How BYU football can still reach the College Football Playoff

BYU finally lost a football game. Many worried this would happen eventually, but to see the "perfect season" slip out of their hands against a mediocre Kansas team is a tough reality to accept, and I get that.

The Cougars sit at 9-1 on the year with two regular season games remaining. And although they likely won't be ranked in the top 10 after this week, the road to a College Football Playoff berth isn't as convoluted as you'd expect.

The loss to Kansas stemmed from branching paths created by correctable mistakes. Two potential touchdown drives were cut short thanks to a pattern of poor decision-making. Whether the play-calling was coming from the booth or a Jake Retzlaff audible, Saturday's loss was a very winnable contest.

One touchdown in either of those red zone drives would have likely resulted in a BYU victory.

But don't panic--the season isn't dead yet, nor are the Cougars' chances of earning a playoff bid. Let's run through some possible routes to earning a spot when the regular season comes to a close.

Path 1: Win the Conference Championship

This is the most straightforward path to the playoff. It all comes down to winning the games in front of you. Like a dog following a kibble trail, the Cougars need to neglect their circumstances and simply focus on what's in front of them.

What's in front of the Cougars? A road game against red-hot Arizona State and Cam Skattebo. Before Kalani Sitake can even think about preparing his team for a conference championship appearance, beating the Sun Devils is the most important task left on the docket.

That team from Tempe is tough, and that was apparent when they took down Kansas State last weekend. Win on Saturday, and your life gets a little easier.

If the Cougars can win out the rest of the regular season, they'll likely face a Colorado team carrying the support of the college football world behind them. Take down the Sanders show, and you're a playoff lock.

Lose that championship game? Well...

Path 2: Pray that the CFP Committee lets BYU in

This is obviously the less favorable option, as the committee has voice their lack of confidence in BYU repeatedly. Losing to Kansas gives those jokers all the ammunition they need to shaft Sitake's squad.

If the Cougars lose against Arizona State or Houston, a championship victory will be mandatory, but even then, an undefeated Army may get the nod in an effort to keep BYU and the criminally overlooked Big 12 out of the club.

If the 11-1 Cougars drop a tight game against Colorado for the championship, BYU could earn enough respect to sneak in as the 11th or 12th team in the bracket. The Buffs have an avalanche of momentum suggesting Coach Prime can will his team into a conference title. If BYU puts up a strong effort in a close loss, all they can do is pray.

But the climb had only gotten steeper, the path less clear, and the chances of a playoff appearance had dropped rapidly. No, the dream season isn't dead, but it is on life support. Barely scrape past Houston, find yourself on the wrong side of an ASU or CU blowout, or anything in between, and a playoff slot could be out of the question.

The simple truth? Win and you're in, Cougs. You control your destiny.

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