College football fans were greeted by a predictable result early Saturday afternoon, as No. 4 Texas Tech downed No. 11 BYU in the Big 12 title game.
The result proved momentous for a number of reasons. For starters, the Red Raiders dealt a major blow to their rival, effectively ending BYU’s postseason hopes. Texas Tech also notched its first-ever conference title.
Most importantly, Joey Maguire's side cemented its place as a top-four seed. For Notre Dame and Miami, that was a welcome sight.
With that, here's what you need to know about how Texas Tech's win will impact the Red Raiders as well as other teams with postseason aspirations.
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Texas Tech playoff outlook
With just one loss on the season and dominant wins over two ranked sides, including the then-No. 7 Cougars on Nov. 8, the Red Raiders were already all but guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff. Their win simply cemented their place inside the top-four, ensuring they'll receive a bye week when action starts in late December.
With Ohio State, Indiana and Georgia all competing on Saturday, Texas Tech could climb higher than No. 4 in the standings. But that's all academic at the moment. The Red Raiders are going to watch on as other sides joust for a chance to face them. That's a pretty ideal place to be in.
BYU playoff outlook
BYU's postseason hopes were formally dashed with its defeat on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars' only real route to the promised land was via a Big 12 championship. That route is now closed for Kalani Sitake's side, which already found itself outside of the 12-team field before the weekend.
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What BYU's Big 12 championship means for Notre Dame
Notre Dame's push for another CFP appearance has life. The Fighting Irish needed the Cougars to lose to ensure they stay pat at No. 10 in the CFP rankings.
The Irish are facing quite the charge from No. 12 Miami, who will likely take BYU's spot at No. 11 in the next rankings. The committee could favor the Hurricanes, who downed the Irish earlier in the year and have the same number of losses as their rival. But it hasn't done so yet. With neither side playing a game, it's hard to see why the committee would do so now. Stranger things have happened, though...
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What BYU's Big 12 championship means for Miami
Miami will likely move into the top-11 after the Cougars' loss. Assuming that happens, the Hurricanes will move one spot behind Notre Dame. That puts them in striking distance of a spot in the CFP. Notre Dame is currently slotted in as the No. 10-seed. But things could change as the CFP reconsiders the significance of Miami's 27-24 win over Notre Dame on Aug. 31.