Lubbock, Texas • Kalani Sitake doesn’t believe in campaigning.
Even as the rest of the country is littered with coaches who routinely stump for playoff spots anytime they can, Sitake is almost reflexively against it.
“I’m not a voter in the polls,” he said. “I’m not concerned with the rankings and all of that. This is an opportunity to play the game.”
But when the game looked as it did in a 29-7 blowout loss to Texas Tech, BYU might need an advocate now to get an at-large bid to the playoff.
No. 7 BYU went into Lubbock and looked mostly befuddled for the better part of four hours. The offense struggled to get over 200 yards and the special teams cost the Cougars points time and again.
No. 8 Texas Tech was always going to be a tall task on the road, but the Cougars didn’t have any answers for a defense that paid millions to be one of the best units in the country.
BYU’s 255-yard performance was its lowest output since its inaugural Big 12 campaign, when the Cougars went 5-7 and missed a bowl game altogether.
Sitake blamed most of the woes on the Red Raiders’ talent.
“Guys, this is a difficult place to play. They have a really good team, one of the best teams in the country,” Sitake insisted.
Texas Tech running back Cameron Dickey (8) runs with the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against BYU, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)
It’s true. But it still leaves BYU in the same place. Texas Tech is very likely the team the Cougars will need to beat in the Big 12 title game to guarantee their spot in the playoff.
Their playoff picture that looked so steady heading into November now appears much more uncertain with three games left and a loss already on the ledger.
The Cougars had a 64 percent chance of making the postseason before Saturday. After this weekend, the chorus of pundits and prognosticators that were skeptical of BYU’s viability will have plenty to say.
The same thing happened last year. When the Cougars lost to Kansas to fall to 9-1, they plummeted from No. 6 to No. 14. Quickly, they were on the outside looking in.
BYU will find out on Tuesday what its new situation is.
“We don’t care about the eye test,” wide receiver Chase Roberts said. “We’ve just got to take care of the next three games. That’s what we have got to do when you have critics out there that don’t respect BYU.”
The main issue wasn’t that BYU lost. The Cougars were double-digit underdogs before even stepping on a plane to Lubbock.
It was the way the Cougars were defeated that was more concerning.
Everything BYU relied on to get to 8-0 went out the window so quickly.
Texas Tech ground BYU’s running game to a halt. A team that averaged over 200 yards a game on the ground couldn’t even muster 3 yards a carry on Saturday.
It didn’t help that star running back LJ Martin was limited with a shoulder injury. But when he did play, with 10 carries for 35 yards, there weren’t many angles to attack as the Red Raiders converged on the ball.
Without that rushing attack, BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier looked overwhelmed for the first time this season. The decision maker, who rarely turns the ball over, produced an interception deep in BYU territory and a fumble in the fourth quarter. His running ability, which usually jumpstarts the Cougars’ offense, was held to 12 yards on just over 1 yard per carry.
(Annie Rice | AP) BYU linebacker Siale Esera (54) chases Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton (2) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas.
Two weeks ago at Iowa State, BYU had a counter for when teams took away the run. This time, the Cougars didn’t have the talent to overcome it.
“We knew [the running game] was going to be a defensive strength,” Sitake said. “They were committed to stopping the run and the pass game was an issue.”
BYU’s defense did everything to will the Cougars into the game, producing four sacks. But nothing was going to overcome the lack of production.
“The offense, if they’re struggling to get going, we’ve got to play great,“ safety Tanner Wall said. ”And I don’t think we played great."
It’s still true that BYU remains in control of its own playoff hopes. If it wins out, it will head to the Big 12 title game next month and likely see Texas Tech again.
In that scenario, the Cougars are probably safely in the playoff.
“We’re going to meet them again. Promise you that,” Robert said.
But anything less than that would put BYU on shaky ground — in need of help from voters who have consistently dropped the Cougars.
Even last year, when BYU went 10-2, the Cougars were nowhere near the playoff discussion for at-large bids.
Saturday’s blowout won’t go far in changing hearts and minds.
Sitake might have to do the one thing he hates: start politicking for his team’s perception. If he won’t, Roberts will.
“We learned a lot from the stakes last year,” Roberts finished. The voters “don’t know. They haven’t been in our workouts. They haven’t been in our practices. They don’t know what we do. So we’ve got to put that on the field. We didn’t do that today. We’ve got to do that going forward.”