Cincinnati's 37-24 Upset Over Texas Tech Disrupts Big 12 Playoff Hopes

Key points

• Cincinnati's 37-24 victory over Texas Tech ended the Red Raiders' nine-game Big 12 winning streak and their unbeaten season.
• The win is the Bearcats' first against a top-10 opponent since 2021 and their first home victory over a top-10 team since 2006.
• Texas Tech's offense struggled, turning the ball over three times, while Cincinnati's JC French threw four touchdown passes and Cole Tabb rushed for a career-best 173 yards.
• The loss threatens the Big 12's goal of securing three College Football Playoff selections, as the conference now relies on the outcome of the Utah-Houston game to determine its top contenders.
• Texas Tech must win out, including against Arizona and Cincinnati, to maintain a chance at the conference title and an automatic playoff berth.

Background

This upset follows a trend of major upsets in the 2026 college football season, including Florida's defeat of Texas and BYU's win over Notre Dame in Week 7. The Big 12 has been a focal point of playoff discussions, with BYU and Utah entering Week 8 undefeated. The conference's strength of schedule metrics are now under scrutiny, with only one ranked team possessing a top-35 strength of schedule nationally.

How outlets are covering it

CBS Sports emphasizes the broader impact on the Big 12's playoff picture, noting that the loss threatens the conference's goal of three CFP selections and highlights the importance of the upcoming Utah-Houston game. WCPO 9 Cincinnati focuses on the historical significance of the upset, noting it is the Bearcats' first win against a top-10 team in five years and their first home victory over a top-10 team since 2006. FOX Sports provided pre-game analysis, highlighting the strengths of both teams' offenses and defenses, but did not cover the post-game implications. ESPN's source was inaccessible due to a 403 error, so no perspective could be extracted.

Why it matters

The result reshapes the College Football Playoff landscape, particularly for the Big 12, which aims to send multiple teams to the postseason. Texas Tech's loss creates a more complex path to the conference title, while Cincinnati's victory provides a potential wildcard in the playoff discussions. The outcome of the Utah-Houston game will be crucial in determining the conference's top contenders and their strength of schedule metrics.

What to watch

The Big 12 will focus on the Saturday night game between No. 10 Utah and No. 14 Houston, with the winner gaining a significant advantage in the conference title race. Texas Tech must win its remaining games, including against Arizona and Cincinnati, to maintain a chance at the conference title and an automatic playoff berth. The CFP selection committee will evaluate the conference's strength of schedule metrics when making its selections next weekend.