- BYU lost to Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game, failing to secure an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff.
- Despite an 11-2 record and two wins over ranked opponents, BYU is likely to be left out of the playoff field.
- The Cougars’ only two losses this season were to Texas Tech, a team expected to get a first-round bye.
In the past two seasons, Brigham Young has won 22 games, tied for the fifth-most in college football entering Saturday, Dec. 6 — and it has yet to result in the College Football Playoff.
BYU had a chance to secure a spot in the 12-team field in Saturday’s Big 12 championship game in a rematch against Texas Tech. But after an opening drive touchdown, the Cougars weren’t able to find an offensive rhythm and the Red Raiders capitalized on several BYU mistakes to win 34-7.
Once again, BYU (11-2) doesn’t have an automatic bid to the playoff. It has to hope the selection committee thinks it has enough of a case to be an at-large selection.
And once again, all signs point to BYU being left out — and hope for Miami and Notre Dame to make the bracket.
BYU’s case to make College Football Playoff bracket
Leading up to the Big 12 title game, BYU spent much of the week campaigning why it should be in the playoff — regardless of what happened against Texas Tech — and how it stacked up against other playoff hopefuls. The Big 12 even joined in on it.
On paper, everything about BYU shows it should be in the playoff. A Power Four conference team that went 11-1 in the regular season, the only loss to the Red Raiders in Lubbock.
The Cougars got to their conference championship game, and while they lost to Texas Tech again, didn’t think they should be punished for losing a game when Miami and Notre Dame sat at home.
To BYU’s point, it didn’t have any bad losses. Only losing two games to the same team that will likely get a first round bye in the playoff.
It aligns with the new criteria the selection committee introduced this season to weigh teams. With the schedule strength metric, teams wouldn’t be penalized heavily for losing to high-quality opponents, and the quality doesn’t get much higher than Texas Tech.
‘If you look at what Texas Tech’s done, they’re the best team in the country for a reason,’ said BYU coach Kalani Sitake. ‘I’m not on the playoff committee, but I can tell you one thing: Who’s played the best team in the country twice? We have.’
Similarly, BYU performed well against the other quality teams on its schedule. The Cougars beat Utah, No. 15 in the CFP rankings, and an Arizona team that catapulted to No. 18 in the CFP rankings.
Comparing that against Notre Dame and Miami, neither of them have two wins against currently ranked teams, and only the Fighting Irish can relate in losing to ranked teams.
But the reality is BYU faced an uphill battle, and it was going to have to win the automatic spot for the Cougars to make the field.
When the first CFP rankings came out in Week 11, BYU was the lowest ranked undefeated team at No. 7. After they lost to the Red Raiders later that weekend, they dropped to No. 12.
Since then, the Cougars have only been able to move up to No. 11, seemingly blocked by Alabama and Notre Dame, as well as Miami, which has been ranked behind them ever since then.
The conversation for the last at-large spot has centered around Alabama, Notre Dame and Miami, with BYU strangely left out despite being an 11-win team. A team that had all of the makings of being at the table, but was denied a reservation.
There was a sense maybe if BYU kept it close against Texas Tech and lost by a last-minute score or some controversial call, the Cougars would have a stronger case to be the Big 12’s second playoff team.
Instead, BYU did itself no favors. After going 90 yards down the field on their opening drive for a touchdown, the Cougars only mustered up 110 yards the rest of the way and failed to score again. The second half was a disaster that included a missed field goal, four turnovers and a turnover on downs that turned into 20 points to give a comfortable cushion for Texas Tech.
With Texas Tech locking in its spot in the playoff, there’s rejoice in South Bend, Miami and even the fans from Tuscaloosa that made their way to the SEC championship game.
Alabama can feel more comfortable about making the field regardless of what happens against Georgia, and the Fighting Irish and Hurricanes will continue to fight about which one deserves to be in.
While all that’s going on, BYU will continue the rest of the day vouching for itself to be in the playoff. Sitake said he doesn’t know about his team’s playoff hopes because he has to see how the other conference championship games unfold, but he likes ‘what we’ve been able to do.’
I think we have a great resume,’ he said. ‘I just know that when they’re doing comparisons. Hopefully they put it out there and make it fair.’
In the two years of the 12-team playoff, no Power Four team has won 11 games and failed to qualify.
Unfortunately, the Cougars are set to get the short end of the stick, and settle for another great season that ends without a chance to play for a national championship.
‘At least put us in the graphic. That’d be nice,’ Sitake added.