The Big 12 finally landed the kind of win it badly needed on Saturday night in Provo, Utah. No.
8 BYU beat No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 in a game that had the national spotlight.
And yet, by Sunday morning, the conference was back on the defensive.
The first flash point came on the final play, when Notre Dame threw into the end zone from the BYU eight-yard line with a chance to steal the game. There was plenty of contact between BYU defensive back Evan Johnson and Notre Dame receiver Jaden Greathouse, and the crew did not call pass interference.
It was the sort of bang-bang finish that usually leaves both sides unhappy, but one that often gets swallowed by the late-game chaos of college football. Replays showed Johnson restricted Greathouse’s right arm while the two fought for position, and by the letter of the law, it looked like a flag could have been thrown.
Still, that missed call was not the only issue. After the game, the Big 12 issued a statement saying there was actually one second left on the clock when Notre Dame’s final pass hit the turf, meaning the Irish were denied one last snap to try to win it.
That official admission turned a major conference victory into a mess. Instead of the conversation centering on BYU knocking off one of the national championship favorites, the clock error became the story.
The fallout is brutal for the league’s image. Notre Dame now gets to wear the look of the wronged team, while the Big 12 is stuck explaining why the game ended the way it did. What should have been a showcase win for the conference now looks, in the eyes of plenty of observers, like a game that was mishandled at the finish.
That matters because the Big 12 had plenty riding on BYU pulling this off. Teams like Texas Tech and Utah were hoping the Cougars could help the league’s playoff case, especially if the conference wants more than one team in the field for the first time.
Instead, the ending has handed Notre Dame an opening if it finishes 10-2. The Irish still have Miami on November 7 in South Bend, and Miami is expected to be the new No. 1 team in the next polls. If Notre Dame loses that game and ends up with two losses, its resume would be thin, with SMU standing as its best win and the Mustangs currently 24th in the rankings.
But the Provo controversy gives the committee an easy talking point if Notre Dame ends up on the bubble. It can point to the disputed finish and downplay the loss as something clouded by the clock issue.
And if the Irish do sneak in as a two-loss team, the Big 12 could be the one left squeezed out. A runner-up from the conference with one or two losses might get pushed aside for Notre Dame, especially if television partners want the Irish in the bracket. If Notre Dame finishes in the top 12 of the committee’s rankings, it is contractually guaranteed a playoff berth, so a two-loss Irish team landing 12th and the Big 12 title game loser sitting 13th would not be a surprise.
If that happens, the outrage will likely be missing in action. The narrative from Provo may stick, and the Big 12 may once again be the league that wins the game but loses the argument.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Finally Delivered The Statement Win Fans Wanted
Texas Tech got the kind of emphatic win that can change the tone around a season, rolling past Arizona State 53-25 to stay unbeaten and move to 6-0 while sitting atop the Big 12. The Red Raiders looked sharp on both sides of the ball, with linebacker Ben Roberts scoring on a pick-six, running back J'Koby Williams breaking loose for two long touchdowns and the defense piling up six sacks to keep the Sun Devils off balance.
Will Hammond added steadiness at quarterback, completing 18 of 26 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown as the offense kept pressing after every turnover and stop. For a fan base looking for a true measuring-stick performance, this was the kind of complete showing that suggests Texas Tech is more than just undefeated - the next question is how far this version can carry in conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Fans Just Got A Clearer Look At The Big 12 Race
Texas Techs perfect start keeps paying off in the metrics, too. After Week 7, the Red Raiders moved ahead of Utah to become the highest-rated Big 12 team in ESPNs Football Power Index, landing at No. 9 nationally after their win over Arizona State pushed them to 6-0.
The rest of the league picture got a little clearer as well, even if not every team moved the way a rsum might suggest. Utah slipped to No. 13 after a narrow escape against Colorado, BYU stayed at No. 14 despite beating Notre Dame, and Houston checked in at No. 18, leaving the conference race looking crowded near the top and a little more intriguing underneath it. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Has A Week 8 Poll Problem Fans Will Hate
Texas Techs rise this season has only sharpened the debate around where the Red Raiders belong in the national picture. Along with BYU, Oklahoma State and James Madison, they are among the teams drawing complaints from fans who feel the AP poll still does not fully reflect what has happened on the field. The frustration is familiar in a sport where rankings are part rsum, part perception, and part weekly argument, especially when coaches and writers do not see a team through the same lens.
For Texas Tech, the conversation is less about a single bad ballot than the broader gap between performance and placement. The article points out how voters have slotted these teams at different levels, which is a reminder that poll movement can lag behind what a team has already shown. For Red Raiders fans, the annoyance is obvious: each week brings another chance to prove they belong higher, and another chance for the rankings to leave them feeling overlooked. [Read more 🡒]