BYU and Utah kept climbing in the AP Top 25 this week, and both teams have earned it.
Each moved to 3-0, and a couple of losses by teams sitting ahead of them opened the door for more upward movement in the rankings. The result: BYU stayed on top of the Big 12 pecking order in the AP poll, while Utah continued to rise right behind it.
For BYU, Saturday night belonged to LJ Martin. The veteran running back carved up Colorado State for 176 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries, including a quick 54-yard burst that set the tone early in the Cougars’ 41-23 road win over their former Mountain West rival.
Colorado State answered Martin’s opening score with a touchdown of its own, but that was about as long as the suspense lasted. BYU then ripped off 31 straight points and took firm control of the game.
The Cougars’ reward was a move to No. 9 in the AP rankings, up two places from No. 11 a week ago. That keeps BYU as the highest-ranked Big 12 team in the poll, with a potential top-10 matchup against Notre Dame looming in a few weeks.
Utah had its own statement afternoon, and Braden Pegan made sure it started fast. Facing his former team, the Utes wideout caught three passes early, including a 28-yard touchdown, in Utah’s 33-0 win over Utah State.
Pegan ended the day with eight receptions for 122 yards and two scores, while Utah’s defense delivered its first shutout since 2024. The Utes also extended the nation’s longest active streak in FBS, scoring at least 30 points for a ninth straight game.
That unbeaten run now heads into a road test at Iowa State, which will also be Utah’s first conference game and first road game of the season.
Utah’s jump in the poll was helped in part by teams above it taking losses, including Texas A&M and SMU. The Utes climbed two spots to No. 15 and remain the third-highest ranked team from the Big 12.
Elsewhere in the league, West Virginia made one of the loudest statements of the weekend. A 10-point underdog in the Duke’s Mayo Classic, the Mountaineers beat previously ranked Virginia in Charlotte, North Carolina, to improve to 3-0 under Rich Rodriguez in his second season in Morgantown.
That win got West Virginia some attention in the voting, but not enough to crack the top 25. The Mountaineers are still outside the rankings, though they haven’t been in the AP Top 25 since 2018.
West Virginia is one of four Big 12 teams receiving votes, along with Oklahoma State, Arizona and Kansas State.
At the top of the conference picture, BYU is followed by No. 11 Texas Tech, which beat Houston on Friday night, then Utah and No.
25 Houston. Houston fell three spots after losing to Texas Tech but is still getting votes.
For the Big 12, the setup looks strong right now: three teams inside the top 15, and only BYU and Utah scheduled to meet this season. Texas Tech doesn’t play either one.
In Other News...
AJ Dybantsas NBA Hype Just Gave BYU Fans Another Reason To Watch
AJ Dybantsa is already drawing attention before his first NBA regular-season game, and that should sound familiar to BYU fans who watched him take over as a freshman. ESPN slotted the Washington Wizards rookie at No. 78 on its preseason top 100 list, the highest ranking among first-year players, after he led the nation in scoring in his lone season in Provo.
The projection says plenty about how quickly Dybantsa has moved from college standout to pro name to know, with expectations for a strong all-around rookie season. His NBA debut is set for Oct. 21 against the Milwaukee Bucks, giving Cougars fans another reason to keep one eye on the next chapter of a player who already left a big imprint in BYU colors. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Offense Looks Closer To A Breakthrough Than Fans Realize
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LJ Martin, Bear Bachmeier, Legend Glasker and Walker Lyons have all been part of that steady growth, giving BYU a mix of run game production and reliable options in the passing attack. The next step is less about discovering what works and more about cleaning up the details, especially penalties, because if this group keeps playing at this level it has a chance to be even better by 2026. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs LJ Martin Is Starting To Build Real NFL Draft Buzz
LJ Martin is starting to draw the kind of early NFL attention that tends to follow a player before most casual fans even realize the buzz has begun. Dane Brugler, one of the draft worlds most respected evaluators, singled out the BYU running back as a notable name for the 2027 NFL draft, citing the traits that usually get backs onto pro radars: vision, sound decision-making and efficiency.
For BYU, it is a useful sign that Martins work is showing up beyond the conference and into national draft conversations this early. The next couple of seasons will shape how far that momentum goes, but being mentioned by Brugler already puts Martin in a group of prospects whose stock is worth monitoring closely as the draft cycle starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]