After being named the second team out, BYU has a claim to be in the College Football Playoffs. They lost their conference championship game, but so did Alabama, and the Crimson Tide are in the playoffs. The argument to make conference championship game matters hinges on the fact that they matter for everyone, not just one team, and that’s exactly what the Cougars are trying to point out.
BYU Fans Puzzled by CFP Decision
Playing in the SEC and Big 12 are two very different things, but that doesn’t change the fact that conference championship games are supposed to matter. That’s been the biggest discussion of the season, and BYU is confused why they aren’t in the playoffs. Their 34-7 loss to Texas Tech isn’t great on paper, but it’s important to note that both of their losses this season have come to Texas Tech.
Obviously, Texas Tech is a playoff team. The committee believed that Alabama’s resume, even with three losses, is better than what the Cougars brought to the table. BYU didn’t help themselves by scheduling the likes of Portland State, Stanford, and East Carolina as their non-conference games, but there’s nothing that can be done about that now.
Makes perfect sense, right? https://t.co/wHMGBsuIMv
— BYU Cougars (@BYUCougars) December 7, 2025
NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach wrote, “So, BYU was penalized for getting blown out in its conference championship game (dropped one spot). Which allowed Miami to move up and get compared directly to Notre Dame. But Alabama was not penalized for getting blown out in its conference championship game.”
This sparked a response from BYU, “Makes perfect sense, right?”
Had BYU won their conference championship game, both them and the Red Raiders would’ve likely made the playoffs. Instead, a team like Miami, who wasn’t even in a conference championship game, gets their spot. The argument of playing in a conference championship game or sitting at home now has a lot more fuel to the fire.
At this point, there’s nothing to be gained in comparing the resumes of BYU to Alabama or Miami. The Hurricanes beat Notre Dame, who were the other team on the bubble, and that proved to be the difference as to why they got in. BYU has a case to make with not being in the playoffs, but there’s no way to appeal or anything like that.
The Cougars are still awaiting their bowl game destination, but wherever they go, it won’t be the same as competing for a playoff spot. The likes of Tulane and James Madison are in because they won their conference championship games, once again proving that they do matter. The consistency is the issue, and it’s something that will be addressed in the offseason.
