BYU ranked No. 9 in first College Football Playoff ranking

• More teams will have a shot at competing for a national championship as the field is expanded beyond the traditional four-team setup.

State of play: BYU started the season 8-0, with their most impressive win coming at home in September against Kansas State, which was ranked 13th at the time.

How it works: CFP rankings will be released each Tuesday leading up to the final list on Dec. 8.

• The five highest-ranked conference champions will automatically be in the playoffs. The top four of that group will be seeded No. 1-4 and will have a first-round bye.
• The fine print: Since the Cougs are sitting atop the Big 12 conference, they would be the four seed in the 12-team, bracket style playoff if it started today, and have a first-round bye.
• Teams No. 5-12 will play each other in Round 1 on Dec. 20-21, with the higher-ranked school hosting the game.
• For example: No. 5 will play at No. 12, and No. 8 will play at No. 9, etc.

What's next: The winners will go on to play the four conference champions in the quarterfinals in the New Year's bowl games.

• Caveat: The Fiesta Bowl will take place on Dec. 31.
• The Peach, Rose, and Sugar bowls will be staggered throughout the day on Jan. 1.

The victors of those games will play in the semifinals on Jan. 9 (Orange Bowl) and Jan. 10 (Cotton Bowl) for a trip to the Jan. 20 National Championship in Atlanta.

What's next: BYU's remaining schedule is quite favorable. If they are able to win out and win the Big 12 title, the Cougars will make their CFP debut for the first time in school history.

• Their next game is Saturday against the University of Utah in the Holy War.