With the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings set to drop Tuesday night and Selection Sunday looming, the Big 12 is making its case loud and clear: this conference believes it deserves not just one, but two spots in this year’s 12-team playoff. And according to Commissioner Brett Yormark, Saturday’s Big 12 Championship Game shouldn’t be the deciding factor in that conversation - at least not for both teams in the mix.
Texas Tech, currently ranked No. 5, looks safely inside the projected playoff field heading into championship weekend. But No.
11 BYU, despite an 11-1 record and its only loss coming at the hands of the Red Raiders, sits just outside the at-large cut line. For the Cougars, it’s simple - win Saturday, and the path clears.
Lose, and they’re likely on the outside looking in.
But Yormark isn’t waiting until Saturday to make his pitch. He’s pointing directly at the numbers and calling for the committee to focus on performance, not pedigree.
“Let’s not look at logos. Let’s look at résumés,” Yormark said.
“Any blind résumé comparison has BYU in the top 10. No question about it.
In comparison with Notre Dame as an example, BYU has a better overall record, better strength of record and better strength of schedule. I am confident that the CFP will get it right for BYU.”
That’s not just talk - those metrics come from ESPN’s Football Power Index, and they paint a compelling picture for BYU. The Cougars have done everything short of perfection, and their lone blemish came against a top-five team. It’s the kind of profile that would typically earn serious playoff consideration - if the name on the jersey carried more weight.
This moment is a significant one for the Big 12, especially given what happened just a year ago. In the debut season of the expanded 12-team playoff, the Big 12 landed only one team - Arizona State - who got in as the conference’s automatic qualifier.
The Sun Devils went toe-to-toe with Texas in a thrilling Peach Bowl quarterfinal that went to overtime, showing that the league’s best can hang with anyone. That performance helped shift the narrative, but clearly, the Big 12 feels there’s still work to be done in the court of public (and committee) opinion.
“I think we’re the deepest conference in America,” Yormark added. “I’ve always said we’ve got to earn it on the field.
I don’t want any gimmies. I think we did that this year, and I anticipate doing that moving forward.”
That confidence is echoed by Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire, who’s been vocal about the way playoff conversations often lean toward traditional powerhouses rather than actual on-field results. For McGuire, the numbers tell a different story - one that favors the Big 12.
“I’ve even sent texts to different reporters or different media people that I know of like, you’ve got this logo, this logo, this logo, and they’re leaving out whether it’s us or BYU,” McGuire said. “But when you look at the numbers, we have better numbers than teams that they’re putting up there.”
It’s not just the Big 12 making noise this week. Across the country, coaches are stepping up to campaign for their teams.
Clark Lea is pushing for Vanderbilt. Mario Cristobal is backing Miami.
Steve Sarkisian is advocating for Texas. It’s become a week where résumés are scrutinized, conference titles are on the line, and public lobbying is almost as important as what happens between the lines.
In a playoff era where perception can be as powerful as performance, the Big 12 is making sure its voice is heard. Whether it’s enough to sway the committee remains to be seen, but one thing’s clear - this conference isn’t quietly accepting a single bid anymore.