In Week 11 of the college football season, the undefeated BYU football team took down their in-state rival Utah. However, it didn't come with a lack of controversy, as referees made a very controversial call that allowed the Cougars to win the game late. As a result, the Utes' athletic director went after the refs in the post-game, via Josh Furlong of KSL.com.
“I've been an athletic director for 12 years. This game was absolutely stolen from us,” said Athletic Director Mark Harlan. “We were happy to be in the Big 12, but after this we are not. I'm disgusted by the officiating crew tonight.”
His comments didn't go unnoticed, though, as the NCAA issued him a major fine, via ESPN's Pete Thamel.
“The Big 12 has fined Utah athletic director Mark Harlan $40,000 and will issue a public reprimand in the wake of his disparaging comments about officiating and the Big 12 after Utah’s home loss to BYU. He also was seen visibly berating an official after the game.”
BYU making their claim for the College Football Playoff
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Entering Week 11, BYU was 8-0 and ranked No. 9 in the first edition of the College Football Playoff. Now, at 9-0, they lead the Big 12 and are in the driver's seat to make the conference championship game.
Who they'll face, however, is a big question. Colorado currently would be their opponent, with a 5-1 conference record. After them, though, there's a four-way tie at 4-2. Regardless, if BYU can beat them, they'll get an auto-bid and a bye in the CFP.
Now, if they don't win the Big 12, they'll likely need to win the remainder of their regular season games. The teams they have left to face are the Kansas, Houston and Arizona State. None of those teams are ranked and Arizona State is the only one with a winning record at 7-2.
The next edition of the CFP rankings comes out on Tuesday. Depending on where BYU ends up, it could show if they have room for error or not.