Which game matters the most for BYU football?
By Joshua Ellis
No. 6: Utah State
A trip to Logan after hosting Utah and Wisconsin has the makings of a trap game. But with an improved offense, BYU shouldn’t have too much trouble with the Aggies.
No. 5: Mississippi State
In the revenge game for Luke Staley’s broken leg, BYU will travel to Starkville for the first time in 16 years. A loss to an SEC team is never an immediate season destroyer, but the Cougars will look to avoid either losing to a team that’s probably finishing under LSU or a second-SEC loss on the year.
No. 4: Boise State
Boise State comes to Provo after last year’s 28-27 game where BYU football’s defense scored 12 points, Rhett Almond scored nine (including PATs) and the offense scored six. Losing back-to-back games to a Boise State team that didn’t even win its Mountain West Conference division title last year would be tough to overcome.
No. 3: Wisconsin
The Badgers come to Provo in what will be a marquee game at LaVell Edwards Stadium. With so many nationally-visible games, BYU could really take advantage of this game and put itself on the map for 2017. A bad loss (except in a 12-1 season) would derail any thoughts of making a New Year’s Six bowl or busting the playoff.