BYU’s grind-it-out win at TCU didn’t look pretty, but it looked good enough to move the Cougars up in the AP Top 25.
After slipping to No. 10 a week ago, BYU climbed to No. 8 in Sunday’s latest poll. That rise came despite a rough afternoon in Fort Worth, Texas, where the Cougars escaped with an ugly victory over TCU and lost key starters along the way. Running back LJ Martin and linebacker Isaiah Glasker both went down with injuries, and BYU’s offense was limited to 216 total yards.
That stat alone leaves some real questions hanging over the Cougars’ Big 12 title chase, especially if Martin’s injury lingers. Then again, the weather may have played a role.
Or maybe it was just one of those games that never finds a rhythm. Time will tell.
Even with the issues, AP voters looked past the messiness. BYU also moved ahead of two SEC teams, jumping Florida and Ole Miss.
And with No. 3 Notre Dame scheduled to visit Provo in two weeks, a top-10 showdown is now very much in play.
Utah also moved up one spot, climbing from No. 13 to No. 12 while on its bye. The Utes last played a 31-17 win over Iowa State, and that result got a little extra shine after the Cyclones followed it up with a 45-42 win over West Virginia.
The Big 12 continues to have a strong presence in the rankings, with five teams in the AP Top 25. Along with BYU and Utah, the league also has No.
11 Texas Tech, No. 18 Oklahoma State and No.
22 Houston.
Texas remained No. 1, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State and Alabama. Indiana checked in at No. 7, just ahead of BYU, while Ole Miss landed at No. 9 and LSU at No. 10.
The full top 25 also included Oregon at No. 13, Missouri at No.
14, Tennessee at No. 15, Florida at No.
16, Mississippi State at No. 17, USC at No.
19, Iowa at No. 20, UCLA at No.
21, Boise State at No. 23, SMU at No. 24 and Pittsburgh at No.
Among the teams outside the poll but still drawing votes were Kentucky, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, Duke, Northwestern, Nebraska, Minnesota, Arizona, James Madison and North Dakota State.
In Other News...
BYU Won At TCU But A Bigger Concern Just Took Over
BYU left Fort Worth with a win, but the bigger takeaway from the 17-10 victory at TCU was how hard the Cougars had to work for every yard. The offense never really found its rhythm, finishing with just 216 yards while dealing with injuries to key players, and for long stretches it was the defense that kept BYU in control.
Bear Bachmeiers late touchdown run supplied the margin, but the performance also raised a broader question about how close this team is to the level it expected to reach before the season. A road win in the Big 12 is never easy, yet BYU will likely need a cleaner showing on offense if it wants to keep pace with those preseason expectations. [Read more 🡒]
Sonny Dykes Said What BYU Keeps Doing Is A Real Problem
TCU came away from its 17-10 loss to BYU with plenty to feel good about on defense, but not nearly enough on the scoreboard. The Horned Frogs held the Cougars to 17 points and just 62 passing yards, yet still dropped to 0-2 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2013 because the offense could only manage one touchdown.
Sonny Dykes pointed to the obvious issue afterward: the Horned Frogs have to be better on offense if they want to get out of the early hole. He also gave BYU credit for the way Bear Bachmeier helped move the ball on the ground, another reminder that the Cougars keep finding ways to stress opponents even when the passing game is limited. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Gritty TCU Win Changed The Ceiling Debate
BYUs rain-soaked win at TCU did more than add another road victory to the ledger. It offered a reminder of how much the Cougars can lean on defense and discipline when the conditions get ugly, and it came in Fort Worth, where they had not won since 2006. With several players banged up along the way, BYU still found a way to keep the Horned Frogs from settling in, thanks in part to a defense that made life difficult up front and a game plan that stayed patient even when the offense never looked especially clean.
Bear Bachmeiers passing day was not the sort that changes anyones mind on its own, but BYU did not need fireworks to leave Texas with a result that mattered. The four sacks were a big part of the story, and so was the willingness to stick with a conservative approach in a game where field position and toughness mattered more than style points. For a team that has spent part of the season fighting the ceiling debate, this was the kind of win that forces a more serious conversation about how high the Cougars can climb. [Read more 🡒]