It’s not every day Dave Portnoy jumps into the College Football Playoff conversation, but when he does, it’s usually loud and slightly chaotic. This time, though, he might actually be onto something.
The Barstool Sports founder took to X and dropped a pretty straightforward take on how the CFP should look. “Playoffs scenario is very simple,” Portnoy tweeted. “Regardless of what happens in championship games, the final 2 teams in the playoffs should be BYU and Alabama. If BYU wins the Big 12, put Texas Tech in there. That’s it. End of story. Anything else is wrong and an injustice.”
Now, Portnoy isn’t exactly Kirk Herbstreit, but he does have one thing going for him: a massive platform. And for BYU fans who are used to being ignored when the national conversation starts heating up, having someone yell on your behalf isn’t the worst thing.
This isn’t the first time he’s gone to bat for the Cougars, either. Over the past few weeks, Portnoy has made it known he’s bought in on BYU as a legit contender, and not just some cute story from out West. He’s riding with the Cougars as one of the most deserving teams in the playoff hunt, and now that the stakes are highest, he’s doubling down.
Look, the guy’s not wrong. BYU’s had one hell of a season. They’ve played tough, won meaningful games, and if they take care of business in Arlington, they’ll have a conference title to back it all up. If the committee is supposed to reward results, BYU’s got a case. It’s not flashy, but it’s real.
Portnoy saying Alabama belongs too isn’t surprising. That’s been a national default setting for a decade. But throwing BYU into that same sentence is what makes it interesting. It disrupts the usual narrative and forces people to ask, “Why not BYU?”
Sure, Portnoy’s style isn’t for everyone. But sometimes college football needs a guy outside the bubble to call it like it is. And if that helps bring some extra heat to BYU’s playoff case, all the better.
The bottom line? If BYU competes in the title game and gets left out, it’s going to be hard to explain. Even Dave Portnoy sees that.
