Can BYU Still Make the College Football Playoff After Loss to Utah?

BYU can still reach the College Football Playoff, but only if they win their remaining three Big 12 games and rely on a specific sequence of losses from Texas Tech and Houston. After consecutive eight-point defeats to UCF and Utah, the 7-2 Cougars must avoid any further setbacks to keep their postseason hopes alive.

The dream of a playoff berth in BYU’s fourth season in the Big 12 remains mathematically possible, though the margin for error has vanished. Following a 28-20 loss to No. 2 Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium, the Cougars dropped five spots to No. 12 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, according to Deseret News reporting.

BYU football: Kalani Sitake postgame press conference vs. Utah

The path forward is narrow. Any additional loss in the final stretch would immediately end all speculation regarding a playoff spot, likely relegating the team to a mid-level bowl game like the Pop-Tarts Bowl or Alamo Bowl.

The Big 12 championship path

The most direct route to the playoffs involves winning the Big 12 championship game, which provides an automatic berth. Currently, Utah holds a firm grip on the conference with a 6-0 league record. For BYU to even contend for the title, they must win a difficult three-game closing stretch.

Can BYU Still Make the College Football Playoff After Loss to Utah? — Photo: sports.yahoo.com

The schedule begins this Saturday against a revitalized Baylor team at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Since replacing Dave Aranda with interim coach Joe Klanderman, the Bears have remained undefeated, according to Deseret News. Following that matchup, BYU travels to face Kansas before returning home for a final regular-season game against Cincinnati.

While these opponents may not appear easy on paper, the conference standings remain highly volatile. Matt Ensor, Senior Director of Communications for the Big 12, told the Deseret News on Saturday night that it is “still too early” for the league to officially announce tiebreaker scenarios.

BYU FB: Legend Glasker, Sione Moa, Bodie Schoonover, Keanu Tanuvasa postgame presser vs. Utah

The Big 12 standings show a crowded race for the top spots:

Team	Conference Record	Overall Record
Utah	6-0	9-0
Texas Tech	5-1	–
BYU	4-2	7-2
Houston	4-2	7-2
Arizona	4-2	–
Baylor	4-2	6-3
Oklahoma State	4-2	–

For BYU to climb into a tie for second place and potentially reach the championship, Texas Tech must lose at least one of its remaining games against Oklahoma State, Baylor, or TCU. Houston also remains a major hurdle; because Houston leads in most tiebreaker scenarios for two-loss teams, BYU needs the Cougars to suffer at least one more defeat.

HOLY WAR 🏈 BYU Cougars vs. Utah Utes | Full Game Highlights | ESPN College Football

An at-large lifeline

If the Big 12 championship route fails, BYU’s only other hope is an at-large bid. This scenario is historically difficult for non-SEC or Big Ten teams. As sports.yahoo.com noted, the College Football Playoff committee has generally not favored two-loss teams from other conferences since the playoff’s inception in 2014.

However, an unexpected ally may emerge in Notre Dame. Although the Irish took a loss to BYU on Oct. 17, they have since rebounded with wins over Navy and No. 1 Miami. If Notre Dame remains unbeaten, BYU’s victory in Provo could serve as a high-value data point for the committee when the final rankings are released on Dec. 6.

#9 BYU vs. #3 Utah Extended Highlights | 2026 Monster Energy Big 12 Football

The debate among analysts often centers on whether BYU’s recent struggles are mere statistical outliers or symptoms of deeper issues. While some argue the Cougars are only a few missed tackles or penalties away from an undefeated season, others point to recurring problems with turnovers and tackling as evidence of a ceiling that may prevent them from competing with the nation’s elite.

The immediate focus remains on Saturday’s kickoff against Baylor at 1:30 p.m. MST, which will be broadcast on Fox.