BYU football hit its head on the ceiling of the Big 12 Conference twice over the past two seasons, and is getting really sick of being the second team to the summit.
On the negative end of a four-way tie for first place in 2024, the team was forced to compete in a pseudo third-place contest against the Colorado Buffaloes in the Alamo Bowl -- a game in which Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter alone weren't even close to enough to account for Jay Hill's enigmatic defense and Jake Retzlaff's gunslinging offensive game. It was a slaughter in the Alamo Dome, and suddenly the atmosphere surrounding BYU football was one of giddiness and anticipation of a better 2025.
That's exactly what the Cougars got. What's better than an 11-win season? How do you like a 12-win year and a trip to the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington? Still, after getting smoked twice by the pistols of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the College Football Playoff Committee was left unconvinced and unimpressed by any team that didn't absolutely steamroll the Big 12.
So the Cougars were forced to win the Pop-Tarts Bowl instead.
Now another year is in the scope, and rapidly approaching for a BYU football team sick and tired of knocking on the door. This year, with Bear Bachmeier back under center, LJ Martin returning for one last season at tailback, and Kelly Poppinga assuming Jay Hill's post as defensive coordinator (as well as essentially the entire defense to boot), Kalani Sitake has a plan to break through the invisible barrier between his program and a meaningful postseason.
CBS Sports seems to concur that this is the Cougars' year.
In a recent power rankings article, CBS lists BYU at number one in the Big 12, leapfrogging last year's champions with Brendan Sorsby's eligibility in question.
"The Cougars have been one of the standard-bearers in the conference over the past two years, andTexas Tech's confusing quarterback situation creates an opening. BYU ranks among the national leaders in returning production, with potential All-Americans at running back (LJ Martin), safety (Faletau Satuala), and linebacker (Isaiah Glasker). If the stars can align, the Cougars can return to the Big 12 title game for the second straight season and even win the league."
CBS Sports' Big 12 Power Rankings:
1. BYU Cougars
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders
3. Houston Cougars
4. Arizona Wildcats
5. Utah Utes
6. TCU Horned Frogs
7. Arizona State Sun Devils
8. Oklahoma State Cowboys
9. Kansas State Wildcats
10. Kansas Jayhawks
11. Baylor Bears
12. UCF Knights
13. Cincinnati Bearcats
14. West Virginia Mountaineers
15. Colorado Buffaloes
16. Iowa State Cyclones
Continuity will be key for a program that returns more snaps than nearly any other team in the nation from a year ago. Kalani Sitake planted a major vote of confidence in this BYU program when he shook off an offer from Penn State at the end of 2025, and now stands poised and ready to contend for another season in the Big 12.
Elsewhere, however, Texas Tech remains the favorite to take home the Big 12 Conference crown for the second straight season. Much like Arizona State the year after they won the league, the Red Raiders are the odds-on favorites to run it back. Unlike last year's Sun Devils, Tech has the funds, talent, and experience to back it up.
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