Texas Tech was predicted by many to barely reach 4 wins this season, yet here they are 4 wins already at this stage and playing like a Dark Horse contender for the Big 12 Championship.
Mississippi State and Texas are ranked higher than the Red Raiders in both FPI and the Sagarin ratings. The Bulldogs miss out because their last two games have been blowout losses while I don't entirely trust Texas yet after two close wins against teams I'm not high on. Michigan State has some great performances this year and is 22nd in Sagarin but somehow only 42nd in FPI. The 25th spot was a tossup between Texas Tech and Michigan State but in the absence of certainty I'm deferring to FPI for now.