The College Football Playoff debate just got a lot more interesting. During Friday night’s heated Arizona vs. Arizona State matchup, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark made waves by publicly advocating for BYU’s inclusion in the 12-team College Football Playoff—over perennial powerhouse Notre Dame. And this is where things get controversial.
As the first quarter unfolded, Yormark joined the Fox broadcast for a sideline interview. After a few casual questions about the electric atmosphere in Tempe and the Big 12’s competitive depth, the conversation seemed to be wrapping up. But Yormark wasn’t done. Flashing a grin, he leaned in and asked, “Got anything on the CFP?”—a clear signal that he had a message to deliver.
Then came his pitch. “If you’d told me a couple of months ago that we’d have three teams in the top 13, I’d have taken that in a heartbeat. I love where this conference is heading,” he said confidently. His enthusiasm only grew as he began naming names: according to Yormark, Texas Tech is practically a “shoo-in” for the playoff, and Utah “deserves serious consideration.” But it was when the conversation turned to BYU that his passion fully showed.
“I think they’ve been overlooked all season,” Yormark argued. “When you compare them to a program like Notre Dame, there’s really no comparison in terms of record strength, schedule difficulty, and overall résumé. I have full faith the CFP committee will get it right when it counts.” Those are bold words, especially since Notre Dame is still among college football’s most respected brands.
Here’s the current landscape: Texas Tech sits at No. 5 in the CFP rankings, Notre Dame at No. 9, BYU at No. 11, and Utah at No. 13. If these standings hold, BYU would be the unfortunate first team left outside the playoff bubble—a heartbreak for fans who feel the Cougars have done enough to earn a shot.
Earlier in the week, David Ubben of The Athletic conducted an intriguing analysis. Presented with blind résumés for seven bubble teams, he had to choose which three should make the playoff and which four should miss out. Stripping away team names created a revealing experiment in bias and perception.
After crunching the data—examining strength of record, opponent win rate, and schedule quality—Ubben concluded that Alabama (No. 10), Oklahoma (No. 8), and BYU deserved playoff spots. Left out in his model? Utah, Miami (No. 12), Notre Dame (No. 9), and Vanderbilt (No. 14). In his notes on “Team E,” which was later revealed to be BYU, Ubben wrote that it had only one loss, a solid schedule, and one of the best opponent win percentages among contenders. To him, that made BYU the strongest choice for the final playoff berth.
So here’s the burning question: is Yormark right to claim that BYU’s résumé is stronger than Notre Dame’s—or is this simply conference pride talking? Should the CFP committee weigh brand recognition and fan base history, or should pure on-field metrics settle the score? Drop your thoughts below—because this debate is only just beginning.
