Greg McElroy didn’t have much to complain about when the second set of College Football Playoff rankings came out Tuesday night. But he did have plenty to say about Texas Tech’s position in the playoff picture.
The ESPN analyst said he was comfortable with how the committee handled the rankings in week two, particularly noting their consistency from the first set of rankings. But McElroy made it clear he thinks Texas Tech— which jumped to No. 6 after beating then-No. 7 BYU 29-7 — has the profile of a top-four team.
“I’m good with it. They stayed consistent,” McElroy said on the CFP rankings show. “I can live with that. I really can. I think with what we saw from Texas Tech, they had a real strong argument for the top five. Because, right now, it feels like they’re wedged out of the possibility of a first-round bye. And that, to me, I think Texas Tech is potentially a top-four team.”
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McElroy went further, suggesting the Red Raiders could work their way into one of the coveted first-round byes by season’s end.
“I think you could make the case that Texas Tech — by the time we get to the end of the season — should have a chance to get one of those top-four byes,” he said. “I don’t know if they will, based on how things are lining up right now in the Big Ten and the SEC.”
The top four in Tuesday’s rankings were Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, and Alabama — the teams that would receive first-round byes if the season ended today. Texas Tech sits at No. 6 behind Georgia at No. 5. The Red Raiders moved up two spots after dismantling BYU, which dropped from No. 7 to No. 12 after suffering its first loss.
Texas Tech is 9-1 with its lone loss coming to Arizona State last month. The Red Raiders have won three straight since then, including victories over Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and now BYU. And in their win over the Cougars, BYU managed just 158 total yards and failed to reach the end zone until the fourth quarter.
Texas Tech needs to win its final two regular-season games — UCF this Saturday and at West Virginia — to have a shot at the Big 12 championship game. The committee has made clear through its rankings that conference championships matter, with committee chair Mack Rhoades emphasizing the importance of winning games that count.
If Texas Tech wins out and captures the Big 12 championship, it’ll be in the playoff as an automatic qualifier. But whether they can crack the top four and avoid playing an extra game in the first round depends on how things shake out in the Big Ten and SEC, where multiple teams are competing for those bye positions.
For now, McElroy is making their case, even if he’s not sure the math will work in their favor.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.