All it took was one bye week for people to forget about BYU football.
The Cougars dropped one place in the latest AP Poll, from 9 to 10 (but the legitimacy of that system has been torn to shreds this year over the first four weeks). After becoming a clear frontrunner for the Big 12 Championship after their Week 2 victory over conference peer Arizona, a few key things have happened.
First, Arizona hasn't impressed since their loss to BYU, handling business against a still winless NIU team before scrapping to a comeback win against Washington State.
Second, Utah finally won a game against a real opponent as they took down Iowa State in Ames. The momentum carrying the Utes right now is real, and they're starting to make a push toward being the favorite to win the league as Texas Tech stumbles out of the gate.
If the Red Raiders aren't going to command the conference with an iron fist like they did a season ago, the Big 12 is once again anyone's for the taking.
I heard Joel Klatt predict that the Big 12 finale would feature Utah and Oklahoma State, stating that he believes the winners of the Utah-BYU and Tech-OSU games would face off in Arlington.
Typical. All it took was one weekend without BYU football for everyone to forget exactly who the Cougars are. They can recapture the nation's attention with a massive conference win against Sonny Dykes and the TCU Horned Frogs on the road, and I expect they aim to make a statement this weekend in Fort Worth.
Last year's meeting between these two was played under the lights of LaVell Edwards Stadium, where BYU shed years of humiliating history against the Horned Frogs in a commanding 44-13 victory. That TCU team was better than many remember -- they finished the 2025 year with a 9-4 record and an Alamo Bowl victory against 16th-ranked USC -- this year's team has been much worse than advertised.
First was the dreaded trip to Ireland. It's been a dreaded tradition in college football for the past few years, and one that typically curses both participants with a subpar season. Subpar would be a great way to define TCU's overseas duel with UNC, come to think of it.
The Horned Frogs scored just 10 points to Belichick's 15, and offensive woes followed TCU for their subsequent helping of Power Four competition, where they fumbled a 13-21 defeat at the hands of UCF.
BYU, conversely, has looked every bit as good as advertised. Bad news, TCU, this is virtually the same team that stomped you in Provo a year ago, only with another year of experience -- and the preparation of a bye week -- to their advantage.
The Cougars are playing to regain their confidence after an ugly finish to what should have been a blowout win at Colorado State. Instead, Sitake ran with the reserves, who in turn allowed the Rams to run right to the end zone.
The first-string squad is exceptional this season, however, and I suspect Coach Sitake won't be quite so merciful so quickly to the Horned Frogs if in a similar situation.
Though a similar 38-7 lead would be welcome.
This is a tone-setting game. A chance for BYU to reaffirm their rightful place atop the Big 12 Conference, and a firm reminder that they are legitimate contenders to represent the league in the College Football Playoff. Lose or escape with a narrow victory, and the Cougars might have to do some housekeeping before squaring off in critical contests against Notre Dame and Utah.
I'm confident BYU can handle business this weekend.
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