The BYU Cougars were given the four seed and a first-round bye in the first edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings. However, the undefeated Cougars only earned the ninth overall ranking in the poll, clearly showing that the committee isn’t quite sure what to make of the Big 12.
And down the line, the disrespect is real.
College Football Playoff Rankings Revealed: BYU, Big 12 Disrespect Is Real
Yes, this is just the first iteration and there are five more weeks of football before the final iteration of the College Football Playoff Rankings to be had. But if history is any indicator, there’s a lot to take from the first rankings.
Sure, there’s a lot to like about the Big 12 this season … if you’ve watched the games. The powers that be aren’t. And the powers that once were, are again.
It’s a unique conference, for sure, but it’s clear now more than ever: the majority of the nation doesn’t seem to grasp it.
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BYU’s ranking as the top seed from the conference but only being given the No. 9 ranking is certainly not a good sign of things to come for the conference. At this point, it’s essentially a guarantee that a one-loss Big 12 team is unlikely to get in as an at-large, and two losses for a Big 12 team can all but kiss their chances goodbye.
Iowa State ranked No. 17, while Kansas State came in at No. 19, followed by only Colorado at No. 20.
The Cougars are clearly the best team in the conference and have proven that time and time again in 2024. Sure, they’re given the four seed by virtue of winning the Big 12, but here’s why the Big 12 disrespect is certainly not a good thing.
BYU ranks No. 9. As an undefeated team from the Power Four conferences.
Boise State ranks No. 12. As a one-loss team from the Group of Five conferences.
One loss by BYU (or Iowa State) but still winning the Big 12 Championship Game doesn’t automatically guarantee they’ll receive that first-round bye now. With the way the committee is looking at these teams, it’s clear that they’re either not respecting the conference or they just haven’t watched enough of their games.
This is no disrespect to Boise State, surely not, this is more of the fact that the rest of the nation needs to stop slogging off during Big 12 games and watch the action. The Cougars dominated UCF as an underdog on the road. They handled SMU at home on a short week in September.
BYU dominated Arizona and Kansas State, came from behind and held off Baylor and Oklahoma State. This team has survived and persevered. They’ve had the 38th-hardest strength of schedule this season to boot.
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If the feelings of disrespect that Indiana fans are feeling right now is one thing, imagine how fans of the Big 12, especially the Cougars, should be feeling as well.
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