BYU’s trip to Colorado State on Saturday night carries the kind of risk the Cougars have spent three seasons taking on. No. 11 BYU is one of just 10 Power Four teams set to travel for a true road game against a Group of Six opponent in 2026, but the Cougars are the only Power Four program doing it for a third straight year.
That run started with a road game at Wyoming in 2024, continued with a visit to East Carolina in 2025, and now finishes in Fort Collins against Colorado State. BYU has gotten through the first two stops without getting burned, but the broader trend around these matchups says that kind of travel is playing with fire.
Since 2021, nine Power Four programs have gone on the road against Group of Six teams in three straight seasons: BYU, Boston College, Duke, Kansas, Stanford, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. Take BYU out of that group for the moment, since the Cougars are still finishing their three-game stretch, and Wake Forest is the only school to come out undefeated.
Even then, the Demon Deacons needed two wins by three points. Every other team on the list dropped at least one road game, and several lost more than one.
That’s the danger for BYU. The Cougars are the better team against Colorado State and should handle business.
But the payoff for a game like this has been limited. BYU beat a strong ECU team on the road last season, and that win didn’t move the needle with the national media or, more importantly, the playoff committee.
That’s why the strategy looks more like a gamble than an advantage. There’s not much upside in taking on a true road trip like this, especially when the risk is real and the reward is so small. In the Big 12, that’s the reality BYU is dealing with.
The Cougars seem to understand that, too. Their game at Oregon State was moved to a neutral-site matchup in Las Vegas, and for BYU, that change all but guarantees a crowd that feels plenty familiar. Looking ahead, the only true road game against a Group of Six team on BYU’s future schedule is a trip to NIU in 2030, and it remains to be seen whether the Cougars will buy out of that one.
For now, BYU is still in the middle of this road tour, trying to get through Colorado State without becoming the latest team to pay the price for it.
In Other News...
BYU Is No Longer Crashing The National Conversation
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For decades, both schools were more likely to be overlooked than discussed on the sports biggest stages, but recent changes have altered that script. Coaching stability and conference affiliation have helped push both programs into a more consistent spotlight, and what once looked like a breakthrough now looks a lot more like the new normal. [Read more 🡒]
BYU's Fast Start Just Created A Week 3 Betting Debate
BYUs unbeaten start has made the first month of the season feel a little more serious than usual, and the Cougars have already given themselves something to build on. After opening with two straight wins, including a 28-17 victory over Arizona, they head into a matchup with Colorado State carrying the kind of early momentum that tends to sharpen every conversation around a program, from the standings to the betting board.
Colorado State arrives with the same 2-0 record, which is why this one has started to draw attention beyond the usual early-season chatter. Bear Bachmeiers play has become part of the conversation as well, adding another layer to a game that looks more evenly matched than the records might suggest. The question now is whether BYUs start is enough to make the Cougars the more trustworthy side, or whether the Rams own unbeaten run will keep this debate alive right up to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
No. 11 BYU Has A Chance To Silence One Lingering Doubt
BYU heads into its 70th meeting with Colorado State carrying the kind of ranking that can turn September games into statements, and this one comes with a bit of extra texture. The Cougars are set for their first trip to Fort Collins in 16 years, a long gap that gives Saturdays matchup a different feel even before the ball is kicked. At No. 11, BYU has more than just a conference road game on its mind. It has a chance to keep building credibility with a performance that looks every bit like a team trying to stay in the national conversation.
The Cougars have leaned on a defense that leads the nation in interceptions this season, and that ball-hawking edge has helped define the early stretch of their year. Offensively, players like LJ Martin are expected to play major roles as BYU tries to impose its will and avoid the kind of shaky outing that can leave a ranked team explaining itself afterward. Colorado State offers a familiar opponent, but the setting and the stakes make this feel like more than another meeting in a long series. [Read more 🡒]