of Alabama, picking against the Crimson Tide for a national title is almost heresy. But that’s exactly the line Mark Ingram just crossed. Guess which team has dominated every bit of that in 2025? Alabama has already made the playoffs, rather controversially, after losing the SEC title game in a blowout loss. It’s not to say the team can’t win, however slim the chances may be. But, former Bama Heisman winner Mark Ingram snubbed the Tide and picked another team instead.

“They are just on a mission. I like Texas Tech. I think they are a true national title contender,” said Mark Ingram II on the ‘Triple Option podcast’. The reason to pick the Red Raiders for the 2009 Heisman trophy winner is simple. Texas Tech offers a varied threat and can make life hard for any team, including Ohio State and Indiana.

This isn’t just vibes either. Texas Tech just wrapped up a 12–1 season, won the Big 12 title, and secured the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye in the new 12-team College Football Playoff, the best season in school history.

“There’s something about this team in Lubbock, man. They give it to you how you want. You want them to throw vertically; they could do that. You want them to throw outside the numbers; they could do that. You want them to run the football; they could do that. You want them to rush the pass; they could do that. You want them to turn the football over; they could do that,” said Ingram.

That’s exactly what the numbers say, too. The Red Raiders have outscored opponents by more than 31 points per game and are one of the only FBS teams sitting top-five nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense, plus takeaways per game.

Texas Tech has been utterly dominant throughout the season, and the latest evidence was in the Big 12 title game against an 11-win BYU. The Cougars managed to garner just 200 total yards and not one significant gain in yardage after halftime. The team’s QB1, Bear Bachmeier, entered with just four total interceptions in the game. But by the time it ended, LB Ben Roberts had forced two picks, turning the ball over to capitalize on crucial drives for the Red Raiders.

That 34–7 win didn’t just net a trophy; it gave Tech its first outright conference title since 1955 and its first Big 12 crown ever, with all 12 of its wins this season coming by at least 20 points, a dominance level only 2013 Florida State and 2018 Alabama have matched in the modern era.

The Red Raiders currently have the best defense in the country. The team is second in the nation in rush success, ranked third in yards allowed per play, and leads the nation in total pressures. If that wasn’t enough, Joey McGuire’s boys have the 5th-ranked defense overall in total defense, while it ranks 12th in limiting 3rd down conversions.

“Great head coach. And there’s just something about that team, man, that I like a lot. It’s because there’s a lot to like out there. They play football the right way. They run the football. They throw the football. They play tough defense. They are extremely well coached,” said Mark Ingram. Offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich has done a commendable job along with the DC Shiel Wood.

Just last year, Texas Tech was sitting near the very bottom of the national defensive rankings, giving up well over 450 yards per game and looking completely lost. This year it’s another story. Much of it is, of course, due to the $28 million Cody Campbell money the team poured into its roster. But building a perfect roster with that money isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Just ask Florida State, which used $12 million to build a roster in 2025. For the Red Raiders, though, it’s paying dividends.

The offense is 5th nationally, the passing offense is 11th nationally, and the rushing offense is at a respectable 27th place in the nation. Not to mention, the team is 4th-ranked in sacks and tackles for loss, signaling an elite D line. All of it is undoubtedly a recipe for success. However, the same can’t be said about Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama.

Why Mark Ingram’s Alabama snub makes sense?

Alabama’s struggles were evident even in their wins, especially the shaky 20–9 victory over an LSU team led by interim coach Frank Wilson after Brian Kelly’s firing. The Tide’s offense never found rhythm. LSU held them to just 20 points and bottled up the rushing attack to a meager 56 yards, exposing cracks that had already begun to show in November.

Moreover, when the Tide visited Auburn in the Iron Bowl, the Tigers posted 20 points in what was a close game. Mind you, we are talking here about a 5-7 Auburn, which had fired its head coach, Hugh Freeze, midway in the season. Lastly, when the UGA game came to Atlanta, Georgia, for the SEC title, Alabama was utterly crushed.

Georgia held the Tide to 209 total yards and an absurd –3 rushing yards in a 28–7 beatdown, snapping Alabama’s dominance in SEC title games and leaving DeBoer’s team 10–3 heading into Selection Sunday.

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Yet, the committee decided to put Alabama over BYU or Notre Dame. Why? That call has already lit up talk shows – even ESPN’s own “Anger Index” called out the committee for letting Alabama jump Notre Dame on the back of an “ugly” Iron Bowl win while ignoring Miami’s more convincing résumé, and Notre Dame’s AD has publicly blasted the process after his 10–2 team was left out.

Right now, sportsbooks still see Alabama as a fringe contender. Ohio State opens as the favorite at around +240, with Indiana close behind at +250. Georgia and Oregon sit in that next band, while Texas Tech is hovering near +800 as a top-five choice. Alabama, by contrast, has slid back to roughly +2,800, behind the true blue-blood favorites and even a notch below Tech’s price. It all makes sense why Ingram snubbed his Alma Mater.