How BYU Football Can Still Reach the College Football Playoff The Cougars’ fate is still in their hands this season, but one more misstep could end their chances.
BYU football experienced a disappointing loss to Kansas on Saturday. BYU football experienced a disappointing loss to Kansas on Saturday. / Chris Gardner/GettyImages BYU’s unbeaten streak has come to an end. While many anticipated it might happen eventually, losing to a relatively average Kansas team is a hard pill to swallow, and that’s understandable.
Currently at 9-1 with two regular season games left, the Cougars will likely drop out of the top 10 this week. However, their path to the College Football Playoff is simpler than it seems.
The Kansas loss was a result of avoidable mistakes that disrupted potential touchdown drives. Misjudged decisions, whether from the coaching staff or Jake Retzlaff’s in-game choices, made what should have been a winnable game slip away.
Scoring a touchdown on either red-zone drive could have secured a BYU victory.
Despite this, there’s no need to give up hope—the season isn’t over, nor are their playoff aspirations. Here’s how BYU could still make it to the playoffs by season’s end.
Path 1: Win the Conference Championship
Jake Retzlaff has faced difficulties in recent games. / Chris Gardner/GettyImages The simplest route is to win the remaining games. The Cougars need to concentrate solely on what lies ahead and not dwell on past failures.
Next up for BYU is a road game against an in-form Arizona State team led by Cam Skattebo. Before thinking about a conference title, BYU coach Kalani Sitake must focus on overcoming this critical challenge.
Arizona State proved their toughness by defeating Kansas State recently. A win against them would make the journey a bit smoother.
If BYU finishes the season with victories, they will likely meet Colorado, backed by widespread college football enthusiasm. Beating Coach Sanders’ team would secure their playoff spot.
Losing that championship match, however, could be problematic…
Path 2: Hope for a Favorable CFP Committee Decision
Kalani Sitake must ready his team for a battle this weekend. / Chris Gardner/GettyImages This path is less ideal, as the committee has often expressed skepticism about BYU. The Kansas loss adds to their reasons for doubt.
Should the Cougars lose to Arizona State or Houston, winning the championship becomes non-negotiable, yet an undefeated Army team might still be favored over them, potentially excluding BYU and the underrepresented Big 12.
If BYU’s only loss is a narrow one to Colorado in the championship, they could earn enough recognition to slip in as an 11th or 12th seed. With Colorado’s momentum and Coach Prime’s leadership, a strong performance in a close game might earn BYU some respect. However, the decision would then be out of their control.
The path to the playoffs is now steeper and murkier, with BYU’s chances diminishing. While the perfect season is no longer possible, hope remains, though it’s hanging by a thread. Scraping by Houston or suffering a loss to ASU or CU would likely eliminate them from playoff contention.