Skip to main content
Join Now
Get a profile. Be recruited.

Mark Ingram impressed by respect for Big 12 Conference in first College Football Playoff rankings

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh14 hours agogriffin_mcveigh
Big 12 Championship Game
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Everyone looks at the College Football Playoff rankings a little differently. Most want to see where their own team is slated and hope it’s within the 12-team field. If you’re someone like Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, you’re looking more big picture, wanting multiple teams from the conference with a chance.

Well, Yormark himself did not comment on how the Big 12’s successful Tuesday night was, getting three teams within the top 13. FOX’s Mark Ingram noticed, though. He came away impressed with how much respect the CFP committee showed the Big 12, opening the door for two teams to be included.

“It’s the respect for the Big 12 here, in my opinion,” Ingram said. “BYU is sitting at seven, Texas Tech sitting at eight. You have a top-eight showdown in Lubbock this weekend. Then, you’ve got Utah sitting at 13. They have one loss, Tech has one loss, and they’re up there, right in position to make a run for the Playoff picture.

“With these current rankings, you’re looking at two Big 12 teams possibly being able to get in this thing. That’s the thing for me.”

As Ingram mentioned, BYU and Texas Tech are set to face off on Saturday. ESPN College GameDay will be there before ABC broadcasts the game at 11 a.m. CT. Legendary Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes just got announced as the guest picker, meaning the atmosphere in West Texas is going to be off the charts. That result might shape how the rest of the Big 12’s season looks.

Utah might be the most interesting of the trio, currently holding a 7-2 record. Those two losses are to the two in front of them. BYU won the Holy War in Provo, while Texas Tech came into Salt Lake City and took down the Utes. If Utah is going to get in, three wins will be required to finish 10-2, plus some help is likely needed in front of them.

Based on the rankings, those are the only three in the Big 12 in the picture at the moment. They do not have another program anywhere in the top 25. However, Cincinnati and Houston might have something to say about that. Both are 7-2 overall, with the hopes of entering the race.

As we know, chaos can happen in the Big 12 at any given moment. Yormark is likely just happy to see some “respect” coming from the committee to kick the process off.