BYU defeated that 9-4 TCU team, who just beat #16 USC, by 31 points… when TCU had their starting QB.
11-1 in the regular season with their only loss coming on the road to a Top 5 opponent.
These bowl results are making BYU’s already egregious snub from the CFP even worse by the day. All because the SEC (2-5 in bowls) needed 5 bids.
This is absolutely the right move. Getting embarrassed in a bowl game against BYU would be really hard on the program. Much smarter to avoid playing tough teams so you can keep your brand intact.
The way the College Football season shaped up, the CFP Committee had an opportunity to do the most right thing with the smallest backlash.
Alabama and BYU getting blown out in their conference championship games opened the door to put both Notre Dame and Miami in.
Instead they dropped the ball and punished BYU for losing, didn’t punish Alabama for losing and then flipped Notre Dame and Miami despite neither of them playing a game.
None of it makes sense.
They did the thing that would give them the most backlash just to have 5 SEC teams in the playoff.
That makes everyone question the integrity of the process and rightfully so.
BYU played in the first live college football game on ESPN in 1984, and ESPN has enjoyed having BYU in its late-night windows for decades, and ESPN gave BYU a TV deal during independence…but this graphic from ESPN is indefensible at best and antagonistic at worst.
If you're going to penalize a 1-loss Power Conference team for a weak strength of schedule... BYU's SOS is better than Ole Miss and Notre Dame.
If you're going to penalize a team for not having the strongest power ratings (which incorporate prior year's history and recruiting rankings)... BYU's FPI is higher than Oklahoma's.
If you're going to penalize a team for a non-competitive / bad loss... Alabama lost by 14 to a team with a losing record and Miami lost to two unranked teams.
If you're going to use strength-of-record like you indicated you would, BYU's SOR is the second highest of teams 6-12.
BYU also (1) made its conference championship game and (2) if you sum up the wins of the teams it has beaten, it is THIRD in the country. It is hard to win games and BYU has beaten a lot of teams with a lot of wins.
This. Makes. No. Sense.
The @CFBPlayoff should be ashamed of itself. It has literally contorted itself into a pretzel to avoid putting BYU where it should be ranked (somewhere between 6th - 9th).
RT to get the info out there. They need to feel pressure.
@jasonmcgowan@kalanifsitake As huge BYU fans, we are so grateful for a coach who is so willing to make time for the fans. He even told our boys the key to success is listen to your parents, especially mom💙. Thanks so much @kalanifsitake,I am truly grateful you gave them that unforgettable experience! 5/5
@jasonmcgowan@kalanifsitake was so happy to chat and take pictures! When we saw him a year later at the BYU football camp, the first thing Ziggy, our oldest, asked was if he remembered us from the hospital and he totally did! He was so kind to chat with us about our experience with him in the hospital. 4/🧵
Brigham shoulda been in the COLLEGE PLAYOFFS!!!! I don’t wanna hear about the bama argument … Indiana coach was too worried about talkin trash vs gettin his players ready to play… it was always and should have been BRIGHAM!! We shoulda beat Kansas but we thru a jump ball to a blocking TE against kansas best corner smh!! We missed a wide open WR at ASU down the sideline and then a pick on the next play blew the comeback…. Unfortunate!!