The Big 12 finally got the kind of marquee win it has been chasing, and somehow the conference still walked away with the perception problem intact.
No. 8 BYU’s 28-24 upset of No.
2 Notre Dame on Saturday night in Provo should have been a clean banner moment for the league. Instead, the finish turned into a mess of officiating and clock controversy that quickly overshadowed what the Cougars accomplished on the field.
The first flashpoint came on Notre Dame’s final throw into the end zone from the BYU eight-yard line. There was significant contact between BYU defensive back Evan Johnson and Notre Dame receiver Jaden Greathouse, and replays appeared to show Johnson restricting Greathouse’s right arm. It was a difficult call, but the kind of play that looked, by the letter of the law, like it could have drawn a pass interference flag.
Still, missed calls like that happen. College football sees them every week, especially when everything is riding on one snap. Officials often swallow the whistle in that moment because they do not want to become part of the outcome.
That would have been one thing. The bigger problem came after the game.
The Big 12 later issued a statement saying there had actually been one second left on the clock when Notre Dame’s final pass hit the ground, meaning the Irish were denied one last play to try to steal the game.
Big 12 statement:
"Following the Big 12’s review of the final play of Saturday’s Notre Dame-BYU game, it was determined that time remained on the clock when the ball hit the ground and the play was incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew. The Conference will conduct a…
That decision flipped the entire conversation. Instead of celebrating BYU’s win over one of the nation’s top teams, the Big 12 spent Sunday morning dealing with the fallout from a replay mistake that made the league look less like a rising power and more like it had mishandled the biggest stage it could have asked for.
The damage goes beyond one game. Notre Dame now has a ready-made grievance, and that could matter if the Irish end up on the playoff bubble.
They still have Miami on November 7 in South Bend, and Miami is expected to be the new No. 1 in the next polls. If Notre Dame loses that game and finishes 10-2, its best win would be over SMU, which is currently 24th.
Even so, the Provo controversy gives the selection committee a simple path if it wants to push Notre Dame into the field as a two-loss team. The Irish can point to the ending of the BYU game and argue the loss should be discounted because of the clock issue.
That could come at the Big 12’s expense. If the conference runner-up has one or two losses, the league could be squeezed out in favor of a two-loss Notre Dame team, especially if that is what television executives want.
There is also the matter of Notre Dame’s playoff protection. If the Irish finish in the top 12 of the selection committee rankings, they are guaranteed a playoff berth under contract. So a two-loss Notre Dame team sitting at No. 12 and the Big 12 title game loser at No. 13 would not be a shocking outcome.
If that happens, there is every reason to believe the conversation will center on Notre Dame being robbed in Provo, not on the Big 12 being cheated. And that is what makes this such a rough Sunday for the conference: even when it gets the win it needs, the Big 12 still somehow ends up losing the story.
In Other News...
BYUs UCF Test Suddenly Looks Very Different At Quarterback
UCFs quarterback picture for the BYU game has shifted enough to change how the matchup should be viewed heading into the week. Alonza Barnett III, who has been working back from a hamstring injury, is reportedly not expected to start, and coach Scott Frost has made it clear the staff is taking a careful approach with his recovery. Steve Cooper said Barnett has returned to practice on a limited basis, but his status remains up in the air.
For BYU, that adds a new layer to a road test that already had plenty of intrigue. Preparing for one quarterback is one thing, but the Cougars now have to account for a situation that could look different by kickoff, depending on how UCF handles Barnetts availability. Frosts emphasis on avoiding a setback suggests the Knights are thinking long term, even if that leaves some uncertainty for a game that suddenly feels a little less settled. [Read more 🡒]
Bear Bachmeiers Breakout Just Took A Strange Turn After BYUs Upset
Bear Bachmeiers rise went from the center of BYUs biggest win of the season to an unexpected conversation topic almost as soon as the Cougars left the field. After helping BYU knock off No. 2 Notre Dame, 28-24, and move to 6-0, the freshman quarterback suddenly found himself attached to a broadcast-side anecdote that had little to do with the upset itself and a lot to do with how quickly his name is spreading beyond Provo.
The odd detour comes on the heels of Bachmeier also saying Notre Dame disrespected him and his family during his recruitment, adding another layer to a story that already had enough emotion wrapped around it. BYU has the kind of marquee win that can change the tone of a season, but in Bachmeiers case, the attention now extends well beyond the football field, with one loose, unconfirmed comment threatening to become part of the fallout from an otherwise statement-making night. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Crowd Watched One Student Turn Pregame Nerves Into A Fortune
Long before the first snaps of the night, one BYU student turned a routine pregame promotion into the kind of scene people at LaVell Edwards Stadium wont forget soon. Carter Smith, 21, stepped into Pat McAfees Kicking Is Easy contest and came through on his second field goal attempt, a pressure-packed swing that suddenly made him the center of attention for everyone in the building.
The result was life-changing, with Smith walking away $3 million richer and instantly drawing widespread recognition. Even with that kind of windfall, his plans remain grounded in the classroom and beyond it, as he intends to keep working toward his education and a future career in dentistry. [Read more 🡒]