BYU’s 2-0 start has put the Cougars in a strong early-season position, but the market may be getting a little too comfortable with them. After rolling past Utah Tech 63-7 and then opening Big 12 play with a 28-17 win over Arizona, BYU now heads back to out-of-conference action in Week 3 with a road trip to Colorado State.
The Rams are undefeated too, and they’ve done enough through two games to earn attention of their own. Colorado State opened with a 35-13 win over Wyoming and then followed that up with a 58-24 victory against Southern Utah. That’s a solid start, and it sets up an interesting matchup against a BYU team that looks good on paper but may be priced a little high.
The biggest reason BYU keeps showing up in the conversation is Bear Bachmeier. He’s been the Cougars’ top offensive threat so far, throwing for 415 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions.
He’s also made an impact on the ground, ranking second on the team in rushing with 67 yards and two scores. If Colorado State wants a real shot at hanging around, slowing Bachmeier down has to be part of the plan.
Still, there’s a case to be made that BYU’s latest win was a bit misleading. The 28-17 result against Arizona looks impressive at a glance, but the Cougars only outgained the Wildcats by 38 yards. That kind of margin is one reason this feels like a sell-high spot on BYU.
Colorado State, meanwhile, has already outperformed expectations. The Rams beat Wyoming by 22 after being favored by only a few points, and they’ve carried that momentum into the new week. With BYU laying a big number, the Rams are the side worth backing to cover on Saturday.
In Other News...
BYU Is No Longer Crashing The National Conversation
BYUs rise into the national conversation no longer feels like a one-week novelty. The Cougars are sitting 11th in the current college football rankings, with Utah right behind at 17th, a reminder that two programs long treated as regional afterthoughts have become regular fixtures in the Top 25.
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 Is Taking A Scheduling Risk The Committee Could Notice
BYUs 2026 trip to Colorado State adds another piece to a scheduling pattern that has already become hard to ignore. It will be the third straight season the Cougars are slated to play a road game against a Group of Six opponent, a quirk that sets them apart from the rest of the Power Four crowd and leaves them carrying a little more travel-related baggage than most of their peers.
Since 2021, nine Power Four programs have taken three straight road games against Group of Six teams, but BYU is the only one still waiting to finish that stretch. The Cougars have already started adjusting the shape of future slates, moving a game against Oregon State to a neutral site, and the current long-range picture shows only one other true road date against a Group of Six team, at Northern Illinois in 2030. [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 🡒]