Chris Budden’s reaction was anything but cheerful.
The ESPN sideline reporter responded to sports figure Dave Portnoy on Saturday after Portnoy accused her of expressing “glee” while discussing BYU’s chances for the College Football Playoff before the Big 12 Championship.
“You could actually hear me on TV talking about their week of practice, but it had nothing to do with their chances in the playoffs,” she replied.
Portnoy had shared a screenshot from College GameDay, including a graphic that displayed BYU’s playoff odds: a 99.9% chance of making it if they beat Texas Tech, and a mere 0.8% if they lost.
In her defense, Budden clarified that her focus during the broadcast was on practice adjustments for an early kickoff, not playoff odds.
She mentioned, “They’ve struggled with slow starts all year, especially with these early games, so we arranged our practice to help.” Budden noted the Cougars were treating the game as a must-win situation, saying, “Saturday is win or go home for BYU.”
Portnoy, who has been a supporter of the Cougars since his visit to Utah, seemed anxious as he reacted to BYU’s playoff prospects.
Ultimately, BYU faced a tough 34-7 defeat to Texas Tech and fell in the rankings, ending the day rated No. 12 after starting at No. 11. Meanwhile, Miami took the No. 10 spot following Duke’s upset victory over Virginia, edging BYU out of playoff contention.
In response to their playoff snub, BYU’s social media account aired grievances, questioning the selection committee’s effectiveness: “Congratulations to all teams that made it to the playoff… but was the committee’s core mission upheld?”
