BYU football: Cougars can benefit from the preseason polls
By Shaun Gordon
BYU football has the perfect path to climb the polls this season. The Cougars just have to do one thing: win games.
The Amway Coaches Poll made its preseason debut, and it couldn’t line things up any better for BYU football.
The Cougars are on the outside of the polls looking in, receiving enough votes to come in at 42nd.
That means they’ve got some ground to make up to crack the Top 25, but the schedule shapes up to allow BYU football to do just that.
Here’s how:
Three of the Cougars’ first four opponents will start the season ranked. After the opening tune-up against Portland State, BYU will take on No. 12 LSU, followed by No. 25 Utah, then No. 10 Wisconsin.
After a matchup against Utah State in game five, BYU football will host Boise State, who enters the year at No. 29. If they knock off Washington State on September 9th, the Broncos will likely be ranked as well when they visit LaVell Edwards Stadium.
It’s a murderer’s row, but also a big opportunity.
The last time the Cougars faced four teams in the Top 25 was 2009. They finished the season at No. 12, knocking off three of their four ranked opponents.
And it all started with one of the biggest upsets in BYU history. The Cougars beat No. 3 Oklahoma, catapulting them from No. 24 to No. 12 in one week.
If the Cougars can stun LSU this year, there’d be a similar jump, and BYU football would be right back in the national discussion.
Beating the Tigers isn’t the only way to make that jump, but winning at least two of those first three marquee games is.
BYU isn’t going to make any jumps during the second half of the season. There aren’t any games big enough to do so. They have to do the climbing early, then hold on to their perch down the stretch.
Fortunately, the preseason poll has given them that perfect path.
All they have to do is take advantage of it.
All they have to do is win.