Kalani Sitake had one more thing to say after BYU’s 34-7 loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship wiped out whatever slim College Football Playoff hopes the Cougars had left.
Asked about his playoff chances after the loss, Sitake spent most of his answer praising Texas Tech as the best team in the country. He talked about playing them twice, once in Lubbock and once at a neutral site that happened to be in the same state. He liked his team’s résumé. He wants them in the conversation.
But he had one specific request about how that conversation should be presented.
“I just know when they’re doing comparisons, hopefully they put it out there and make it fair,” Sitake said. “At least put us in the graphic, that’d be nice.”
“At least put us in the graphic, that’d be nice.”
More from Kalani Sitake on his playoff hopes for BYU after their loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship. pic.twitter.com/EcYibNGgpu
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 6, 2025
He was talking about ESPN’s CFP rankings reveal show from Tuesday. The network displayed a graphic comparing teams ranked nine through 12. Alabama at No. 9. Notre Dame at No. 10. Miami at No. 12. BYU, ranked 11th, wasn’t on it. The conversation centered on Notre Dame and Miami as at-large contenders.
The week prior, ESPN’s rankings show displayed a graphic of teams nine through 15 but excluded BYU and Utah. Sitake had called it out earlier in the week on BYUtv, saying it was disrespectful to put up a comparison but leave BYU out.
“You put up nine through 15 and subtract BYU and Utah,” he said. “It seems like that is maybe done on purpose. And maybe the committee shouldn’t be doing that on purpose.”
It’s not just Sitake defending BYU’s playoff case. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire made the argument after beating the Cougars for the second time this season, pointing out that no other two-loss team will have a better pair of defeats than BYU’s losses to the fourth-ranked Red Raiders. But unlike Dabo Swinney stumping for SMU after Clemson beat them in the ACC Championship, Sitake’s not getting much national support, save for Dave Portnoy.
Without much national backing, the graphics followed suit. BYU’s probably out after losing to Texas Tech 34-7 and getting outscored 63-14 in two meetings. The graphics frame the conversation about who belongs in the discussion and who doesn’t. BYU noticed it kept getting excluded even when they were literally ranked in the middle of the range being shown. Sitake just wanted them included in the comparison. That shouldn’t be too much to ask.
We’ll see if, during Sunday’s selection show, ESPN’s graphics include BYU when they’re breaking down the bubble teams, or if the Cougars get left out again.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.