BYU’s football team capped a strong regular season with an impressive 11-1 record, but when the College Football Playoff field was announced, the No. 11 Cougars were left out.
Despite finishing with one of the nation’s top records, BYU did not earn one of the 12 playoff spots, raising questions about how the CFP selection committee evaluates teams.
Throughout the season, the Cougars have been consistently ranked lower than many fans believe they deserve. With 11 wins and a relatively difficult schedule, online debate has centered on whether national rankings, including the AP poll, have fairly reflected BYU’s performance.
That pattern has continued in the CFP rankings. The committee typically includes 13 members, but this year it features only 12 after Randall McDaniel stepped down earlier in the season. The remaining members come from varied sports backgrounds, including athletic directors, former coaches and administrators.
If you want to know how bad the Playoff Committee is at their jobs, just know that Utah fans are saying BYU is getting hosed https://t.co/toBUZE843t
— William Cockerill (@walkonmoose) December 5, 2025
The selection process weighs several factors, including strength of schedule, head-to-head results, injuries and other contextual situations that may influence a team’s performance.
Once the regular season concludes, the committee releases a final ranking that determines the 12-team playoff field. The five highest-ranked conference champions receive automatic bids, while the remaining seven at-large spots go to the next highest-ranked teams. The top four overall seeds earn first-round byes, with the rest paired for opening-round matchups.
The absence of BYU marks the first time an 11-1 team has not been ranked in the top 10 entering conference championship week. Teams selected ahead of the Cougars include Notre Dame, Alabama and Oklahoma — all with more losses than BYU. The decision has sparked widespread discussion, including pointed criticism from Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy.
The committee made it abundantly clear it’s not merit based. The playoffs is just the cool kids club and BYU isn’t perceived as a cool kid. ND and the SEC are the cool kids. The whole thing is a sham https://t.co/NAqPLKqfdK
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) December 3, 2025
In a video posted to his social media accounts, Portnoy said, “There is no debate. By every single metric known to mankind, BYU should be ranked ahead of Notre Dame. It shouldn’t matter if BYU wins or loses the Big 12 championship. They’re getting held to a different standard than every team in the history of this thing.”
While BYU could still play its way into contention, many fans remain frustrated the Cougars were not included from the start.
“Anybody with a brain, anybody who looks at a blind résumé knows that it has to be BYU,” Portnoy said. “It’s Cougars against the world. It’s Provo Dave against the world. That's how it's going to be. But don't sit there and try to debate it, make it rational, it's not."
The Cougars will face Texas Tech in Arlington, Texas on Saturday for the Big 12 Championship. The final selection committee rankings are scheduled to be released Sunday.