If BYU is going to keep its College Football Playoff push on track, this weekend could do a lot of the heavy lifting - or a lot of the damage.
With three weeks left, the Cougars need to keep winning to stay alive in the Big 12 race and protect their playoff position. But they also need some chaos elsewhere. That’s why Week 11 comes loaded with games that could swing BYU’s outlook in a hurry.
The biggest one on the board is Texas Tech at Oklahoma State. Texas Tech is the clearest threat to jump BYU in the rankings if it keeps rolling, and this is the one remaining game the Red Raiders are not expected to win.
A top-25 road victory would give them a major boost. Just as important for BYU, Texas Tech still needs one more loss to help clear the path to a Big 12 title.
Another Big 12 result worth watching is Colorado at Houston. Colorado has already been competitive with some of the league’s better teams, and Friday night road games have a way of getting strange. Houston has flirted with trouble a few times already, and a loss there would help BYU in both the conference race and the playoff picture.
Utah at Arizona is the kind of game where BYU fans may not love either outcome. If Utah loses, that could help BYU.
If Utah wins, that could also hurt BYU in the committee’s eyes. The safest rooting interest might be the simplest one: keep it close.
Beyond the Big 12, Wake Forest’s trip to SMU matters because the Demon Deacons have only one loss, and that loss came against Miami. Their schedule has been light, and SMU is the toughest challenge left. A second loss for Wake Forest would be a plus for BYU.
No. 6 Texas also enters a tricky spot, heading to LSU at night as a road underdog. If the Longhorns take their third loss, that would help BYU.
No. 11 Kentucky is another team that could climb past BYU if it keeps winning. The Wildcats are only a field goal favorite against unranked Florida, and a Kentucky loss would be a welcome result for the Cougars.
No. 8 Tennessee faces a similar test at Texas A&M. The Vols are favored by just a field goal, and if they get through it, they’re likely to finish 10-2 and sit well ahead of BYU in the CFP rankings.
Indiana is still unbeaten in losses no one wants to see, but the Hoosiers’ resume is thin. They have no wins over top-25 teams, and that changes if they beat USC. A second loss would send them sliding, which would help BYU.
Miami, coming off an emotional loss to Notre Dame, returns home to face Duke. The Hurricanes are heavily favored, but this season has already shown how quickly things can flip.
And then there’s UCLA, still undefeated, hosting Illinois. The Illini already own a win over Oregon, and while UCLA may not tumble much if it loses, another stumble could be waiting when USC comes to town. An Illinois upset would help BYU.
There are more chances for teams around BYU to lose this week than in any of the final three weeks. For Cougar fans, it’s a weekend full of scoreboard watching.
In Other News...
Bachmeiers Holy War Slide Just Raised A Bigger BYU Question
Week 10 offered another reminder that quarterback play is driving the Big 12 conversation, and BYU is right in the middle of it as the league turns to Week 11. The latest review of conference passers put a spotlight on several familiar names, from Noah Fifita and Thomas Castellanos to Michael Hawkins Jr., while also setting up a fresh round of quarterback matchups that could reshape the pecking order heading into the stretch run.
For BYU, the bigger question is less about the rankings themselves and more about where its own quarterback situation fits in a league that keeps demanding answers every week. With the top eight Big 12 quarterbacks being sorted by recent form and the next slate of challenges already in view, the Cougars are watching closely to see whether their position in that conversation holds or slips as the competition tightens. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Defense Has Become A Real Concern At The Worst Time
Missed tackles have become one of the most glaring issues for BYU at exactly the wrong moment, with the Cougars ranking near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision in tackle success rate during recent games. Its a concern the defense has not tried to brush aside, and players and coaches have acknowledged that the standard simply has not been good enough.
The response has been to get back to basics in practice, with more emphasis on tackling fundamentals and drills as BYU prepares for a critical matchup against Baylor. For a defense trying to steady itself late in the season, the challenge is no longer just about effort or alignment, but about cleaning up the kind of mistakes that can turn a solid series into a long gain in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Is Suddenly At The Center Of A Big 12 Playoff Push
The Big 12s playoff picture has started to look a lot different, and BYU is right in the middle of the conversation. Josh Pate and Joel Klatt spent time this week breaking down the leagues College Football Playoff prospects, pointing to BYU, Utah and Texas Tech as teams with legitimate paths to the bracket as the season takes shape.
What makes the discussion especially interesting from BYUs side is the broader shift in how the league is being viewed. The argument now is less about brand names and more about resumes, with the Big 12 suddenly looking capable of stacking up well against the Big Ten and even making a case for as many as three playoff bids. For BYU, that means every week carries more weight in a conference race that could end up shaping the national field. [Read more 🡒]