# EXPOSED: College Football Powers That Be SABOTAGING Kalani Sitake & BYU Football’s ROAD to Playoff? | TCU's Paltry Run Game Should Get BYU's Focus | Big 12 Three Up & Three Down

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-cougars-daily-podcast-on-byu-cougars-football-basketball-935433/exposed-college-football-powers-that-be-sabotaging-kalani-sitake-byu-football-s-road-to-playoff-tcu-s-paltry-run-game-should-get-byu-s-focus-big-12-three-up-three-down
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-cougars-daily-podcast-on-byu-cougars-football-basketball-935433/exposed-college-football-powers-that-be-sabotaging-kalani-sitake-byu-football-s-road-to-playoff-tcu-s-paltry-run-game-should-get-byu-s-focus-big-12-three-up-three-down.md
Podcast: [Locked On Cougars - Daily Podcast On BYU Cougars Football & Basketball](https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-cougars-daily-podcast-on-byu-cougars-football-basketball-935433)
Published: 2026-09-28T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-cougars/
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdrl.fm/63a296/lockedon.simplecastaudio.com/df3adc55-2f40-437c-852e-1d8b8122e2c6/episodes/dfa3e403-8a3f-445c-91db-4d773cd5c0f6/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=df3adc55-2f40-437c-852e-1d8b8122e2c6&awEpisodeId=dfa3e403-8a3f-445c-91db-4d773cd5c0f6&feed=DzohBBeS
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/locked-on-cougars-daily-podcast-on-byu-cougars-football-basketball-935433/episodes/exposed-college-football-powers-that-be-sabotaging-kalani-sitake-byu-football-s-road-to-playoff-tcu-s-paltry-run-game-should-get-byu-s-focus-big-12-three-up-three-down
Duration seconds: 1677

## Resource

BYU football has lept into the national spotlight as College Football Playoff contenders, but do playoff committee politics and SEC bias threaten to undo their hard work? Bear Bachmeier’s efficient quarterback play, ranking in the country’s top 25 in QBR, has helped launch BYU to a 3-0 record and a top-10 national ranking. However, the conversation explored how ESPN’s playoff projections set an incredibly high bar for Kalani SItake and the BYU Cougars, demanding a nearly perfect record amid skepticism about Big 12 strength and limited opportunities for ranked wins outside of major showdowns with Notre Dame and Utah. One concept discussed was the persistent challenge posed by the College Football Playoff Committee’s alignment with media partners and the perception gap favoring SEC and Big Ten programs. Referencing recent AP poll discrepancies and controversial SEC rankings—such as Missouri’s frequent top-25 presence despite a lackluster resume—the discussion raised critical questions: If BYU drops a game to anyone besides Utah or Notre Dame, will its playoff dreams collapse, even with a two-loss runner-up finish? Unlike their SEC and Big Ten rivals, BYU may not get the benefit of the doubt, making each game a must-win for Kalani Sitake and his squad. A key theme that emerged was BYU’s upcoming matchup with TCU and how current trends favor the Cougars. TCU’s inability to establish a run game, highlighted by a mere 33 rushing yards in their loss to UCF, sets the stage for BYU’s top-ranked ball-hawking defense, coordinated by Kelly Poppinga, to exploit Jaden Craig’s mistakes through the air. The discussion explored BYU’s path to capitalizing on TCU’s weaknesses, historical struggles in Fort Worth, and the chance to make a statement win that could influence the playoff narr…

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