BYU left out of playoff conversation despite 11-1 season

BYU-Idaho Radio · BYU left out of playoff conversation despite 11-1 season

Not only did BYU miss the College Football Playoff entirely; they weren't even part of the conversation. And for a team that went 11-1, that's a tough pill for Cougar Nation to swallow.

Let's walk through the 2025 season. BYU put together one of its best regular-season runs in years, finishing 11-1. The only loss? A road game against No. 5 Texas Tech.

So, you'd think BYU would at least be in the mix for a playoff spot, right? But when final projected bracket rankings came out, the Cougars landed at No. 11. They were the very first team out. And the reaction was immediate. Fans, analysts, former players--everyone was stunned. Because right ahead of BYU, at No. 10 and No. 9, sat Alabama and Notre Dame - both of which finished 10-2.

Now here's where things get even more confusing. Notre Dame and Miami--who sat at No. 12--didn't even play in conference championship games. They were off last weekend. And the committee had already said they wouldn't hold a conference championship **loss** against the teams who actually **did** play.

So, what happened? Alabama got blown out by Georgia in the SEC Championship. BYU took another hit from Texas Tech in the Big 12 Conference Championship. Both teams stumbled. But only one of them moved down, and it wasn't Alabama. BYU fell to No. 12, Miami jumped up two seeds and took the last playoff spot, and suddenly both Notre Dame and BYU were out.

What really frustrates BYU fans is that the Cougars weren't just excluded late--they were never seriously considered at all. Going into the final weekend, BYU had just an 8% chance to make the playoff without winning the Big 12 title, despite having a résumé that, on paper, looked better than both Notre Dame and Miami.

The CFP committee says they judge teams on four key metrics: strength of schedule, strength of record, best win and worst loss. So, let's compare.

BYU ranked 6th nationally in strength of record, 34th in strength of schedule, had a win over No. 15 Utah, and the only loss was to No. 5 Texas Tech.

Notre Dame? Thirteenth in strength of record, 42nd in strength of schedule, a win over No. 17 USC, and losses to No. 12 Miami and No. 16 Texas A&M.

Miami? Fourteenth in strength of record, 44th in strength of schedule, a win over No. 6 Notre Dame but also losses to unranked Louisville and unranked SMU.

So, if you take those three résumés, strip the names off, and just look at the numbers the choice feels obvious. BYU played the hardest schedule of the three, had the best overall record, their one loss was to the highest-ranked opponent, and they actually made it to their conference championship game.

Side note - Notre Dame doesn't play in a conference, which strengthens BYU's argument even further.

But somehow, they weren't part of the discussion. Their name didn't come up. They weren't considered for that final spot, even with the metrics pointing in their favor.

And now we're left with the lingering question--one that fans are probably going to debate for years:

Was BYU truly snubbed from the 2025 College Football Playoff? Or did the committee simply decide the name on the front of the jersey mattered more than the résumé behind it?

Either way, Cougar fans are going to remember this one.

Tags

BYU-Idaho Radio Podcast