Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Paul Finebaum Names College Football Playoff Contender That Is Irrelevant

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Nov 20, 2024 1:30 PM ET

Week 12 was not kind to several teams aiming for the College Football Playoff. Seven ranked teams lost last weekend.

One of those teams was the No. 14 BYU Cougars (9-1), who fell 17-13 to the Kansas Jayhawks (4-6). The Cougars entered that game undefeated and ranked No. 6 in the country, putting them in a prime position to make the Big 12 Championship Game and potentially the College Football Playoff. However, their hopes for a conference title and a playoff berth are now on the line.

On the "Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum brushed aside BYU.

"They mean nothing to me," Finebaum said.

BYU is set to face a crucial matchup against the Arizona State Sun Devils (8-2) on Saturday. If BYU loses, it would be tied with Arizona State and the Iowa State Cyclones (8-2) for second place in the conference, assuming the Colorado Buffaloes (8-2) continue to win. In that situation, BYU would also lose the tiebreaker to Arizona State, which could prevent it from winning the Big 12 championship.

The Cougars have been in several tightly contested Big 12 games. Four of their seven conference games have been decided by one score. This includes a narrow one-point victory against the Utah Utes (4-6) and the close four-point loss to Kansas.

BYU will need to get back on track Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET against Arizona State on ESPN.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: