Blue roundup: How will 2014 playoffs impact independent Cougars?

More details about the new postseason format coming in 2014 are emerging. But will BYU, as an indepedent, be unaccounted for in this process?

"BYU is clearly the most significant program that could be impacted out of a group of a possible five independents in 2014 when the playoff begins," writes CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd. "It has the highest profile, largest budget and biggest commitment to football among the indies. BYU is the only non-BCS school to win a national championship in the wire service era. (Army was considered a major power when it won in the 1940s.) A seventh playoff bowl still in the works would match the highest-ranked team from the so-called Group of Five (Mountain West, Conference USA, Sun Belt, MAC, Big East) against a team from the Pac-12, Big-12 or possibly others. That leaves those independents as the only schools without 'contract' access to a playoff bowl if they don't finish in the top four. With up to eight spots accounted for in those contract bowls owned by the major conferences — for now, Rose, Orange, Champions — the independents only entry point would be in the three other access — or 'open' — bowls. Schools playing in those access bowls would have to reach a standard (top 12, top 14 most likely) to get in. Whether any of the independents, besides BYU, would have that chance is unlikely given their history. In 2013, the other independents are likely to be Army, Navy, New Mexico State and Idaho."

BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall reviews last week's 47-0 blowout of Hawaii and looks ahead to Friday's game at Utah State.

The Aggies defeated UNLV last Saturday, 35-13.