SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – In an imaginary world, Utah State and BYU would be among the teams with the best chance to make a hypothetical Group of 5 college football playoff.
According to ESPN, the Aggies and Cougars are two of 13 teams with at least a 5 percent chance to make a playoff if G5 teams had a similar format to that of Power 5 teams.
Utah State would have an 11 percent chance to make the fictional playoff based on projections from Bristol’s Playoff Predictor. BYU would have a 6 percent chance.
ESPN’s theoretical playoff is based on college football’s current four-team playoff format. No Group of 5 team has ever been selected as one of the teams to play in the playoff since the format began in 2014.
Out of the 13 teams, USU was listed with the 9th best odds while the Cougars were 13th.
“Odds are the Aggies will need the mayhem in the AAC and Boise State to fall apart,” said ESPN.
Utah State has a 3-1 record the season. Their only loss came against undefeated Wake Forest in the first game of the year.
ESPN says USU will “surely” pick up its second loss at LSU and a third loss later in the year is “extremely likely.”
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“If you’re surprised to see BYU on this list at all, I hear you. Three losses, two overtime wins and no shot at a conference title? Yep, it’s not looking great,” said ESPN of the Cougars 6 percent chance to make the artificial playoff.
BYU currently has a 2-3 record with wins over Tennessee and then 24th ranked USC. Their three losses came against ranked teams in Utah and Washington as well as a road loss to Toledo.
“If BYU can win out, the Allstate Playoff Predictor thinks the Cougars can get there given how much they would have accomplished to earn that 9-3 record,” said ESPN.
Some of the opponents for both the Aggies and Cougars were also featured on ESPN’s list of 13 squads.
Boise State was listed with the best overall chance to make the fictional playoff with a 70 percent.
Toledo was one spot above the Aggies with 14 percent. Air Force was just below USU with 10 percent.
The Aggies and fifth-ranked LSU kickoff on Saturday at 10 a.m. (MDT) on the SEC Network.
The Cougars have a bye week before playing at South Florida on Saturday, October 12.
