Defense wins championships, they say. That was true of Texas Tech, whose dominant unit overwhelmed BYU behind two key takeaways to win the Big 12 Championship Game and book the Red Raiders a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

Ben Roberts intercepted Bear Bachmeier twice, and the Texas Tech offense turned both into points to finally pull away from BYU and win its first-ever conference championship.

With the win, they’ll present a decisive case to the selection committee to stay within the top-four, especially given one of either No. 1 Ohio State or No. 2 Indiana will have to lose the Big Ten championship later today.

Where do things stand in the latest bracket projection? Let’s project what 12 teams will make the College Football Playoff, as of Texas Tech’s big win on Saturday.

Predicting the College Football Playoff bracket

Subject to change pending other Championship Week results

1. Ohio State. We project the Buckeyes will stay perfect by narrowly defeating Indiana to win the Big Ten championship and secure the top overall seed in the playoff.

2. Georgia. Our current expectation is that the Bulldogs will avenge their regular season loss to Alabama and win their second-straight SEC championship.

3. Texas Tech. One of college football’s best defenses left no doubt as to its reputation after swarming BYU to win the Big 12 championship, securing a first-round bye.

4. Indiana. Although we think the Hoosiers will lose the Big Ten title game, it won’t be by much, and they have the overall resume to stay within the top four.

5. Oregon. The one-loss Ducks will stay in the top-five, parked behind the Indiana squad that gave them that defeat earlier this season.

6. Ole Miss. The committee signaled that Lane Kiffin’s exit hasn’t affected the Rebels so far, so it’s likely they’ll stay at 6 when the final bracket is unveiled.

7. Texas A&M. That loss to Texas in the finale deprived the Aggies of a shot at the SEC championship, but the rest of their combined achievements should ensure they won’t have fallen far enough to not host a game in the first round.

8. Oklahoma. One of the nation’s toughest defenses put the Sooners back in playoff contention with a late-season push, but we’ll see how well John Mateer and this offense is able to navigate once the postseason starts.

9. Notre Dame. We expect Alabama loses the SEC championship, allowing the Irish room to move up by one spot.

10. Alabama. Here is where we could see some controversy. There’s a chance the committee keeps the Tide in the bracket if they lose close against Georgia, especially after the selectors jumped Bama over the Irish in the last poll, signaling real confidence in them, win or lose.

But watch for Miami, which will move up in the rankings after BYU’s loss, and there’s a very good case that the Hurricanes deserve it more. Miami would have one fewer loss than Alabama, and that head-to-head win over Notre Dame, too. What do we think? If Georgia beats Alabama, Miami deserves it. The committee may think otherwise, using whatever argument they pick that day.

11. Virginia. James Madison fans are rooting against the Hoos in the ACC championship, because if Virginia loses to Duke, that could pave the way for the selectors to add a second Group of Five team, with JMU ready to take advantage. We still think Virginia beats Duke, though.

12. Tulane. A dominant defensive performance allowed the Green Wave to take out North Texas and win the American championship, and likely entrench their position as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

What the College Football Playoff bracket would look like

12 Tulane at 5 Oregon
Winner plays 4 Indiana

11 Virginia at 6 Ole Miss
Winner plays 3 Texas Tech

10 Alabama at 7 Texas A&M
Winner plays 2 Georgia

9 Notre Dame at 8 Oklahoma
Winner plays 1 Ohio State

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Olivia Babcock didn’t realize her performance during the first round of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament gave her the Pitt record for most kills in a season. Babcock knew she met the previous record holder, Wendy Hatlestad, during alumni weekend.

Babcock recorded 13 kills during the Panthers’ 25-10, 25-17, 25-13 win Friday night at Petersen Events Center in front of a crowd of 4,240. Babcock now has 558 kills, going past the single-season record of 555 Hatlestad set in 2003.

“I was talking to her two weeks ago,” Babcock said. “That’s crazy I just met her. But I think it says a lot about how much my team trusts me to take those big rips, and it gives me the opportunity to score and get as many kills as I do.”

Everyone had a good night hitting for the top-seeded Panthers, who advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the 10th straight season.

The Panthers committed only four attack errors against UMBC (13-12) and finished with a hitting percentage of .551.

“It’s really good to start out and to remind ourselves to maintain high standards,” Babcock said. “Obviously, all of these teams have made it into the tournament because they’re an amazing team, and everyone’s going to bring their best volleyball. I think we just need to make sure that we’re playing our best, too, because, especially in these matches, we don’t wanna slip up and give away a set or a match.”

Pitt (27-4) hasn’t dropped a set in the first round since it beat VCU, 3-1, in 2017 at Penn State.

The Retrievers qualified for the tournament after winning the America East Conference for the fifth time in the past six seasons. Pitt setter Brooke Mosher, who finished with 34 assists, said the Panthers got themselves in system thanks to their good passing.

Blaire Bayless was second for the Panthers with nine kills, and Abby Emch contributed eight.

“That made it really easy for me to spread the ball around and get the middles involved,” Mosher said. “Then, I trusted my teammates to be able to put the ball away.”

Pitt lost the first point of the match after UMBC delivered on a kill by Jalynn Brown. The Panthers responded by scoring the next three points, capping the surge with an ace by Izzy Masten.

UMBC struggled to find holes in Pitt’s defense. The Retrievers hit .129 and were led by seven kills from Hannah Dobbs.

