The match on Saturday between No. 7 Texas Tech and Arizona State is not an ordinary clash in mid-October. It's a turning point in the Big 12 championship landscape and the possible College Football Playoff.
Texas Tech comes into the game unbeaten with a 6-0 overall record and 3-0 in Big 12 action, which has propelled the Red Raiders to the national discussion. Joey McGuire’s team has balanced explosive offense with one of the most efficient defenses in the conference, which has crafted a blueprint that could take them deep in November and maybe even further.
The balanced identity of Tech has been its greatest asset. The ground-based production still relies on running back Cameron Dickey, who had a 260-yard performance against Kansas. The defense is among the 10 best in the country in terms of the number of yards per play. Analysts project Texas Tech as a potential top-five College Football Playoff contender if the team sustains its present form.
However, this weekend is a trap situation for ASU. With head coach Kenny Dillingham in his second season in the Big 12, Arizona State has been floating in the middle of the rankings. However, it is still squarely in the mix with a 2-1 record in conference play thus far.
At this time, ASU will play hard to secure and defend the championship, so a win would jumpstart their defense of the championship and stabilize a season that has been between hope and aggravation.
In the case of ASU, quarterback Sam Leavitt had an emotional boost when he returned to practice after a brief injury layoff. Dillingham stressed this week that his team was still in charge of its own fate, but a defeat on Saturday would alter that storyline very fast. Losing two more league games would probably take them out of the realistic championship. In particular, Texas Tech, Utah, and Kansas State have good records.
In addition to the rankings, this is a symbolic match. In 2024, Arizona State vehemently pulled out of the Pac-12. Several were wondering whether the program would be able to match the physicality of the Big 12.
Their 2024 title responded to that. With an undefeated Texas Tech team in front of them now, the Sun Devils are getting an opportunity to show that their last year's performance was not a one-time miracle.
In the case of the Red Raiders, this is a momentum game and a perception game. A convincing victory in Tempe and Tech enhances its argument that it is a viable playoff team. Slip and the Big 12 race is thrown open once more, and everyone remembers the unpredictability of college football in the middle of October.
Saturday's duel is not only a test of talent, as fans focus on Mountain America Stadium and the FOX television schedule, with its emphasis on the scale. It is a statement game, one team to begin peeking at the playoff chart; the other to continue its dreams of the Big 12.