BYU took the biggest stage of the weekend and didn’t blink.
In a top-10 showdown at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday evening, the Cougars delivered when plenty outside the building expected them to come up short. It wasn’t a fluke, either.
BYU looked ready from the opening moments, forced Notre Dame to play from behind, and kept its composure even after the Fighting Irish moved ahead. In a weekend full of shakeups, that win felt like the one that carried the most weight.
That’s enough for BYU to claim the top spot on this week’s AP ballot.
- BYU
A case could be made for Miami, but BYU got my vote at No. 1.
The Cougars came out with purpose against Notre Dame and never looked rattled, even when the game turned against them for a stretch. Right now, nobody looks entirely safe at the top, but BYU has as strong a claim as anyone.
- Miami
Miami needed extra time to get past Florida State in a rivalry game, and I don’t discount a team that has to scrap for a win like that. In a chaotic weekend across the country, the Hurricanes stay at No. 2 on my ballot.
- Ohio State
Ohio State also had a real argument for No. 1 after beating Indiana, but the Buckeyes’ day was not clean. They also lost their starting QB for an undetermined amount of time. Jeremiah Smith remains a huge piece of the equation, but Ohio State needs more.
- Georgia
Georgia’s loss to its rival keeps the Bulldogs near the top rather than tumbling too far. I thought this might be the kind of Saturday that confirmed Georgia as a dominant force again, but instead it turned into a reminder that there’s still work to do. Even so, the Bulldogs are still one of the best teams in the country.
- Notre Dame
The clock situation at the end of the BYU game was strange, to say the least. If Notre Dame had one more play, would it have changed the outcome?
We’ll never know. What is clear is that the Fighting Irish have plenty of talent, and No. 5 feels like the right place after a tight road loss.
- UCLA
UCLA keeps stacking wins, and under Bob Chesney, this team deserves attention. The Bruins are good, and it’s time people started treating them that way. They’re also the last undefeated Big Ten team, which is a surprising sentence to write.
- Ole Miss
Ole Miss looked complete in its win over Missouri. The Rebels controlled the game and looked a lot like the team many expected at the start of the season. The Florida loss still hangs out there as an odd note, but Saturday was a strong answer.
- Texas Tech
This was the first week Texas Tech really looked like a formidable team. Maybe Arizona State is simply that bad, but the Red Raiders delivered a blowout and finally looked convincing. I’ve had them behind BYU and Utah for most of the season, but this was the first game that made me think Texas Tech could be legit.
- Indiana
Indiana is not the same team it was last season, but it’s still close enough to matter. The loss to Ohio State isn’t anything to hang your head about, even with the mistake in the end zone. The missed toe top and two missed field goals were costly, especially for a program that usually doesn’t make those kinds of errors under Curt Cignetti.
- Utah
Sometimes you just tip your cap to the other side. Utah wasn’t perfect, but it found a way to win on the road and stay undefeated.
The Utes have a solid roster and more in the tank, and I moved them down one spot this week. The bigger test comes Saturday at home against Houston.
In Other News...
Rece Davis Turns BYU Win Into Bigger Officiating Fight
The fallout from BYUs win over Notre Dame kept moving well after the final whistle, with ESPNs Rece Davis taking aim at the officiating mistake that ended the game with the Irish out of time for one last snap. The Big 12 later acknowledged the error, saying one second should have remained on the clock and promising a review of the replay officiating process, which only added to the sense that the finish was about more than just one result.
Davis also tied the episode into a broader conversation that has been simmering around the College Football Playoff expansion debate, using the clock mishap as another example of why the sport keeps getting pulled into bigger questions about fairness and control. For BYU, the win stands, but the way it ended has ensured the discussion will linger well beyond one Saturday night. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Just Got The Statement Win Fans Dreamed About
Bear Bachmeier gave BYU the kind of all-around performance that can change the way a season feels, helping the Cougars outlast Notre Dame in a 28-24 win that should resonate well beyond one Saturday. The sophomore quarterback was effective as a passer and a runner, and the offense found another steady presence in tight end Walker Lyons, who kept showing up as a reliable target when the game tightened up.
The result pushed BYU all the way to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25, a sign of how much national respect the Cougars earned with the victory. For a team trying to prove it belongs in the top tier, the bigger question now is how this performance carries over, because statement wins only matter if they become part of a pattern. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Just Turned The Big 12 Race Into Something Much Bigger
A wild Saturday across college football sent the AP poll into a spin, and BYU found itself at the center of it. Five of the top seven teams lost on the same day for the first time in the history of the poll, a shakeup driven by results all over the country as Miami moved to No. 1 after a double-overtime win against Florida State and the Cougars climbed to No. 2 after upsetting Notre Dame.
The bigger picture for BYU is how much larger its season has suddenly become. What had been a strong run inside the Big 12 now comes with national relevance, especially after a slate that also saw Ohio State beat Indiana, Tennessee knock off Alabama, Florida upset Texas and Auburn topple Georgia. The rankings changed fast, and with them the spotlight on a BYU team that has turned a conference race into something far more consequential. [Read more 🡒]