No. 7 Texas blasts Texas Tech 57-7 to clinch spot in Big 12 title game

Texas’ time in the Big 12 is not over just yet.

With an emphatic 57-7 win over Texas Tech on Friday night, the seventh-ranked Longhorns clinched a spot in the Big 12 title game in their final season in the conference before moving to the SEC next season.

But before that high-profile transition, the Longhorns still have business to take care of as they look to win the Big 12 for the first time since 2009 and reach the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

Entering the weekend, there were an array of scenarios at play to set up the Big 12 title game matchup. For Texas, though, it was simple — win and in. The Longhorns left no doubt.

Texas’ lead was only 10-7 after the first quarter, but Jaydon Blue reeled off a 69-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter. From there, Texas never looked back.

Though the Longhorns too often settled for field goals in the red zone, their defense completely stifled the Texas Tech offense, forcing three turnovers, limiting TTU to just 198 yards, 3-of-14 on third down and getting a critical fourth-down stop.

By halftime, the Texas lead was 26-7 (with Bert Auburn kicking four field goals) and that immediately grew to 33-7 when Keilan Robinson returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown.

Auburn would tack on his fifth field goal midway through the third. Quinn Ewers hit Xavier Worthy for a touchdown later in the third and then the defense added a score of its own when Jett Bush returned a Behren Morton interception 43 yards for a touchdown.

By the time the third quarter ended, the Texas lead ballooned to 50-7. The game was so lopsided, even prized freshman quarterback Arch Manning got on the field for his first action of the season as the Longhorns closed out a blowout victory in Austin.

Now 11-1, this has been Texas’ best regular season record since 2009 when the Longhorns went 12-0 in the regular season, beat Nebraska in the Big 12 championship and then lost to Alabama in the BCS title game.

For Texas to get back to a similar stage this season, it needs to win the Big 12 title game next weekend in Arlington (Oklahoma State is the most likely opponent, but Oklahoma is also a possibility) and then hope for some movement elsewhere among the top teams in the CFP rankings.

Texas has a feather in its cap with the Week 2 road win over Alabama, but would very much benefit from an upset involving one of the teams above it in the rankings before the weekend is over.