BYU Football: Comparing the new and old schedules
By Adam Gibby
No. 7 Utah State* vs Iowa State
Tougher Game: Utah State
This may actually be a big surprise for a lot of people. Rivalry games can get very weird and playing on the road is always tougher then playing at home (particularly if burritos are being thrown on players…). BYU hasn’t lost to Utah State since 2018, which would have put it into that “watch out for an upset” zone.
Iowa State really struggled last season, finishing 4-8 overall. Although they are expected to be better in 2023, I just don’t see them posing a bigger challenge coming to Provo in the middle of November compared to going to Logan to take on an angry Aggie squad.
No. 6 Boise State* vs Texas Tech
Tougher Game: Texas Tech
This is the part of the schedule that gets really difficult for BYU in the Big 12. There are no more “likely wins” and Texas Tech is not going to be an easy game.
Boise State has always been a challenge and was a great rivalry between the two squads the last dozen years. It felt the way that a rivalry should be. Both teams had their share of wins, both ruined the other teams’ season, and games were normally decided in the fourth quarter.
However, Boise State isn’t the Boise State of the early 2010’s. They will likely push for another MWC title, but they certainly aren’t better than Texas Tech.