The Texas Tech Red Raiders fielded a national-championship-caliber defense this season, but not a national-championship-caliber quarterback. Entering the College Football Playoff, Texas Tech ranked third in the FBS in points allowed (10.9). However, questions about whether senior QB Behren Morton would play his best on the biggest stage remained. After the first round of the CFP, Yardbarker ranked Morton No. 8 among the eight remaining QBs in the postseason tournament. Unsurprisingly, Oregon Ducks QB Dante Moore (who ranked No. 3) outplayed him in the CFP quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day. Morton struggled against elite competition throughout the season. Against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, he completed a below-average 58.3 percent of his passes for 576 yards and three touchdown passes (via ESPN). He also tossed two interceptions. Those problems carried over into a 23-0 Texas Tech loss to Oregon, where he failed to elevate the offense and made a critical late-game mistake.
