Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham sends clear message to playoff selection committee after winning Big 12

Arizona State dominated Iowa State in Saturday’s Big 12 championship.

The College Football Playoff selection committee will now be tasked with deciding whether the Sun Devils’ strong performances to close out the regular season, coupled with the blowout win in the title game, should propel the team to one of the playoff’s coveted top four spots.

ASU was ranked five spots behind Boise State in the most recent playoff rankings entering college football’s conference championship weekend.

The Broncos entered Friday’s Mountain West title game in the 10th slot in the playoff rankings, and some projections have Boise State at No. 4. The structure of the new 12-team playoff stipulates that the top four seeds win their conference championships.

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If Boise State lands in a higher position than the Big 12 champion in the final playoff rankings, the Broncos would be the fourth-seeded team. 

Shortly after ASU won its first Big 12 title, head coach Kenny Dillingham touted the Sun Devils’ 11-2 record and delivered a clear message to the selection committee. 

“Last year, they kept Florida State out because their quarterback didn’t play. We’re 11-1 with our quarterback. Eleven and one, and we’re Big 12 champs. I think we should be treated like an 11-1 team,” Dillingham argued.

Dillingham was referencing the Florida State team that made it through the regular season with an unblemished record and won the 2023 ACC championship game. However, the selection committee factored in an injury to starting quarterback Jordan Travis, and FSU fell to the fifth spot in that season’s final playoff rankings.

Several key players on the Seminoles’ roster opted out of the Orange Bowl since it was not one of the semifinal games that year, which led to a lopsided loss to Georgia. 

ASU has not dropped a game since October when it fell 24-14 to Cincinnati. Quarterback Sam Leavitt did not play in that game. The Sun Devils’ first loss of the season happened on the road in September when Texas Tech secured a 30-22 victory. 

The final playoff rankings of the season are scheduled to be released Sunday night. The top four seeds get a first-round bye.

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