ARLINGTON, Texas — It’s no secret that No. 11 BYU was outclassed by No. 4 Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon in a 34–7 loss.
Upperclassmen like Chase Roberts, Tanner Wall and Parker Kingston didn’t sugarcoat it afterward, acknowledging that Texas Tech was the best team they have faced during their time at BYU.
Still, both players and head coach Kalani Sitake held onto a sliver of optimism that the College Football Playoff committee might view the setback as more revealing than damaging as it weighs BYU’s résumé for a 12-team playoff spot.
In his postgame comments, Sitake echoed a sentiment voiced by several of his players: “They’re the best team in the country.”
Kingston followed with his own assessment, as he said, “That’s the best defense I have ever gone against. To be able to play against them twice is, honestly, an honor.”
When asked whether BYU still deserves a playoff berth despite two losses, Kingston didn’t hesitate.
“Yeah, 100 percent," he said. "To be 11-1 in a power four conference is something that’s really hard to do, and the fact that we’re not getting respected pisses you off.”
He went further, questioning the system itself.
“To have the conference championship as the reason you can’t get in is not right," Kingston said. "What’s the point of getting in a conference championship if it’s going to hurt your odds into the playoff?”
Roberts shared a similar belief that BYU remains worthy of consideration.
“It’s a great league, and we’re the second best team in the Big 12. If we get a chance at the College Football Playoffs, and I think we should, I know we’ll be competitive,” he said.
Despite the blowout loss, BYU walked away unified in its message: Texas Tech may be the standard, but the Cougars believe their full body of work still warrants a seat at the playoff table.