1 / 2

BYU running back LJ Martin (4) is stopped after making a catch by Texas Tech cornerback Brice Pollock (14) in the second half of a Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.

Julio Cortez, AP Photo

2 / 2

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

❮ ❯

Here’s what’s going on inside Darnell’s head after my first experience covering Championship Saturday since 1998.

I was actually still a stringer at the Daily Herald when BYU took on Air Force in the WAC Championship Game that season. I was finally hired full time in October later that year and the rest is history.

Yes, I am old.

BYU has gone 22-4 over the past two seasons with three of those losses to College Football Playoff teams. Does that make the Cougars close to breaking through or still miles away?

It probably feels like the latter after BYU’s 34-7 loss to No. 4 Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday. The Red Raiders were better in every way. The Cougars were down 13-7 at the break and had a good drive going to open the second half, which ended in yet another miss on a makeable field goal by the fading Will Ferrin. It was still 13-7 with just under four minutes to go in the third quarter.

After that, it was four turnovers (two fumbles, two interceptions) and nothing in BYU’s offensive bag could budge that fantastic Texas Tech defense. The Cougars just kept falling further and further behind.

The worst part of losing the game is the bozos on the CFP committee get to do a victory lap because they think they were right to rank BYU so low. The clown show continued on Sunday when the committee moved Miami ahead of BYU and Notre Dame into the 12-team field. And docked BYU for a loss in the Big 12 Championship Game and didn’t do the same to Alabama for its loss in the SEC.

Then Notre Dame opted to decline an invitation to the Pop-Tarts Bowl in protest, thus avoiding playing BYU for the 27th time. Looks like Cougars get Georgia Tech now.

This is college football, folks. It’s broken and needs fixed.

Now it’s time for Perfectly Rational Overreactions (PROs).

PRO No. 1: BYU should still be in the College Football Playoffs.

I read several social media posts about how the CFP committee shouldn’t punish BYU for losing in the a conference championship game.

The CFP has been punishing BYU ever since the first loss to Texas Tech back in early November by ranking the Cougars way lower than any other power conference team before them. Any team from the SEC or Big Ten is treated differently and judged by a different set of rules. It’s blatantly unfair but it is the reality. The only way for BYU to break through is to not lose any games. It’s like the Cougars are still in the WAC or the MWC or independent.

PRO No. 2: BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick was the problem against Texas Tech.

Look, Roderick knew what he was going up against in Tech’s defense. The game plan was slow play and ball control, put the ball in LJ’s hands and get to the fourth quarter with a chance to win the game. It didn’t help that Bear Bachmeier got hurt early but the game plan almost worked until the chaos with turnovers.

I definitely think there are times when Roderick zigged when he should have zagged this year, but that’s the chess match that occurs every game against the other guys. I feel like he’s overly conservative at times, but I would also say no one knows the personnel he’s got better than he does.

I would have liked to have seen Chase Roberts (3 catches for 32 yards), Parker Kingston (4 for 44) and Carsen Ryan (2 for 28) get twice as many touches against Texas Tech and all of the quick line-of-scrimmage passes seemed very ineffective against the Red Raiders speed.

PRO No. 3: Texas Tech will win the national title.

The Red Raiders don’t seem to have any weaknesses on defense. They have explosive players on offense and Behren Morton is a good game manager. That defense, though, is amazing and will keep them in any playoff game. Wouldn’t that be something if BYU’s only two losses were to the eventual national champions?

And finally, PRO No. 4: BYU fans would be excited for a wonderful season and a bright future.

The mood won’t be good for the rest of the weekend for Cougar Nation, but perspective is needed. BYU was overmatched for much of its first season in the Big 12 (2023), tied for the league title in 2024 and played for the league title in 2025.

Kalani Sitake just had his contract extended and the Cougars just inked their top recruiting class ever. The commitment to winning has been made and momentum is stronger than ever. Completing a journey takes time and it looks like BYU is headed in the right direction.

At least it does to me. Your mileage with positivity right now may vary.

Who Carried the Boats and the Logs?

Hard to find any bright spots in what was a miserable three hours, especially in the second half. I mean, LJ Martin ended up with 26 touches (19 carries, seven receptions) for 107 yards and a touchdown. The Cougars tried to get the ball often to the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, and the numbers against a really good Texas Tech defense were solid. Unfortunately, there was nearly enough consistency in execution and the rash of turnovers pretty much ended the game.

Explain it like I’m 5 years old

It hardly seems like one play could have made the difference in a 34-7 loss, but Texas Tech’s first touchdown was a real puzzler.

The receiver, Coy Eakin, clearly went out of bounds early in the route. Evan Johnson did make contact as the defender but the replay showed Eakin stepped wide to avoid Johnson. The official on the sideline actually threw his cap on the ground, which indicates he saw the receiver go out of bounds. Then, Eakin got a away with a huge shove that sent Johnson two or three yards away so he could make the catch. We never got any explanation for either apparent infraction.

All their fault

There were plenty of things the Cougars could have controlled. Missed tackles Drops. Missed field goals. This was a game that BYU needed to play very cleanly but didn’t. Credit Texas Tech for some of that. The Cougar defense showed up again and got enough stops, though no turnovers. The offense had a 90-yard drive for a touchdown to start the game and little after that. The special teams was also poor (again) with a bad fake punt, a field goal miss and poor punting.

“Hoosiers” would be a great name for a (football) movie

When and how did Indiana get so good at football? Head coach Curt Cignetti is a genius or a magician, I can’t decide which. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s post-game interview after beating Ohio State for the Big Ten championship was hilarious. He spoke more into the camera than to the interviewer like he was a WWE wrestler.

Bench buddies

It will be interesting to see what becomes of BYU men’s basketball head coach Kevin Young’s rotation the rest of the season. Two guys he was counting on (Nate Pickens and Dawson Baker) are out for the season due to injury. Behind starters Rob Wright Jr, Richie Saunders and Kennard Davis Jr. on the guard line are Aleksej Kostic and Tyler Mrus, neither of whom have distinguished themselves in any way so far this season. Both came to BYU with reputations as shooters but so far, they have combined to make 6 for 27 (22%) from the 3-point line.

Woof.

Dominique Diamonde (who was sick and didn’t play on Wednesday against Cal Baptist) is a swingman who can defend on the guard line but if I were Wright, Saunders and Davis I’d be prepared to play 30+ minutes a game.

That’s all for now, but for this: I arrived at the Delta Center on Wednesday afternoon for the basketball doubleheader. Santa and one of his elves were waiting for the crowd to enter. As I walked by, Santa said, “Hello, Darnell.”

It wasn’t until I sat down in the press section that I thought, “How did he know my name?”

That’s the magic of Christmas, folks.

I hope you’ve been more nice than naughty this year.

Have a great week, OK? You have my permission.