Big 12 Championship: Texas clinches bid with victory over Texas Tech in final season

There were plenty of storylines for Texas coming into this season. With Steve Sarkisian in his third year as head coach and Quinn Ewers back at starting quarterback, the hype was building around the Longhorns as the preseason favorite in the Big 12 in their final year in the league.

The goal was to win a conference title. They got that much closer Friday night.

Texas needed a victory over Texas Tech to punch its ticket to the Big 12 Championship, and the Longhorns did just that, handling the Red Raiders 57-7. They’re officially heading to Arlington — even if they don’t know their opponent.

It was a complete performance from Texas, which got big performances on all three sides of the ball. Keilan Robinson had the biggest day with a rushing touchdown in the first half and a 95-yard kickoff return to start the second half. Jaydon Blue also added a touchdown, Quinn Ewers threw for a score and the defense added a huge pick-six from Jett Bush to help seal the victory.

Now, they’re gearing up for one last appearance in the Big 12 Championship — their first since 2018 — before heading to the SEC.

This year has been a special one for Texas, which checked in at No. 7 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. It hasn’t always been easy, though, with multiple injuries and close games along the way. Still, Sarkisian’s group has stayed the course, and he said that would be the key heading into Friday’s game with so much happening around the program.

“There’s so much that’s coming into the game with Senior Night, trying to play to get in the Big 12 Championship. We just talked about poise and composure,” Sarkisian told ABC’s Tom Luginbill ahead of kickoff. “It’s something we’ve done really well on the road. We want to make sure we bring it back home.”

Texas’ marquee victory this season came in Week 12 when the Longhorns went into Bryant Denny Stadium and defeated Alabama 34-24. However, they hit a bump in the road during the Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma when the Sooners pulled off a 34-30 thanks to a late touchdown from Dillon Gabriel at the Cotton Bowl.

A potential rematch could be in the cards, depending on what happens Saturday. The Sooners blew out TCU 69-45 on Saturday to improve to 7-2 in Big 12 play. However, a lot will depend on what Oklahoma State and Kansas State does on Saturday. If the Cowboys win, teams win they will face Texas by virtue of the tiebreaker. If they lose, Oklahoma will play in the Big 12 Championship.

The Longhorns will surely have their eyes on their TVs on Saturday as Rivalry Week continues. And they’ll do so knowing they have to play again next Saturday at AT&T Stadium.