SEC Commissioner Accidentally Highlights BYU’s Playoff Strength
Who would have thought SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey admired BYU football’s strength of schedule this season? On Thursday, Sankey, now in his 10th year as SEC Commissioner, shared a post on X featuring a graphic about strength of schedule metrics.
The graphic highlighted the teams with the toughest schedules among the top 15 in this week’s College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings. Sankey wrote, “Interesting to read analysis from others as they examine ‘strength of schedule’ in college football…it does seem there is a trend to be identified…”
While Sankey’s focus was on the six SEC teams ranked in the Top 15 with the strongest schedules, the graphic unintentionally showcased BYU as having the strongest non-SEC schedule among the Top 15. The rankings used averages from ESPN’s FPI, Massey, and Sagarin ratings.
Despite dropping to No. 14 after a close loss to 4-6 Kansas last week, BYU’s strength of schedule, ranked at 39.3, outpaces teams like Penn State, Oregon, and Ohio State.
This revelation sparked playful commentary from national media. NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach quipped, “As expected, the SEC commissioner arguing that BYU should be ranked higher by the committee.” CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah added humor, suggesting Sankey wanted BYU ranked above Penn State and Ohio State.
BYU’s schedule has indeed been tough. Early in the season, they defeated SMU, who now leads the ACC standings heading into the season’s penultimate week. However, SMU remains ranked ahead of BYU in the Playoff Top 25.
Other notable victories for the Cougars include wins over Kansas State, Baylor, and Utah. This week, BYU’s strength of schedule could improve further as they face No. 21 Arizona State in Tempe.
No. 14 BYU vs. No. 21 Arizona State
Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024
Location: Mountain America Stadium
Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. (MST)
TV: ESPN
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM – Extended pregame at 11 a.m.)