Rested Texas Tech faces Oregon team in rhythm at Orange Bowl in CFP quarterfinal

Texas Tech and Oregon make their Orange Bowl debuts Thursday, and the Ducks already know what a long layoff can mean in the College Football Playoff.

Oregon came off a bye in last year’s Rose Bowl quarterfinal and got trounced 41-21 by Ohio State — all three other teams with byes also lost in the quarterfinals. This year, it’s Texas Tech’s turn to test whether rest beats rhythm.

The fourth-seeded Red Raiders (12-1) haven’t played since winning their first Big 12 championship Dec. 6, marking a 25-day gap before Thursday’s noon quarterfinal at Hard Rock Stadium against fifth-seeded Oregon (12-1). It’s Texas Tech’s first New Year’s Six bowl since falling 47-34 to Ole Miss in the 2009 Cotton Bowl.

Oregon beat James Madison 51-34 in the first round Dec. 20, staying in game mode.

“It feels like fall camp all over again, and it feels like you’re going through it week to week, but there’s no scrimmage and there’s no game to play,” Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez said Tuesday. “You have all these questions that you just never get answered. You don’t know if you’re right or wrong, so you could be prepping for the wrong thing. That’s the hardest part.”

Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq thinks the Ducks benefited from playing in the first round.

“In my eyes, kind of being in both shoes, I definitely think it’s an advantage,” Sadiq said. “If we look at it, how fast Ohio State started, we were playing catch-up the whole game.”

“They looked fresh and in sync, in rhythm,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said, “and part of that is probably a credit to them being able to play against Tennessee.”

The Red Raiders earned their bye after routing BYU 34-7 in the Big 12 championship. All 12 of their wins came by at least 20 points, making Texas Tech just the fifth team in college football history to accomplish that feat.

Texas Tech and Indiana are the only FBS programs this season to rank in the top three nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. They own the two best point differentials in the country: plus-410 for the Red Raiders and plus-404 for the Hoosiers. Oregon sits just behind, ranking in the national top 10 in both categories with a plus-297 margin.

“It’s really hard when you look at Oregon and you look at us, it’s almost like you’re looking in the mirror,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “We’re very similar football teams.”

The matchup features two elite defenses. Texas Tech ranks second nationally in scoring defense at 10.9 points per game and total defense at 254.5 yards per game. The Red Raiders lead the nation with 31 takeaways. Oregon ranks eighth in scoring defense at 14.8 points per game and third against the pass, led by linebacker Bryce Boettcher’s 113 tackles.

Rodriguez, a unanimous All-American, Bednarik Award winner, and fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, leads the nation with seven forced fumbles while recording 117 tackles and four interceptions. He and defensive end David Bailey won the Pony Express Award as the nation’s best defensive duo. Bailey leads all of college football with 74 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

“I see a massive offensive line who is very good with their hands, very good with their feet, and then I see a quarterback who’s arguably the best in the country, and then receivers and running backs who can go the distance,” Rodriguez said of Oregon. “Their speed jumps off the page, and they’re very explosive.”

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has thrown for 3,046 yards with 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 72.4% of his passes. Wide receiver Malik Benson leads the Ducks with 645 yards and six touchdowns. Running back Noah Whittington has 798 rushing yards.

“This is one of the best defenses in the country. That’s no secret,” Sadiq said of Texas Tech. “They’re good on all levels.”

Texas Tech’s offense ranks second nationally in scoring at 42.5 points per game and fifth in total offense at 480.3 yards per game. Quarterback Behren Morton leads the Big 12 in completion percentage (67.0%), passing efficiency (162.5) and yards per attempt (8.81). The Red Raiders rank seventh nationally on third downs at 50.5 percent and boast an 87.7% success rate in the red zone.

Morton has battled a hairline fibula fracture for most of the season, spending weeks in a protective boot between games. He missed two games, including Texas Tech’s only loss — 26-22 at Arizona State on Oct. 19.

“This whole bowl prep has been really good for me. I’ve been basically 100% in practice as far as team reps,” Morton said Tuesday. “I haven’t been able to do team reps really all season long. Been in the boot for probably about seven weeks, eight weeks throughout the season.”

Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi said Morton’s improved health adds another element to Texas Tech’s attack.

“Within this offense there’s plenty of quarterback run activity, and that’s something that you see that has been a little less in these last few weeks,” Lupoi said. “But he’s certainly effective and can run the ball, and we know that.”

Oregon’s offense ranks 11th nationally in total offense at 468.9 yards per game with a balanced attack that produces 38.2 points per game. The Ducks’ offensive line allowed just one sack through the first five games — one of only three teams nationally with that distinction.

Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey compared Moore to former Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams.

“He likes to stay in the pocket and rely on his passing ability,” Bailey said. “He’s super talented.”

Oregon offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu said Texas Tech’s defensive front will test the Ducks’ physicality.

“One thing that really stands out is their effort and their tenacity and their speed off the edge,” Laloulu said. “Their two edges are really awesome, and their two interior, they do a great job, too.”

Rodriguez said the Orange Bowl has always held special meaning for him.

“It’s unbelievable. We’re very fortunate to be here,” Rodriguez said. “It was a dream for a lot of us growing up. You always watch everybody playing in the Orange Bowl, and it’s something you want to do.”

Rodriguez said he had talked to Pro Football Hall of Famer Zach Thomas, who starred at Texas Tech and with the Miami Dolphins, and Thomas planned to attend practice this week.

As for the game, McGuire sees a few keys to winning.

“Whoever wins the turnover battle — you’ve got two explosive offenses — so who can give their offense an extra couple possessions,” McGuire said. “And I think we’ve got to make plays on special teams.”

Lanning emphasized execution.

“Can’t go out there thinking about making mistakes. Have to go out there and execute and do your job,” Lanning said. “Ultimately, we’ve got an elite quarterback. We’ve got a team that plays really well together. We need that to show up in this game.”

Thursday’s winner advances to face either Alabama or Indiana in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 10:52 AM.