If you’ve been living under a rock or just tuned out after the regular season, you missed a wild one. The question of who is in Big 12 Championship game for the 2025 season was finally answered with a showdown between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the BYU Cougars.
This wasn't your typical blue-blood battle. No Oklahoma. No Texas. Just two programs that fought through a meat-grinder of a schedule to land in Arlington.
Honestly, the atmosphere at AT&T Stadium was electric. On December 6, 2025, 85,519 fans packed the house to see these two 11-1 squads settle the score. Most people thought it would be a tight, back-and-forth affair. BYU had been resilient all year, and Texas Tech looked like a juggernaut under Joey McGuire.
What actually happened? Well, it wasn't exactly the nail-biter the oddsmakers predicted.
The Road to Arlington: How Tech and BYU Staked Their Claim
Nobody enters the Big 12 title game by accident. This year, the conference was deeper than ever. You had Utah hanging around the top of the standings for most of the fall, and Arizona State making a late-season surge that kept everyone on their toes.
Texas Tech finished the regular season with an 8-1 conference record. Their only blemish? A tough road loss to Arizona State when quarterback Behren Morton was sidelined. When he's on the field, though, this offense is a different beast entirely.
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BYU mirrored that 8-1 conference record. Their resume was built on a stifling defense and a "find a way to win" mentality that saw them escape several close calls in October. Their only regular-season loss actually came at the hands of Texas Tech back in early November—a 29-7 thumping that served as a grim preview for the championship game.
Who is in Big 12 Championship Game and What Happened?
The game itself started with a spark for the Cougars. True freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier led an impressive 14-play, 90-yard drive that ended with an LJ Martin touchdown. For a moment, it felt like BYU might actually pull off the upset.
Then the Red Raiders woke up.
Texas Tech proceeded to score 34 unanswered points. Behren Morton was surgical, throwing for 215 yards and two touchdowns to Coy Eakin. But the real story? The Tech defense. Linebacker Ben Roberts turned into a one-man wrecking crew, recording two interceptions and basically living in the BYU backfield.
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the "who is in Big 12 Championship game" conversation had shifted from "who's playing?" to "how is Tech this dominant?"
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Key Performance Stats from the Title Game
- Texas Tech (34): Behren Morton (20/33, 215 yards, 2 TD); J'Koby Williams (80 rushing yards).
- BYU (7): Bear Bachmeier (115 passing yards, 2 INT); LJ Martin (76 yards, 1 TD).
- Defense: Ben Roberts (Game MVP) with 2 INTs and a fumble recovery involvement.
The final score of 34-7 reflected a gap that many didn't expect to see between the #1 and #2 seeds.
Why This Game Changed the Playoff Picture
This wasn't just about a trophy and some confetti. Because of the new College Football Playoff format, the winner of this game secured an automatic bid and a first-round bye.
Texas Tech moved to 12-1 and solidified their spot as the #4 seed in the national bracket. It’s a massive milestone for Joey McGuire, giving the Red Raiders their first-ever Big 12 football title.
BYU, despite the ugly loss, still put together a historic season. Finishing 11-2 is nothing to sneeze at, though falling twice to the same opponent in a single season is a bitter pill to swallow.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Big 12
A lot of folks still think the Big 12 is just "all offense, no defense." That narrative is officially dead. If you watched this championship game, you saw a Texas Tech defense that allowed only 200 total yards.
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The league has shifted. It’s no longer just about who can score 50; it’s about who can survive the physical toll of 16 teams beating each other up every Saturday.
Actionable Insights for Big 12 Fans
If you're following the fallout of this matchup, here is what you need to keep an eye on:
- Check the CFP Schedule: Texas Tech's win earns them a quarterfinal spot, likely in a New Year's Day bowl.
- Recruiting Momentum: Watch the "McGuire Effect" on the recruiting trail. Winning a Power 4 title is the ultimate recruiting pitch.
- BYU's Bounce Back: Keep an eye on the transfer portal. The Cougars will likely look for veteran depth to support young Bear Bachmeier as he enters his sophomore season.
The 2025 Big 12 Championship wasn't just a game; it was a coronation for a Texas Tech program that has been building toward this moment for three years.
Next Steps for Fans:
To stay ahead of the next season, start tracking the 2026 recruiting rankings and the spring portal window. Most conference shifts happen when champions like Texas Tech use their trophy to lure elite talent away from traditional powers. Monitor the Big 12's official site for the 2026 schedule release to see how the path to Arlington will look next December.