Nearly three hours after the College Football Playoff poll, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl announced that Texas Tech would return to Memphis to take on an old familiar face in the Arkansas Razorbacks in the 66th AutoZone Liberty Bowl game on Friday night, December 27th. With the announcement, Texas Tech will be making its second trip to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl for the second time in three years; the last trip came against Mississippi State in 2021, where the Red Raiders dominated the Bulldogs 34-7. Arkansas and Texas Tech have a long history of playing each other, dating back to the glory days of the Southwest Conference; the 66th AutoZone Liberty Bowl will be the first meeting since 2015 when the Red Raiders beat the Razorbacks in Fayetteville.

Texas Tech comes into the AutoZone Liberty Bowl matchup with (the SEC team) with an impressive 8-4 record after finishing 7th in the Big 12 Conference. Texas Tech brings an explosive offensive unit that lit up the scoreboard with wins over Iowa State, North Texas, and West Virginia; Their four losses came to Colorado, TCU, Baylor, and Washington State. Of noteworthy attention is a two-game winning streak for Texas Tech coming into the 66th AutoZone Liberty Bowl matchup with Arkansas.

Arkansas, on the other hand, comes into the 66th AutoZone Liberty Bowl looking to win its seventh win of the season after compiling a 6-6 record and finishing 11th in the Southeastern Conference this season. Arkansas has had a season with the highest of highs, with a win over #4, Tennessee being the highest, while dropping close game after close game throughout the season. Arkansas recently closed out the regular season with a heartbreaking loss to the Missouri Tigers, where the Razorbacks saw victory snatched from them in the closing seconds to their rivals in the North.

Arkansas and Texas Tech will kick off under the lights at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in the 66th AutoZone Liberty Bowl on December 27th with a national television audience on ESPN.