In the final AP poll of the year BYU rose to 12th - its highest ranking since the Steve Sarkisian-led Cotton Bowl team of 1996 that finished 14-1.
The MWC has to be considered a BCS-type conference now, with its top three teams all being ranked in the final top 20. TCU fell to 6th after a dismal Fiesta Bowl, and Utah rose to 18 after a solid night in San Diego.
The MWC joins three other conferences with at least 3 teams in the top 20: SEC, Big 10 and the ACC
Top 20 breakdown by conference:
SEC(4): Alabama, Florida, LSU, Mississippi
Big 10(4): Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin
MWC(3): TCU, BYU, Utah
ACC(3): Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami
Big 12(2): Texas, Nebraska
Big East(2): Cincinnati and Pittsburgh
Pac 10(1): Oregon
WAC (1): Boise State