When No. 5 Oregon takes the field against No. 4 Texas Tech, it will expose whether Dan Lanning’s Ducks are legitimate national title contenders or pretenders. Texas Tech is well-rested after earning a first-round bye as the Big 12 champion, and they’ve got weapons all over the field. And if you needed any reminder that the Red Raiders aren’t intimidated by Oregon’s reputation, Johncarlos Miller’s mother just delivered a Christmas Day message to alert Lanning and company.

“Merry Christmas, Fam! No days off. We are getting ready for Miami. Engine Engine #9. Let’s go!!”​

The tweet from Miller’s mother showed the 6-foot-5, 245-pound senior tight end putting in work on Christmas morning while her mother was cheering, “Engine, engine No. 9. Let’s go, we going to Miami, baby.” That kind of dedication speaks volumes about how seriously Texas Tech is taking this opportunity to shock the college football world. 

Miller has been an absolute weapon for Texas Tech since transferring from Elon, where he closed his career as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards by a tight end. In his first season with the Red Raiders in 2024, he appeared in all 13 games as part of a deep tight end rotation alongside Mason Tharp and Jalin Conyers. He logged more than 350 offensive snaps each.

Oregon is making its third CFP appearance overall and second straight. But the ghosts of last year’s 20-point Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State still linger. Dan Lanning even called out the playoff format this week as “messed up.”  He argued that Texas Tech should have gotten to host this game instead of playing at a neutral site (bold of him to say that).

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Texas Tech, meanwhile, is making its College Football Playoff debut and enters as the Big 12 champion with an 11-1 record. Oregon leads the all-time series 3-0, including a 38-30 victory in 2023 in the last meeting between the squads. However, that was a different Texas Tech team, one without the offensive firepower they have now. ESPN’s FPI actually predicts Texas Tech to win 23-20 in a defensive slugfest, which would be one of the biggest upsets of this playoff. The over/under sits at 52.5 points, suggesting oddsmakers expect points despite that defensive prediction.​

What makes this matchup so intriguing is that neither team has consistently demonstrated the ability to dominate elite competition. Oregon’s only loss this season came at the hands of Indiana in a 30-20 defeat that cost them a shot at the No. 1 overall seed. And their first-round win over James Madison was closer than the 51-34 score indicated. The Ducks gave up 34 points to an FCS program that had no business hanging around that long. Miller and the Red Raiders’ offense will need to capitalize on Oregon’s defensive weaknesses. 

When kickoff arrives, don’t be surprised if JohnCarlos Miller II is the difference-maker that sends Texas Tech to the semifinals. His mother put Oregon on notice, and now it’s time to see if her son can back it up on the biggest stage of his career.​

Mutual respect between coaches ahead of the Orange Bowl 

While JohnCarlos Miller’s mother might be firing warning shots on social media, Joey McGuire has been taking a completely different approach in the lead-up to the Orange Bowl. The Texas Tech head coach hasn’t been shy about his admiration for the Ducks’ program.

 “I am a huge fan of Dan Lanning,” McGuire said during an in-house interview. “I listen to a lot of stuff that he does. I love what he does. I think he does it right. He’s a great coach. He’s great for college football. I love to see how his guys compete; they play with an edge. He’s a defensive guy; he’s got an edge to him.”

But McGuire’s admiration doesn’t stop with Lanning. He’s also well aware of the threat posed by Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. “This quarterback is special,” McGuire said when discussing Moore’s impact. “I mean, if he decides to come out, he’s probably the No. 1 quarterback taken in the draft. Him or the Indiana kid. But he’s really good, so we’ve got to put some pressure on him and we’ve got to do a good job of stopping the run to get to do that.”

So while Miller’s family is putting Oregon on notice with Christmas Day workout videos, McGuire is taking a more measured approach. He is acknowledging the Ducks’ elite talent at quarterback while making it clear that Texas Tech has a game plan to pressure Moore and force him into mistakes.