Nick Saban has seen enough of BYU to put the Cougars at the top of his Big 12 watch list.
The former Alabama coach said Friday that BYU has been the conference team that has stood out most to him so far this season. That comes with the Cougars sitting at 3-0, ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll, and leading the Big 12 as the league’s highest-ranked team. They are also one of five Big 12 schools in the AP top 20, alongside Texas Tech, Utah, Oklahoma State and Houston.
“The team that has impressed me the most in the Big 12 is BYU,” Saban said. “I mean, I think Bear Bachmeier is playing better at quarterback.
He's a more effective, efficient passer. He still can run the ball.
They still can run the ball. They play tough on defense, so that's the team that I think everybody needs to keep an eye out for in terms of how this Big 12 works out.”
Bachmeier’s growth is a big reason BYU looks different this season. As a true freshman last year, he helped lead the Cougars to 12 wins, but his passing game was limited for much of the year, especially in the first half.
BYU didn’t fully unleash him as a thrower until mid October, and after that he settled in nicely outside of two games against an excellent Texsa Tech defense. In games against Iowa State, TCU, and Georgia Tech, he showed what he could do as a dropback passer.
Now, with another year under his belt, BYU’s offense has a more complete shape to it. Bachmeier has already shown this season that he can beat defenses over the top, which means opponents can’t crowd the line and dare him to win with his arm the way some did a year ago.
Texas Tech head coach admitted in the offseason that his team stacked the box and tried to force Bachmeier to throw. That challenge looks a lot tougher now, because Bachmeier is more capable of punishing defenses with his arm in 2026.
And the Cougars still bring plenty of punch on the ground. BYU has been one of the most effective rushing teams in college football and has run the ball well in all three games. That included a home win against Arizona, even with the Wildcats selling out to stop the run.
The next test comes Saturday, when BYU goes on the road to face TCU. The Horned Frogs have been disappointing overall this season, but their defense has held up. They have allowed more than 20 points only once, in a 21-13 loss at UCF.
Saban’s praise puts a spotlight on a BYU team with real upside. Now the Cougars have to back it up in Fort Worth.
In Other News...
BYU Heads To TCU With One Big Chance To Silence Doubts
Advanced metrics say BYU should walk into Fort Worth with a real opportunity to back up the record and quiet some of the lingering skepticism around the program. Several projection systems are on the Cougars side, including SP+, FPI and FEI, all of which tilt toward BYU in a matchup that looks more favorable on paper than the road setting might suggest. Most of the forecasts point to a result with BYU ahead by about a touchdown, which is enough to make this feel like more than just another conference trip.
The appeal for BYU is straightforward: an offense with enough punch to test a TCU defense that has had trouble turning possessions into points for opponents. The numbers do not guarantee anything on Saturday, of course, but they do frame this as one of those games that can either reinforce the Cougars rise or leave the conversation about how far they still have to go hanging in the air a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Just Got Pulled Into A Big 12 Playoff Fight
College footballs playoff debate is suddenly pulling BYU into a much bigger conversation than just its own path to the postseason. With leaders weighing a jump from a 12-team format to 24 teams, the ripple effects would stretch well beyond Selection Sunday, altering how the sport approaches the postseason and cutting further into the bowl system that has long defined December and January.
The Big 12 is among the leagues pushing for the change, which would obviously matter in Provo because it could open the door for more conference teams to stay alive longer. But the push is drawing resistance from those who see bigger costs, less urgency in the regular season and more strain on the sports finances, and analyst Josh Pate has been especially blunt about the risks. For BYU, it is the kind of playoff fight that could reshape its future opportunities even before a single team is officially added. [Read more 🡒]
Undefeated BYU Walks Into A TCU Team Desperate To Respond
TCUs Big 12 home opener comes with plenty on the line, and the setting hardly offers a cushion. The Horned Frogs welcome undefeated BYU to Amon G. Carter Stadium on Oct. 3, with the matchup landing at a time when TCU is trying to steady itself after a rough stretch and sort through its player availability concerns.
BYU brings more than an unbeaten record into Fort Worth, and quarterback Bear Bachmeier is at the center of the challenge for TCUs defense. Add in the usual first-weekend-in-October variables, from game-day details to the weather forecast and the history around the series, and this feels like the kind of test that can quickly define where both teams are headed in league play. [Read more 🡒]