BYU’s own business comes first Friday night against Iowa State, but the Cougars will have one eye on a busy weekend around the country. If BYU handles the Cyclones, a top-10 showdown with Notre Dame waits next week in LaVell Edwards Stadium. Before that happens, several national results could shape BYU’s path in the Big 12 race and the rankings.
The most important swing games for BYU are in the Big 12: Arizona at WVU, Kansas at Utah, and UCF at Oklahoma State.
Arizona is the one to watch if you’re thinking about both present and future. A win over WVU would move the Wildcats to 5-1 and could put them in the rankings.
That would help BYU down the road if tiebreakers become part of the conversation, and it would also make BYU’s résumé look better. The season is reaching the point where that kind of thing starts to matter, and BYU would benefit if Arizona were still ranked in late October and November.
Utah is the bigger immediate problem in the Big 12 title picture. The Utes are the team BYU has to keep an eye on most closely, and it helps BYU if Utah drops one or two games.
Utah is favored by multiple scores against Kansas, but there is a wrinkle: weather could make it messy. Kansas has one of the conference’s best run defenses, and rain is in the forecast.
If the game turns sloppy, the Jayhawks could hang around.
Oklahoma State also matters because the Cowboys are starting to look like a team that could sneak into the Big 12 championship race. They host UCF, which BYU will face in a few weeks. A UCF win would help BYU in two ways: it would strengthen BYU’s conference schedule for tiebreaker purposes and it would also hand a loss to a team chasing a title-game spot.
There’s also a major national game with ranking implications. No.
2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama meet this weekend, so at least one team ahead of BYU has to lose.
The loser probably won’t drop below BYU unless the game gets ugly, but the best path for BYU to move up is if Alabama loses.
Another one worth watching is No. 7 Indiana at Nebraska.
If BYU is going to climb, this game could help. Nebraska is unbeaten at 5-0, while Indiana has not lived up to expectations in most of its games this season.
A few ranked teams behind BYU also have chances to make noise. No.
9 Ole Miss and No. 10 LSU sit near the top of that group.
BYU jumped Ole Miss in the rankings last weekend, and the Rebels could take that spot back with a road win over Vanderbilt.
LSU, meanwhile, goes on the road to face a Kentucky team that has improved a lot. A second loss for LSU would clearly help BYU.
There are also games that may not change BYU’s ranking right away, but could matter later in the College Football Playoff picture: Oregon-UCLA, Texas A&M-Missouri, and USC-Penn State.
In Other News...
BYU Suddenly Faces A Brutal Offensive Problem At The Worst Time
BYUs backfield took a major hit at a moment when the schedule is only getting tougher. Running back LJ Martin is expected to miss four to six weeks after suffering a lower-body injury in the game against TCU, and that timetable puts him out of the mix for upcoming matchups against Iowa State and Notre Dame.
Kalani Sitake said Martin is not on crutches, which is at least a small bit of encouraging news, but the Cougars still have to plan for a stretch without one of their key offensive pieces. Losing a runner of that importance right before a demanding run of games adds another layer of pressure to an offense that now has to find answers quickly. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Suddenly Faces A Huge Offensive Test Without Its Top Playmaker
BYUs offense is about to be asked to answer a much bigger question than it has all season, and it comes at a time when the schedule is about to get heavier. Running back LJ Martin will be out four to six weeks with a lower-body injury suffered against TCU, a setback that immediately removes the Cougars most reliable downhill threat from the lineup. He has been a centerpiece of the attack, piling up 344 rushing yards and three touchdowns so far this season while carrying the rsum of the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
The timing makes the injury especially difficult for a BYU team that cannot afford to lose rhythm as it heads into a key stretch. Martin is already out for the Iowa State game and will also miss the nationally televised matchup with Notre Dame on Oct. 17, leaving the Cougars to adjust without the runner who has helped define their identity. For an offense trying to stay on track against better defenses, the next few weeks now look like a test of depth, creativity and how well the rest of the ground game can absorb the loss. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Fans Are Facing A Notre Dame Ticket Reality Nobody Likes
BYUs home schedule is suddenly carrying a premium, and not just in the usual late-season sense. With Iowa State and Notre Dame coming to LaVell Edwards Stadium next, ticket resale markets have pushed prices sharply higher, turning what should be an ordinary search for seats into a small headache for fans trying to get in the door. Some single tickets are already listed for more than $400, and the buzz around the Notre Dame game has only added to the spike.
Even with the sticker shock, the interest has not cooled. BYU fans have made clear they still see these matchups as worth the trip, especially with a marquee opponent like Notre Dame on the calendar and a Big 12 home game against Iowa State coming first. The challenge now is less about whether the crowd will show up and more about how many fans are willing to pay the going rate to be part of it. [Read more 🡒]