Big 12 Commissioner lobbies for two playoff teams, challenges Notre Dame's resume originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With college football playoff selection Sunday nearing, it’s that time of the year again. When coaches, players, fans, and even commissioners begin lobbying for their teams to make the playoff. This week Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark went to bat for one of his teams.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNo. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders is the kid you don’t have to worry about. Texas Tech is in the playoff, and it will likely just come down to seeding. BYU on the other hand, finds themselves in that ‘on the fence’ territory at the wrong time. Making BYU the kid you have to worry about.
According to CBS Sports, if the playoffs were to start today, BYU would likely be out of the 12-team field. BYU today remains on the outside of the cut line. The Cougars have a strong resume if not for the other teams ahead of them. Sitting at 11-1 BYU should be in the national conversation. What was a saving grace, only one conference loss, now could create a must-win scenario for the team from Provo Utah.
The BYU Cougars has one opportunity left to cement their candidacy for the playoff field. A Big 12 championship game vs the only Big 12 team ahead of them. The Texas Tech Red Raiders. If Texas Tech wins, BYU could miss the playoff. Beat Texas Tech and both Big 12 teams could make the field. Yormark recently suggested looking at resumes not logos.
Yormark thinks BYU should be ahead of Notre Dame
"Let's not look at logos. Let's look at résumés," Yormark said. "Any blind résumé comparison has BYU in the top 10. No question about it. In comparison with Notre Dame as an example, BYU has a better overall record, better strength of record and better strength of schedule. I am confident that the CFP will get it right for BYU."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement2025 could prove to be important for the Big 12 moving forward. The playoff, NIL, and the transfer portal have transformed college football. Allegedly, those factors even the playing field. No longer are reputation and a history of winning carrying more weight than the ability to recruit and pay top players. Yet, an SEC and Big Ten bias remain.
Last season, only Arizona State (the conference winner) made the field. With many fans and media personalities suggesting the Big 12 should get just the conference winner, the ACC should get just the conference winner and everything else comes from the SEC and the Big Ten. Which would create a BCS problem in a non-BCS era.
"I think we're the deepest conference in America. I've always said we got to earn it on the field. I don't want any gimmies," Yormark said. "I think we did that this year, and I anticipate doing that moving forward."
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire recently echoed Yormark’s sentiment. "I've even sent texts to different reporters or different media people that I know of like, you've got this logo, this logo, this logo and they're leaving out whether it's us or BYU," McGuire said. "But when you look at the numbers, we have better numbers than teams that they're putting up there."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Big 12 championship game between No. 5 Texas Tech and No. 11 BYU will be played this Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas. That game will kick off at Noon ET and broadcast on ABC.
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