BYU’s loss at UCF stung, but it doesn’t wipe away how strong the Cougars’ playoff case looks through seven games.
At 6-1, BYU sits 8th in the AP poll and owns something it didn’t have during either of its 7-0 starts in 2024 or 2025: a top-five win over Notre Dame. The Cougars also have a top-25 win over Arizona, and that one could gain even more weight if Arizona beats Texas Tech this weekend.
That’s a big difference from the past two seasons. In both 2024 and 2025, BYU also began 7-0, but it started those years outside the AP top 25 and had to climb its way up while unbeaten.
In 2024, the Cougars reached 11th after the 7-0 start and had wins over Kansas State, ranked 16th, and SMU, ranked 22nd. Even then, the national picture was crowded with unbeaten and one-loss teams, including Oregon, Penn State and Indiana among the undefeated Big Ten programs, while Alabama was the highest-ranked two-loss team at No.
- There were 19 Power Four schools with one loss or fewer at that point.
The 2025 path looked similar in some ways and flatter in others. BYU was again 11th after opening 7-0, but that resume came without a top-25 win because the Cougars knocked Utah out of the rankings. That season also had four other undefeated Power Four teams - Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Georgia Tech - while Notre Dame was the highest-ranked two-loss team at 12th and no other two-loss team was in the top 16.
This season, the landscape has shifted hard. College football has already produced a two-loss team in the top 10 in Alabama, and there are four two-loss teams in the top 15. That chaos matters for BYU, because its own profile is cleaner than the ones it carried in the last two years, and the national field around it is less airtight.
There’s also a case that the Cougars should be a little higher than 8th. With a win over Notre Dame on the page, some AP voters clearly see them more like a top-five team than a team sitting outside that group. A win over rival Utah could send BYU right back into the top five.
And if the AP poll feels like window dressing, the playoff history says otherwise. Last year, when the first College Football Playoff rankings came out, the AP top 10 matched the CFP top 10 exactly. The order changed a bit from 6 through 9, but the teams were the same.
So even with the setback at UCF, BYU is in a stronger spot than it was through seven games in either 2024 or 2025. The Cougars still have everything in front of them. If they run the table, they’ll be looking at either hosting a College Football Playoff game or earning a first-round bye.
In Other News...
BYUs UCF Trip Just Sparked A Bigger Big 12 Response
The Big 12 has taken a hard line after BYUs trip to UCF, fining the Knights $100,000 over discriminatory chants aimed at Cougars fans during and after the game. The conference said UCF had tried to follow its protocols and remove the offending fans, but still made clear the behavior crossed a line and could not be tolerated.
For BYU, the fallout goes beyond one road game. The league also signaled that future incidents could bring harsher consequences, including in-game penalties and larger fines, while the money from this one will go toward student education initiatives. It is the kind of response that reflects how seriously the Big 12 wants to treat the issue, especially when it affects visiting fans and the atmosphere around league games. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Heads To Arizona State With Key Availability Questions Still Lingering
BYU heads to Arizona State this week with its availability picture still in flux, and the latest injury report gives the Cougars a little more clarity without settling much of the bigger uncertainty. LJ Martin, Evan Johnson and Trevin Ostler have all been ruled out, while Kyle Sfarcioc is probable and running back Preston Rex is also expected to be available. For a team trying to keep its rhythm on the road, those designations matter because they shape both the depth chart and the way BYU can approach the game plan.
Arizona State is working through its own questions, which only adds another layer to a matchup already carrying plenty of attention. The Sun Devils have ruled out starting offensive lineman Tana Alo-Tupuola, while quarterback Mikey Keene and safety Lyrik Rawls remain questionable. So even before kickoff, both sides are bracing for a game where the final answer at a few key spots may not come until much closer to game time. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Has A Chance To Answer One Big Question Against ASU
BYU heads into its matchup with Arizona State with a chance to do more than just add another win to the schedule. The meeting comes with a little extra edge because it is the first time the teams have played since their controversial 2024 game, and the numbers suggest the Cougars have a real opportunity to measure themselves against a Big 12 opponent in a meaningful way. Advanced metrics point to BYUs passing offense and defense both holding statistical advantages, which makes this a useful test of where the Cougars stand entering the next stretch.
Arizona States offense has had trouble in a few key spots, especially in offensive success rate and on third down, and BYUs defense may be positioned to press that issue even more. The Cougars also appear to have an edge up front, since ASU quarterbacks have taken sacks at a higher rate than some of the previous opponents BYU has faced. For a team still looking to answer bigger questions about its ceiling, this is the kind of game that can say plenty even before the final score is known. [Read more 🡒]