Week 11 featured a marquee matchup between two Big 12 teams ranked in the top 10, following the first College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings released by the selection committee on Tuesday.
No. 7 BYU traveled to Lubbock to take on No. 8 Texas Tech in a game with significant playoff implications. The Cougars entered Week 11 with a slim margin for error after starting the season an impressive 8-0. While a loss was possible, a lopsided defeat would severely damage BYU’s CFP hopes.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, was desperate for a win to stay alive in the Big 12 championship race after suffering a setback against Arizona State on Oct. 18.
From the opening whistle, Texas Tech’s defense stifled BYU’s offense, and the Red Raiders secured a 13-0 lead by halftime. Although BYU managed to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter, it wasn’t nearly enough to mount a comeback. Texas Tech dominated the game en route to a convincing 29-7 victory at AT&T Jones Stadium, witnessed by a crowd of 60,229.
Statistically, Texas Tech controlled the contest, outgaining BYU 368-255 in total yards and winning the turnover battle 3-0.
This defeat was a major setback for BYU, which missed an opportunity to impress the CFP selection committee. The lopsided loss raises doubts about the Cougars’ playoff chances, even if they win out the rest of the season.
Despite BYU’s No. 7 ranking, the program wasn’t receiving much respect nationally—Texas Tech was favored by 10.5 points, according to ESPN BET. BYU’s schedule leading up to this game had been relatively favorable. Their best win came in a narrow 24-21 victory over then-No. 23 Utah on Oct. 18, while the team also barely escaped a weak Colorado squad 24-21 on Sept. 27, hinting at some underlying flaws.
Following the loss, social media was ablaze with criticisms, with many fans labeling BYU as “frauds.” Here are some reactions from fans online:
– “I knew BYU were frauds.”
– “BYU was absolutely embarrassed today and exposed as total frauds. Sad but true.”
– “If this is how BYU plays against the only good team they’ve played all year then I think it’s safe to say BYU is pretty mid.”
– “What an absolute embarrassment of a game. They belong nowhere near the playoffs. They got exposed as major frauds today. Absolutely embarrassing.”
– “BYU plays no one all year… finally plays a good team outside of Utah and gets exposed as usual. FRAUDS.”
– “8th ranked team BYU is about to get shut out by Texas Tech defense. Frauds should be unranked after this match. Total embarrassment.”
Looking ahead, BYU has a relatively favorable schedule for the remainder of the regular season, with no additional ranked opponents. They will host TCU in Week 12 before finishing the season against Cincinnati and UCF.
BYU’s best path to the College Football Playoff now hinges on winning out and hoping to make and win the Big 12 championship game.
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/byu-texas-tech-frauds-college-football-news-11016451
