How an Expanded Playoff Would Have Rewritten BYU’s Decade

College football appears to be moving towards a 24-team playoff. On Tuesday, Ross Dellenger reported that the "American Football Coaches Association voted last week to recommend that college leaders implement a playoff with 'the maximum number of participants.'"

The expanded playoff would eliminate conference championship games. There are many arguments against the 24-team playoff, at least in terms of the detrimental impact it could have to the overall health of college football.

However, two things can be true: a 24-team playoff would be bad for the sport, and few programs would have benefitted more from an expanded playoff more than BYU this decade.

In what way could an expanded playoff hurt the sport? In a 24-team playoff, top 10 matchups become less important. The regular season will be devalued for some schools that are perennially near the top of the rankings. Ohio State, for example, won't be fighting for a playoff spot. Instead, they will be playing for playoff seeding. That goes against the one thing that has made college football unique over the years: every game, every week matters for teams pursuing a championship.

However, BYU is not among the bluebloods that get the benefit of the doubt from the College Football Playoff committee. Therefore, BYU has to earn the benefit of the doubt instead of being handed that benefit to start the season. In a 24-team playoff, BYU would have made the playoff in four of the last six seasons. The College Football Playoff rankings would determine the 24-team field. BYU would have been safely in the field in 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. In fact, BYU would have hosted a first-round playoff games in 2020, 2021, and 2025.

2020 Season

BYU finished the 2020 season ranked 16th in the final College Football Playoff rankings. BYU would have hosted no. 17 USC in the first round of the playoff. Given the weirdness of the 2020 season, BYU would have been playing its 12th game of the season, while USC would only be playing its 7th game of the season.

That season, the Trojans were led by Kedon Slovis. Slovis, of course, eventually transferred to BYU and started for the Cougars at quarterback in 2023. With a win over USC, BYU would have traveled to take on no. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Alabama was the national champion in 2020.

2021 Season

Coming off its first College Football Playoff appearance in 2020, BYU would have hosted its first playoff game and made its second consecutive appearance in 2021.

BYU finished the 2021 season ranked 13th in the College Football Playoff rankings. Instead of playing UAB in the Boca Raton Bowl, no. 13 BYU would have hosted no. 20 Houston in the first round of the playoff. With a win, BYU would have taken on no. 4 Cincinnati in the second round.

2024 Season

In 2024, BYU was well outside the 12-team playoff. The Cougars finished 17th in the final CPF rankings. In a 24-team playoff, BYU would have taken on no. 16 Clemson in the first round. The winner of BYU-Clemson would have have advanced to take on no. 1 Oregon in the second round.

2025 Season

In 2025, BYU would have been safely in the playoff field at no. 12 in the final CFP rankings. BYU would have hosted no. 21 Houston in the first round. The winner of BYU-Houston would have advanced to take on no. 5 Oregon in the second round.