AL.com CFP projections: Did Kansas just edge Colorado in the playoffs?

If you went to bed before BYU and Kansas, you may have missed the latest in the Big 12 causing playoff mayhem.

Late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, depending on where you are, the BYU Cougars saw their undefeated season come to a screeching halt in Provo, UT with a three-win Kansas team clinching a No. 4 with a 17-13 win over BYU.

What does this mean for the college football playoff? It continues to be a messy mess. Shocker, I know.

But with BYU’s loss, it more than likely knocks the Big 12 out of grabbing one of the four automatic bids as a ranked conference champion.

In case you don’t know, the four highest-ranked conference champions get a bye week and avoid playing in the first round at campus sites.

So if the Big 12 is eliminated, who will take their place?

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the Boise State Broncos.

You may have heard of them. They play on blue grass and have been huge killers of the sport for the last 15-20 years. Yes, them.

BYU’s loss is Boise State’s (and SMU’s) gain. BYU’s upset loss on Saturday also all but assures us that the Big 12 will be a one-bid league, with Iowa State’s back-to-back losses earlier this month hurting.

So if BYU is out (for now) and the Big 12 is going to clinch a spot in the playoffs, who will take the spot?

Folks, say it with me, Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.

That’s right, the most overhyped 4-8 team from last season has righted the ship with Heisman front-runner Travis Hunter and is (no pun intended) ready to experience their first trip to the CFP IF they can run the table to end the season and win the Big 12 Championship.

What does the rest of the projected CFP field look like with three weeks to go before Selection Sunday?

Top 4 seeds

• 1. Oregon (Big Ten) – Rose Bowl
• 2. Texas (SEC) – Sugar Bowl
• 3. Boise State (MWC) – Fiesta Bowl
• 4. SMU (ACC) – Peach Bowl

More than likely, the ACC champion will be ranked higher than the Big 12 champion, giving the ACC the final Top 4 spot.

Here’s how the rest of the expected first-round on-campus matchups look:

• No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Colorado (Columbus, OH)
• No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 Georgia (State College, PA)
• No. 7 Indiana vs. No. 10 Ole Miss (Bloomington, IN)
• No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Alabama (South Bend, IN)

The first four out: Texas A&M, Army, Clemson, Tennessee.

If you’re a betting person, Notre Dame and Penn State appear to be the most vulnerable teams in the first round to lose a game at home. Thanks to the wide-open SEC, it might be better to avoid a trip to Atlanta and go to lovely State College or South Bend, just remember to bundle up before you leave.

Andrew Hammond is sports editor at AL.com. He can be reached at [email protected] or at X on @ahammaldc.