We won't get the benefit of the doubt with the committee, so we probably have to win out during the regular season or win the CCG to get a bid in the CFP. But straight up, we are a good football team. Our offense has improved greatly from last year, particularly from improvement on the offensive line. The defense is playing really well with a second year under Jay Hill. Jake has improved a lot and continues to grow. Strength and conditioning staff have done a great job helping us play physical without a lot of injuries. Depth has improved markedly.

That said, we don't have the level of talent that some of these other teams have. But we play together as a team. If we play disciplined and smart (two things we should be able to control) and complementary football, we're a really good TEAM. That may not be enough to beat some ultra-talented teams. But it might be on any given night. That's what makes the CFP so intriguing.

We've had two close calls against B12 basement-dwellers, but we found a way to win. We are playing with fire, though. Our victories over SMU and KSU were very good. None of the upcoming games are gimmes--Kansas is looking really formidable right now. ASU is good. Houston is suddenly winning with a new QB. If we stumble, it is what it is. We have greatly exceeded expectations. Heck, most of us were just hoping we'd get to bowl eligibility. And here we are knocking on the door of the CFP. Amazing! We are guaranteed a spot in the CCG if we win 2/3 games. And we probably face a surging Colorado team. And if we stumble, I hope we don't start ripping on our coaches that got us to 9-0, etc. This season is a great foundation from which to recruit and grow. I hear 5-star QB Ryder Lyons is coming to Provo on a recruiting visit--that's a great sign.

At the end of the day, I like what Kalani said--as long as we're playing the best we can, if we lose then we got beat by a better team. It is what it is, but we get back up. We just keep trying to get better every week. That's the attitude that might just lead us to the CFP.