How No. 9 BYU Can Move Up in the CFP Rankings This Weekend

Casey Lundquist | Nov 7, 2024

BYU cornerback Jakob Robinson against UCF / BYU Photo

BYU is No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings as they prepare to take on arch rival Utah. Of the four P4 teams that were undefeated going into the initial CFP rankings, BYU was ranked the lowest despite having a better resume than both Indiana and Miami. In this article, we'll look at the teams ahead of BYU in the rankings to determine which teams have the highest chances to lose and fall below BYU in the rankings.

Every team in front of BYU is favored to win on Saturday, although FPI says there is only a 21% chance that all eight teams ranked in front of BYU will win.

First and foremost, BYU needs to win on Saturday. The committee made one thing very clear on Tuesday: BYU is not going to be given the benefit of the doubt in the rankings. If BYU fails to win the Big 12, it could be an uphill battle to get an at-large bid. At this point, BYU controls its own destiny and that's something that no BYU team has ever been able to say.

As the say goes: just win, baby.

Without further ado, let's look at the teams ranked ahead of BYU in the CFP rankings and who they are scheduled to play this weekend.

1. Oregon

Oregon is a heavy, heavy favorite to win this weekend. The Ducks host Maryland at home and are favored by 25 points. The Ducks don't have a challenging game remaining in the regular season. It's not likely that Oregon will drop face a true test before the Big Ten title game.

2. Ohio State

Want to know who's an even bigger favorite than Oregon? Ohio State. The Buckeyes host Purdue this weekend and are favored by a staggering 38 points. The biggest test for Ohio State will come later this month when they host no. 7 Indiana.

3. Georgia

This is where things could start to get interesting. No. 3 Georgia already has one loss and they are scheduled to take on No. 16 Ole Miss on the road. The Rebels are playing good football right now and the betting line reflects that - Georgia is favored by just a field goal.

If the Bulldogs lose, they would fall behind BYU in the rankings since they would have two losses. They would also likely drop below Alabama since they have a head-to-head loss against the Crimson Tide.

No team ranked ahead of BYU is scheduled to face a tougher test than Georgia.

4. Miami

Miami has a pretty light schedule to close out the regular season. However, the Hurricanes haven't exactly dominated against inferior competition this year and they face a road test at Georgia Tech.

Miami is favored by 11 points in this game. If Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King is available (he's been dealing with an injury), anything could happen.

A Miami loss would be very good for both BYU and the Big 12. If the Hurricanes with this game, their only remaining test would be on the road at Syracuse to close out the regular season.

5. Texas

Texas hosts Florida this weekend. The Gators were looking like a much-improved team over the last few weeks until both of their top quarterbacks went down due to injury. It's hard to imagine a scenario where Florida could go into Austin and beat Texas with a third-string quarterback.

6. Penn State

No. 6 Penn State hosts Washington this weekend. The Nittany Lions are favored by two touchdowns. Penn State has had a few close calls against inferior opponents this season. If Bowling Green can give Penn State a game, why not Washington?

Penn State's offense failed to score a touchdown against Ohio State. They face a Washington defense that is capable of creating some problems for opposing offenses.

Penn State does not play any ranked teams the rest of the season. They will probably have no ranked wins by the end of the regular season.

7. Tennessee

Tennessee hosts one of the worst teams in the SEC this weekend: Mississippi State. The Vols probably won't be tested this weekend, but they will be tested later this month. They play at Georgia and at archrival Vanderbilt.

8. Indiana

The Hoosiers are scheduled to host Michigan this weekend. The Wolverines are not good this season, but they will be one of the better teams Indiana has faced. Indiana's best win right now is probably Nebraska.

Teams That Could Leapfrog BYU

BYU is ranked No. 9. Here are the teams just behind BYU that are threats to leapfrog the Cougars with good wins.

10. Notre Dame

Notre Dame hosts a horrific Florida State team. A win over the Seminoles probably won't be enough to push the Fighting Irish ahead of BYU. Still, BYU fans should be cheering against Notre Dame over the next few weeks.

11. Alabama

No. 11 Alabama travels to no. 15 LSU this weekend. The loser of this game would likely be eliminated from the CFP.

12. Boise State

Boise State is a threat to the Big 12 at this point. The entire conference should be rooting against the Broncos this season. The Broncos do not have a real challenge left on the schedule. They take on Nevada as major favorites this weekend.