downward trending Cincy and Utah give voters all the objective data needed to drop BYU out of the Top 25. And BYU doesn't get the benefit of the doubt based on losses to faltering Cincy (at home!) and Utah. Zaga gets the benefit of the doubt based on many recent years of excellence, something the Cougars can't claim. That's how the world works.
BYU may find itself an NIT team if it pulls a BYU football team and loses their last 5 games. I think they are better than that, but they MUST win a couple games down the stretch. The Cougars have not yet earned the benefit of the doubt, except in the minds of us homers.