Fans and experts alike are still making sense of everything that transpired in the aftermath of Week 12. Conference leaders tumbled, and unbeaten records were blemished. Amid the discourse, the AP rankings have thrown another spanner in the works. As always, it was met with equal amounts of acceptance and disdain. 

One of the biggest standouts in the AP ranking is the BYU Cougars (9-1). The cloak of invincibility is pulled off the program, and repercussions have ensued. Their loss to Kansas (4-6) has seen them fall from 7th all the way down to 14th. The Cougars are now at the outset of the 12-team cutoff. CFB analyst Leger Douzable weighed in on their predicament.

During a breakdown of the AP Poll’s latest iteration on CBS Sports, Douzable was asked if BYU were given unjust credit prior to the loss. He replied, “I think it’s hard to win week in and week out. They were muddling around the line of potentially losing the last couple of weeks. It’s hard to go undefeated no matter who you’re playing, especially when you’re playing guys in your conference. But they, again, were flirting with losing the last couple of weeks. It finally came and bit them. But a lot of people were surprised that it came and bit them at home”.

BYU won the “Holy War” in Week 11 by the barest of margins. Aided by what many believe was a blown call towards the end, they edged their fierce rivals, Utah, 22-21. Prior to that, they beat Oklahoma State in a close affair as well. The Cougars had to rally behind a 14-0 final quarter to win 38-35. Safe to say that a loss was simmering under the surface. This weekend at home, it eventually boiled over.

What does a Big 12 team going out of the top 12 mean for other programs? Well, it’s going to be mostly SEC and 10 teams now. As many as four SEC teams are in the reckoning to make it to the playoffs. The situation is similar for Big 10 teams like Indiana, Oregon and Ohio. Of course, a lot will still change. We have some interesting matchups ahead, which are likely to decide the potential make-up of the top 12. For instance, Ohio State is going against Indiana in Week 13.

While the Cougars’ season is tarnished, it’s far from over. They are still sitting atop the Big 12, courtesy of holding the tiebreaker against Colorado. However, their disposition is precarious. BYU’s next game promises to be a very consequential one.

BYU Cougars potentially facing an elimination game

During the aforementioned breakdown on CBS, expert Brad Crawford made a rather alarming statement. “The good news for BYU is this. 7 spots fallen in the AP top 25, I do not think the [playoff] committee is going to drop them 7 spots. I still think BYU will be inside the top 10. Might be number 10. But BYU is still in a good position if the Cougars win out and win the Big 12”.

While the initial bit is up for debate, it is not fictitious to say that BYU is in a decent position. Albeit that dynamic may soon change drastically. The Cougars are poised to face Arizona State (8-2)  next weekend. This game will have massive implications in deciding who goes to the Big 12 championship bout. If Arizona State wins, they will overtake BYU in the standings momentarily. This will drag BYU out of the top 2 if Colorado wins their game against Kansas. Within the span of a week, BYU may go from unbeaten to outside the conference title game spots. Arizona State is currently 2.5-point favorites to win.

Wherever the CFP committee places BYU is secondary. They need to win against Arizona State, regardless. Kalani Sitake and his team have lost all margin for error. A virtual playoff for a chance to lineup at “Jerry’s World” for the Big 12 Championship lies ahead.