The College Football Playoff is discussing a possible 24-team field. BYU is still playing Saturday as if every possession belongs in a 12-team argument.

That distinction matters. The CFP announced Thursday that discussions with ESPN about potential expansion to 24 teams are continuing. The statement did not approve a new format, set a start date or change the 2026 field. Any expansion remains a future possibility, with a Dec. 1 deadline for changes to take effect in 2027.

For BYU, that future is useful context but not an excuse to look beyond Notre Dame. The Cougars are 5–0 and ranked No. 8. The Irish are 6–0 and ranked No. 2. Saturday’s winner will not be handed a playoff berth, but the game will supply the kind of evidence a selection committee uses when it compares résumés, especially if the current 12-team model remains in place.

The possible 24-team field changes the emotional backdrop. A larger bracket would create more room for an excellent team to survive one loss, and it would give the Big 12 more paths than simply winning the conference. That is an important long-term opportunity for a league with no undefeated superpower guaranteed to occupy the top of the rankings every November.

But the 2026 rules are the rules in front of BYU. The Big 12 champion owns an automatic place in the current CFP structure, while at-large teams must persuade the committee that their schedule and performance belong in the field. A home victory over Notre Dame would be the kind of résumé entry that remains valuable under either a 12-team or expanded model.

The numbers explain why the game carries that weight. BYU’s official game notes list the Cougars at 433.4 yards and 34.6 points per game, with 254.4 yards allowed. Notre Dame averages 456.7 yards and 44 points while allowing 214.2. Those are six-game and five-game samples, respectively, and they are not opponent-adjusted. They still describe two teams that have handled nearly everyone on the schedule.

The better résumé number may be the recent record. Notre Dame is 30–4 since the start of 2024; BYU is 28–4. Indiana is the only FBS program with a better winning percentage over that span, according to the same official notes. That record helps explain why this is not simply a heavyweight bringing a promising underdog into national view. BYU has already built a résumé worthy of being tested against one.

The challenge is that Notre Dame has not needed a playoff conversation to play clean football. The Irish have won all six games by double digits, average 44 points and have allowed two sacks. Their defense has held opponents to 214.2 yards per game. BYU’s margin for error is therefore narrow even before the committee begins discussing future formats.

Kalani Sitake told KSL that he is “impressed” with Notre Dame and called the Irish one of the deepest teams in the country. That depth is why BYU’s current task is not to chase a hypothetical 24-team bracket. It is to prevent one bad quarter from deciding a game against a roster that can replace mistakes with another talented player.

Bear Bachmeier’s role is central. BYU converts 54.4% of third downs, while Notre Dame’s defense creates long fields and obvious passing situations. If Bachmeier can stay ahead of the chains, the Cougars can use their rushing game and play-action without asking him to win every down against a defense built to rush the passer. If early penalties or negative runs create third-and-long, the Irish can turn the game into an audition for their defensive line.

The possible playoff expansion also makes the Big 12’s opportunity more complicated than simple optimism. More available spots would help a league with multiple ranked teams, but a larger field would place more games under national examination. BYU has spent two seasons proving it can win. Saturday asks whether the Cougars can beat a team that looks like a playoff favorite, at home, with every camera watching.

What to watch is the quality of BYU’s résumé performance, not a future bracket. Track first-down success, third-down distance, explosive plays allowed and whether the Cougars can finish drives in the red zone. Those numbers will matter in December whether the committee is choosing 12 teams or discussing 24.

The playoff may get bigger. Saturday’s standard should not.

Hero photo: [Ken Lund / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Notre_Dame_Fighting_Irish_vs._BYU_Cougars,_Notre_Dame_Stadium,_University_of_Notre_Dame,_South_Bend,_Indiana_%2811045923494%29.jpg).