Cincinnati upsets No. 8 Texas Tech, complicating Big 12 playoff race
The Bearcats’ 37-24 home win handed Texas Tech its first loss of the season and put more pressure on the Red Raiders in the Big 12 title race.
Cincinnati beat No. 8 Texas Tech 37-24 at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Oct. 24, handing the Red Raiders their first loss of the season and complicating their path through the Big 12 title race to the College Football Playoff. The result ended a nine-game Texas Tech conference winning streak dating to last season.
How Cincinnati beat Texas Tech
Cincinnati scored 21 points in the second quarter, while Texas Tech committed three turnovers, CBS Sports reported. Bearcats quarterback JC French threw four touchdown passes, and running back Cole Tabb rushed for a career-best 173 yards. The win also ended Cincinnati’s two-game skid.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the Bearcats’ 37 points were the most Texas Tech had allowed this season, while the Red Raiders’ 24 points were their season low. A sold-out crowd of 38,088 watched at Nippert Stadium, and fans rushed the field after the game. It was Cincinnati’s first home win over a ranked opponent since beating No. 14 Iowa State last season.
Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield resisted looking ahead to the next game when asked about Utah. “We just beat the No. 8 team in the country out here,” he said, according to the Enquirer. “Let’s talk about that all night long.” Cincinnati is scheduled to face No. 10 Utah on Oct. 31, with three ranked opponents among its next five games.
What the loss means for the Big 12 race
CBS Sports assessed the defeat as a significant setback to the Big 12’s hopes of placing three teams in the playoff. Texas Tech can finish the regular season no better than 11-1 and likely needs to win its remaining games to contend for another conference title and its automatic playoff berth, the outlet reported. The league’s title and playoff places remain undecided.
BYU, Utah and Houston are also part of the conference race, according to CBS Sports. The outcome gives Cincinnati a major win under Satterfield, but the Bearcats’ upcoming game against Utah will bring another test against a ranked Big 12 opponent. Texas Tech’s loss leaves less room for another setback as the conference schedule continues.
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Sources and context
- Cincinnati's upset win over Texas Tech throttles College Football Playoff picture in Big 12CBS Sports
- Cincinnati Bearcats add another Top 10 football win to their historyCincinnati Enquirer (republished by Yahoo Sports)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.