The latest College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday have confirmed what many in the heartland already suspected: the "brand bias" favoring the SEC and Big Ten has reached a fever pitch, and the Big 12 is the primary victim.

BYU (9-1) sitting at No. 11 is the most glaring indictment of the committee's process. The Cougars possess a Strength of Record (SOR) superior to three teams ranked ahead of them—No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 9 Notre Dame, and No. 10 Alabama. It is statistically indefensible for a one-loss Power 4 team with a top-tier resume to sit behind three two-loss programs. The committee is essentially penalizing BYU for lacking a "traditional power" logo on their helmet, signaling that a 9-1 record in the Big 12 is worth less than an 8-2 record in the SEC.

Then there is Utah (8-2) at No. 12. While it’s a relief to see the Utes inside the cut line, their positioning is precarious and disrespectful. Utah’s losses came against No. 5 Texas Tech and No. 11 BYU—arguably the "best" losses of any two-loss team in the country. Yet, they are ranked below an Alabama team with a loss to a struggling Florida State squad from Week 1.

As Big 12 analyst Drake Toll has repeatedly argued this week, the committee is moving the goalposts. When SEC teams cannibalize each other, it's "depth"; when the Big 12 does it, it's "weakness." If BYU handles business against Cincinnati and Utah survives the weekend, the committee will be forced to reckon with a resume they can no longer ignore. Until then, the Big 12 isn't just playing opponents on the field—they are playing against a narrative designed to keep them out.

Next Step: Would you like a comparison of the "Strength of Record" metrics for BYU versus Alabama and Notre Dame to see exactly where the disparity lies?

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