UMBC coach Kasey Crider was happy with how they played.

“We don’t have an Olivia Babcock slayer, so, bummer,” Crider said. “I’ve been to this tournament a few times as a head coach and assistant coach, and I’ve never walked away from the tournament thinking we were the best at the end until today. It still hurts, but there were no regrets.”

Pitt will take on Michigan in the second round Saturday. The Wolverines advanced by beating Xavier. The Panthers are 3-6 all-time against the Wolverines.

Pitt’s only meeting with Michigan in the NCAA Tournament came in 2018, when the Wolverines upset Pitt in five sets at Petersen Events Center.

Mosher, who previously played in the NCAA Tournament with Illinois, said she doesn’t feel any extra pressure playing as the No. 1 seed.

“I think just being in the tournament has its own weight in itself,” Mosher said. “Every game your season is on the line, which is the same no matter who you are.”

Former NASCAR driver Michael Annett has died at age 39, JR Motorsports (JRM) announced Friday in a social media post and confirmed to NASCAR.com. No cause of death was announced.

Annett, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, made 436 combined starts across NASCAR’s three national touring series during his racing career. He retired from racing in 2021 after a stress fracture in his leg sidelined him for parts of that season.

Who Was Michael Annett?

Annett was a respected NASCAR competitor who made his mark primarily in the Xfinity Series where he recorded 321 starts over his career. His greatest achievement came in 2019 when he won the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway driving the No. 1 JRM Chevrolet, his only win at NASCAR’s national level.

The victory held special significance for JRM co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., who compared it to Michael Waltrip’s 2001 Daytona 500 win after being hired by Dale Earnhardt to drive for Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Before pursuing stock-car racing, Annett played ice hockey as a defenseman for the United States Hockey League’s Waterloo Black Hawks. His 2004 season earned him a “Most Improved Player” award as his team won the Clark Cup alongside future NHL player Joe Pavelski, who went on to play 18 seasons with the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars, per NASCAR.com.

What To Know

Annett made 158 of his Xfinity Series starts with JRM from 2017 through 2021, helping transform the organization into the four-car team it remains today. He also earned two victories in the ARCA Menards Series, winning at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007 and the series opener at Daytona in 2008.

Annett ascended to the Xfinity Series in 2008 before going full-time in 2009, racing with teams including Germain Racing, Rusty Wallace Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports, according to NASCAR.com. He spent three years at NASCAR’s top level in the Cup Series, driving for Turner Scott Motorsports from 2014 through 2016 and making 106 starts.

Annett’s late father, Harrold, previously served as CEO of TMC Transportation, which sponsored much of Annett’s racing efforts. Harrold also co-owned a sprint-car team which fielded cars for famed dirt-tracker Sammy Swindell, collecting 35 wins in their four years together. TMC Transportation and Pilot Flying J remain sponsors of JRM’s Xfinity endeavors through driver Sammy Smith, who pilots the team’s No. 8 Chevrolet.

What People Are Saying

NASCAR’s statement: “NASCAR is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former NASCAR driver Michael Annett. Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage. Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer.”

NASCAR multi-media storyteller Steven Taranto said on X: “Michael Annett led a modest 13 laps in 106 NASCAR Cup Series starts. The most came at Talladega in the fall of 2016, where he led six on an off-strategy during a cycle of green flag stops. Broadcast was in a break for this. Watched the raw feed back. Found it poignant.”

NASCAR driver Jeremy Clements said on X: “RIP Michael Annett. Was a pleasure to go to door to door with you for so many years. You’ll be missed.”

JR Motorsports said on X: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett. Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”

Sammy Smith, JR Motorsports driver, said on X: “Very sad to lose someone who meant so much to me and my family. Michael was a great person to so many, and we’ll miss him a lot.”

Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing co-owner, said in a statement: “Michael was an up-and-comer at the same time I was and he was looking really good. In the end, life took us different paths and all of us who knew him and the talent he had are sad to see him go.”

Team RSMG on X: “We are sad to have lost a family member. Michael Annett will always be in our hearts. Our thoughts are with the Annett family at this time. Rest in peace MA.”

Motorsport on X: “We’re saddened to learn NASCAR driver Michael Annett has died at the age of 39. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

What Happens Next?

The NASCAR and racing community continues to mourn Annett’s passing, with tributes pouring in from former teammates and competitors across the sport.

Details regarding memorial services have not yet been announced.

Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.

Michael Annett, who made race starts in all three NASCAR national series, has died at the age of 39. The news was announced by one of Annett’s former race teams, JR Motorsports.

Annett last made a NASCAR start in 2021 when he ran in 26 races in the Xfinity Series. But throughout his career, Annett made 321 starts in that series with one win, as well as nine starts in the Craftsman Truck Series and three full seasons in the Cup Series.

“NASCAR is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former NASCAR driver Michael Annett,” read a statement from NASCAR. “Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage. Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer. NASCAR extends its condolences to Michael’s family and many friends.”

A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Annett arrived in NASCAR in 2008 and spent much of his career in the Xfinity Series. Annett competed for teams including Germain Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, and JR Motorsports. It was JR Motorsports that Annett won his only NASCAR national series race.

In the Cup Series, Annett drove for Tommy Baldwin and Harry Scott.

Annett stepped away from racing in 2021 after dealing with a stress fracture in his leg. He had injured his leg during the summer while working out and then reinjured it before the end of the season, which sidelined him.