BYU Football: 6 games that can pave path for Cougars to playoff

2. Texas A&M loses on the road to Auburn in Week 14

The Aggies are everyone’s sleeper team for the CFP right now, owning the No. 5 ranking with only one loss. That 52-24 setback to No. 1 Alabama looked ugly, but everyone has struggled this year against the Crimson Tide.

A loss to Auburn this weekend could quickly change the rose-tinted complexion for the 12th man. The Tigers are smarting after suffering a 42-13 loss to their in-state rivals during Thanksgiving weekend and will be eager to make things right again. That Iron Bowl loss dropped Auburn out of the CFP Top 25 for Week 14.

The Tigers are only seven-point underdogs at home against Texas A&M this Saturday.

1. Alabama beats Florida in SEC title game

This is another tough scenario for BYU fans, considering that a competitive Gators’ loss in the SEC title game could keep Florida ranked ahead of the Cougars.

If Alabama blows out Florida, though, in this presumed SEC title bout, the case could made for BYU to leapfrog the Gators. The argument to be made against BYU here (and in most of these other scenarios) is the strength of schedule and the lack of power conference teams — though this largely isn’t the Cougars’ fault.

If Florida loses badly, would it be enough to sink the Gators lower than BYU?