The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2024 season were released on Tuesday night, and there was plenty of discussion about which teams were in the wrong spots in the aftermath of the reveal. One of the major storylines coming in was where BYU would be placed.
The Cougars present an interesting case for the selection committee. They are 8-0 on the season and still undefeated in the Big 12, which is widely considered to be the weakest power conference. They also have a pair of top 20 wins on the season after beating No. 13 SMU back in September and destroying No. 19 Kansas State 38-9 earlier this year.
The selection committee was apparently unimpressed by those wins and BYU's unblemished record, as they slotted the Cougars in at No. 9 in the rankings. Five one-loss teams found themselves above BYU, and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy couldn't believe the disrespect after the rankings were unveiled.
“If I'm BYU, I'm really upset,” McElroy said. “First and foremost, I run the risk of not securing a first-round bye if Boise State ends up in front of me. The fact that there's only a margin of three spots between 12 with Boise State and BYU at No. 9 is ridiculous. Also, I'm sitting there behind Texas, Penn State, I'm also sitting there behind Tennessee. Texas and Penn State don't have a win against a top 25 team, I have two. And guess what? I haven't lost!”
McElroy certainly makes a good point, and BYU's low ranking feels like a ranking of the helmet and not the resume. The Cougars still control their own destiny the rest of the way, but they have every reason to feel slighted by this ranking.
BYU in a great spot to make a run at Big 12 title
BYU came in at No. 9 in the initial CFP rankings, but that number will improve as long as they keep winning. The good news for the Cougars is that the toughest games on their schedule are behind them and they have a very realistic path to finishing the regular season 12-0.
First up is a huge rivalry game on the road, when BYU heads to Salt Lake City on Saturday night to take on Utah. The Utes have been struggling this season, but they will surely be fired up at the chance to spoil their rival's unbeaten season, so BYU will have to bring their best to leave a hostile environment with a victory.
After that, the schedule really lightens up. BYU closes its season with a pair of road games against Kansas and Houston, with a road date with Arizona State sandwiched in between. If they can win all of those games, they will have a chance at a conference title in December.
Thanks to Week 10's chaotic results around the Big 12, BYU may have some margin for error when it comes to reaching the conference championship. Even if they lose one game on the way in, it is very likely that they would still reach the conference title game. The Cougars are still unbeaten in conference play, and only Colorado and Iowa State currently sit with just one Big 12 loss. It would likely take two losses for BYU to not be in Arlington in a month's time.
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