No. 15 Arizona State absolutely smashed No. 16 Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game, 45-19, on Saturday, and if the College Football Playoff selection committee wasn’t playing close enough attention, Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham delivered a message directly to them once the rout was over.
“Last year, [the committee] kept Florida State out because their quarterback didn’t play,” Dillingham said on the field. “We’re 11-1 with our quarterback. 11-1. And we’re Big 12 champs. I think we should be treated like an 11-1 team.”
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"Last year, [the CFP Selection Committee] kept Florida State out because their quarterback didn't play. We're 11-1 with our quarterback. 11-1. And we're Big 12 champs. I think we should be treated like an 11-1 team." – Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham pic.twitter.com/hOPmN2Qldb
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 7, 2024
The subtext here is Arizona State likely missing out on a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff to Boise State. In the most recent rankings revealed on Tuesday, Arizona State was the lowest-ranked conference champion, meaning it would have to play a first-round game. Mountain West champion No. 10 Boise State would instead earn the the bye.
Dillingham didn’t even wait for the confetti to fall at AT&T Stadium before he started to make his case.
Boise State won a home game against UNLV, 21-7, on Friday night to claim the Mountain West title and finish the season 12-1 with the only blemish a three-point loss at then-No. 7 Oregon in Week 2. Friday was the Broncos’ first ranked victory of the season.
The Sun Devils — picked to finish last in the Big 12 — went 11-2 with ranked wins over No. 16 Utah, No. 16 Kansas State and No. 14 BYU before Saturday’s victory over No. 16 Iowa State in Texas.
According to ESPN, Boise State played the 82nd strongest schedule in the FBS. Arizona State’s schedule was ranked 72nd. Playoff seeding for the Sun Devils and Broncos will all come down to whether or not ASU made a strong enough statement against Iowa State.
Dillingham thinks there’s no question that’s the case.
