BYU Upsets Notre Dame, Boosts Big 12 Playoff Hopes

BYU’s 28-24 upset of No. 2 Notre Dame improved the Cougars to 6-0 and delivered a major boost to their College Football Playoff case and the Big 12’s national standing. The win followed weeks of attention on the game as a chance for BYU to earn national credibility and help the conference make a case for multiple playoff bids. One proposed path to three Big 12 playoff teams would require BYU, Texas Tech and Utah to each finish with one loss, with Utah losing to Texas Tech in the conference title game and BYU missing that game after a loss to Utah. BYU could also rise sharply in the AP poll after several highly ranked teams lost, though a No. 1 ranking was considered unlikely. The dramatic game also renewed criticism of proposals to expand the playoff to 24 teams, with one account arguing that a larger field could diminish the stakes and emotion of regular-season games.