Here's something that shows BYU's actual schedule and results with a list of teams that are one above or one below the current Connelly ranking for the team BYU actually played.
Connelly |
Actual |
Pts |
Opp Points |
One Up |
One Down |
FCS |
S Illinois |
41 |
13 |
FCS |
FCS |
13 |
@SMU |
18 |
15 |
TX A&M |
S Carolina |
119 |
@Wyoming |
34 |
14 |
Purdue |
FAU |
16 |
K State |
38 |
9 |
Clemson |
Iowa |
36 |
@Baylor |
34 |
28 |
TCU |
JMU |
79 |
Arizona |
41 |
19 |
Ok St |
USF |
78 |
Ok St |
38 |
35 |
Ohio |
Arizona |
54 |
@UCF |
37 |
24 |
Syracuse |
Nebraska |
52 |
@Utah |
22 |
21 |
Vandy |
Syracuse |
41 |
Kansas |
13 |
17 |
Memphis |
Illinois |
48 |
@ASU |
23 |
28 |
Pitt |
Texas St. |
|
Houston |
|
|
|
|
For Baylor, Arizona, and Okie St, where the surrounding teams are either also in the BIGXII or are in G5 conferences, consider that Minnesota is 39th and Virginia is 81st in these rankings, even giving the benefit of going DOWN the list.
In Connelly's rankings, a win at SMU is just about the same as a win at TX A&M or South Carolina. A win against K State 38-9 is about the same as beating Clemson or Iowa by the same score. Losing to ASU and Kansas would be like losing close ones vs. Illinois and Pitt. And beating Utah would be equivalent to winning at Vandy or Syracuse. Also - Purdue = Wyoming!
So far BYU's schedule with actual names replaced by nearest neighbors is essentially equivalent to the following using Connelly rankings: FCS, @TX A&M, @Purdue, Clemson/Iowa, Minnesota, Virginia, @Virginia, @Syracuse/Nebraska, @Vandy, Illinois, @Pitt.
If some of the actual names on BYU's schedule were replaced with their Big 10/SEC/ACC (or said another way "brand") equivalent, I'm confident the narrative that the CFP Committee is using about BYU (and the BIGXII for that matter) wouldn't be the same.