Texas Tech finally ended its 31-year wait for a Big 12 title. Even more impressively, they snapped a 70-year drought for an outright championship. Now sitting inside the top four of the playoff race, Tech’s players can’t help but think back to what Joey McGuire preached all offseason.

“The first thing the coach said when we got like, he brought all the transfers in, he was like, ‘Man, everything is going to be built in that locker room,'” LB Romelo Height said to Shannon Sharpe on the December 7 episode of NightCap. “‘Like the brotherhood y’all built, that’s what’s going to take y’all far.'”

The message resonated into a Big 12 Championship; talk about manifestation! The offseason in Lubbock centered on keeping the team unified. Coaches told the players to “strain and get after each other” in practice to grow together. McGuire constantly emphasized the team’s “oh my gosh” effort. It’s the way they play so hard that it surprises people.

“One thing that we talk about all the time is whenever people watch the game,” he said. “When they turn on the tape, when they turn on the TV, the ‘oh my gosh’ factor of how hard these guys play.”

On top of that, their strategy included an aggressive approach in the transfer portal. It focused on bringing in players who would fit perfectly into the culture they were building. An approach like that turned into Tech’s first official Big 12 championship title. The program had experienced decades of frustration, which the recent victory finally brought to an end.

The LB room, led by Jacob Rodriguez, has the star of the Red Raiders’ defense. Rodriguez had four tackles against BYU, but it was the other LB who stole the show. LB Ben Roberts had an injury scare in the first half, but he brushed it off and had two interceptions in the second half. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the game.

In the game, BYU struck first with LJ Martin’s 10-yard rush touchdown. But Texas Tech responded with 34 unanswered points. Behren Morton threw two touchdowns to Coy Eakin. First, a 33-yard leaping grab in the second quarter and a 28-yard score in the fourth. The 23-year-old finished with 215 passing yards. Stone Harrington added four field goals, including early ones that built a 13-7 halftime lead.

What happens to the Cougars now? 

Kalani Sitake’s squad entered the matchup with a whole lot of aspirations. The Cougars didn’t even need to play this game to prove they deserved a playoff spot. All their metrics and strength of schedule pointed towards their automatic admission in the bracket. But that didn’t happen. That’s why this win was important for them. So, what happens to the Cougars now? Are their playoff dreams shut down permanently?

So, the CFP’s out of the question. But BYU’s still a top-tier bowl pick. Projections have them heading to the Alamo Bowl vs. USC on Dec. 30 in San Antonio. It’s the perfect spot for Lincoln Riley’s Trojans to face a motivated squad looking to bounce back. Other mocks float the Holiday Bowl or Pop-Tarts. However, the Alamo feels locked with the Big 12’s slot. Win there, and you quiet the doubters who say the Big 12 can’t hang.

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Moreover, this loss exposed holes. Tech’s D-line wrecked shop. The unit forced four turnovers and limited the Cougars to just 110 yards after their first point. Then there’s the constant sacking of Bachmeier and forcing fumbles, while BYU’s O-line got pushed around. Blueprint for 2026? Bulk up those trenches as Tech did with their spending spree.