Neither is going to be any higher than 8. If for some reason they were, they likely wouldn't do a thing. They likely have strong shot just by attrition to others.

But here's how I see it for Cincy which is slightly different than for BYU:

If they are in that 8-12 range, they really need to find a way to push themselves up even higher to even have a prayer at a playoff spot. A close loss doesn't hurt too bad.

And if they are below 12, they are likely too far out anyway and may need to just preserve their hold on the NY6 bowl.

For BYU it plays out a little more like this:

If they are in that 8-12 range, they also really need a way to push themselves up higher not just for a prayer at a playoff but to have a strong chance at NY6.

And if they are below 12, NY6 is likely out anyway so might as well just go out with a bang and tee up next year's schedule. This time, truly schedule anyone, anywhere as long as you can get a guarantee so there isn't any lost investment into a game that doesn't happen.