No. 4 Texas Tech can breathe easy during the first round of the College Football Playoff.
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The 12-1 Red Raiders earned a bye after defeating then-No. 11 BYU 34-7 in the Big 12 championship.
TTU invested heavily in the roster during the offseason, and it paid off with the program’s first Big 12 title.
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The Red Raiders’ lone loss came to Arizona State in a 26-22 contest, but TTU was without starting quarterback Behren Morton.
While Texas Tech cruised through the majority of its Big 12 schedule, not every conference coach was impressed.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic quoted a Big 12 offensive coordinator who named the Red Raiders the “biggest fraud” in the CFP.
“Texas Tech. Their D-line is really phenomenal,” the coach said. “They can hold their gaps and they let those linebackers play freely. But their offense has had so many opportunities and they really struggle in the red zone. Morton is talented, but he’s played a ton and some of his decision-making is pretty poor.”
Morton enters the CFP 201-of-300 passing for 2,643 yards, 22 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He dealt with injuries to his head, neck, knee and leg during the season.
Morton threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns in the Big 12 championship. He held his own when Texas Tech beat BYU on Nov. 8, throwing for 219 yards and one touchdown. However, he missed several key throws that could have decided the outcome of the game by halftime.
With a few extra weeks to get healthy, Morton could look better in the CFP. But the competition will likely be harder than what he saw in the Big 12.
The Red Raiders are set to next play in the CFP quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. TTU will play the winner of No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon on Saturday.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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