A heart-stopping season finale left BYU fans disappointed as the team's playoff hopes crumbled. Despite a strong start, the Cougars couldn't maintain their momentum against Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship, leading to their second loss. This defeat virtually sealed their fate, with the selection committee already hinting at their exclusion from the College Football Playoff.
Even with the Big 12 commissioner and Texas Tech's head coach advocating for BYU, their efforts fell short. An hour before the official rankings were released, the Associated Press Top 25 rankings dropped BYU to 12th place, foreshadowing the committee's decision.
And sure enough, the College Football Playoff selection committee followed suit, ranking BYU at 12th and outside the playoff bracket. Meanwhile, Texas Tech maintained its position at 4th in the CFP rankings, and Utah held steady at 15th, likely heading to the Las Vegas Bowl against Nebraska from the Big Ten.
The Big 12 conference also boasts Arizona at 17th and Houston at 21st in the top 25.
In a surprising twist, the AP Top 25 rankings saw a new team at the top for the first time since the season's second week. Undefeated Indiana took the top spot and was unanimously selected as the No. 1 seed in the playoff, dethroning previous favorites.
Joining Indiana in the first-round bye are Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech. The remaining playoff teams include Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama, Miami, Tulane, and James Madison.
Check out the full rankings below or click here for more details.
So, what do you think? Was BYU's exclusion from the playoff fair, or did they deserve a shot? Let's discuss in the comments!
