It's been a long and chaotic season for BYU football in 2025, despite the fact that the team stands 10-1 while knocking on the door of the College Football Playoff's top 10. The Cougars have the most wins over bowl-eligible teams in the entire country, and a lone loss to the fifth-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. In the face of all this, the Cougars are on the outside looking in on the final field of 12, barring a win against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship, which would mean an automatic inclusion.
At stake against the Knights of UCF: a berth to the title game in Arlington and a rematch with the team that handed Kalani Sitake his only black spot on an otherwise pristine resume this year. Win against the struggling 5-6 visitors from Orlando, and BYU's fate lies on the vision of the selection committee and the fates of an Arlington-based battle.
But overlooking their opponent, at this critical point of the year, would be a fatal mistake for the Cougars. It's not one we believe they make.
Against common opponents, UCF has lost to Cincinnati and won against West Virginia. Most recently, Scott Frost's Knights gutted out a win against Oklahoma State to the tune of 17-14 at home. By all accounts, this should be a game the Cougars have all but locked up by halftime.
All the same, the Big 12 has been one of the most chaotic and unpredictable leagues in the nation, and upsets lurk around every corner. Need we take a microphone to the locker room of the nearly destructed playoff hopes of the Utah Utes as they nearly stumbled against a 5-win Kansas State team in Salt Lake this past weekend?
BYU approaches senior night with a tremendous amount of weight on their shoulders. For last year's disappointment and this year's narrow margin for error, nothing matters more than seeing a W on the schedule in game number 12.
How can I watch BYU vs UCF:
Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM MT
Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
Channel: ESPN2
Odds: BYU -18.5