No, you're not dreaming--BYU football is truly atop the Big 12 standings with a perfect 5-0 record. As the conference matchups have shaken out, teams expected to contend like Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Utah have all fallen at least once and opened an avenue for Kalani Sitake's team.
But as with anyone who's been hurt before, Cougar fans are still squirmish about their team's authenticity. After all, if BYU wins the Big 12, they get their conference's auto-bid to the College Football Playoff, and this isn't a playoff team... right?
The Big 12 conference is wide-open and the Cougars are leading the charge. With a stout defensive unit, an impressive resume of wins, and apparent player development, BYU is legit. I'm here to properly appraise this football team and give you three reasons why BYU is a legitimate Big 12 title-contending program this year.
1. Jay Hill's Defense is Exceptional
It didn't take long for the Jay Hill era to light a fire on the defensive side of the ball. The Cougars are a top-25 defense this season and have allowed only 16.5 points per game despite matching up with 3 power conference foes to this point in the year.
Exotic blitz packages and DBs itching to jump at any ball tossed in their direction have shaken up opposing quarterbacks, including K-State's Avery Johnson who threw 2 picks in Provo after previously only tossing one for his entire collegiate career.
The Cougars are a havoc-raining crew that thrives on manufacturing chaos for opposing teams. Averaging 2.3 takeaways per game is a terrific number to trust if Sitake's squad finds themselves playing from behind, or even building upon a lead.
Roderick's offense has been a touch inconsistent at times, but this defensive unit is deep and talented enough to lean on.
2. Big Game Hunters
Do you remember that video of a runner whose jaunt through a Utah canyon was interrupted by a Cougar? Well, that resilient cat didn't back down when faced with a threat, and these Cougs are cut from the same cloth.
When BYU walked into SMU's house with little media expectation for an upset victory, they didn't back down. When Kansas State arrived in LaVell Edwards Stadium, the Cougars took the fight to their top-15 foe.
The Big 12 schedule is speckled with giants, and BYU still has plenty of challenges ahead in their remaining 7 contests, but this team isn't afraid of an unfavorable matchup--the Cougars are undefeated against the spread this season.
Though running the table doesn't seem likely, a fresh belief has blossomed that BYU can win any of the games on their schedule.
3. Jake Retzlaff's Revenge Season
It's been rehashed to death by now that Jake Retzlaff was picked to be the worst quarterback in the Big 12 Conference during the preseason. BYU's overachievement has been--in large part--thanks to some excellent play from Jake Retzlaff.
His output hasn't been flawless this season, as he struggled with turnovers against SMU and Baylor, but when put into perspective, Retzlaff has silenced the doubters over the course of the opening 5 games.
He's currently one of five FBS QBs with over 1,200 passing yards and 150 rushing yards and has been turning heads across the national media.
Is he perfect? No. But nearly every game has shown a perfectly placed ball or gritty run to move the sticks. He's a tough player, and he's a natural leader. Though he has room to improve, the Cougars are lucky to have a quarterback like Retzlaff leading the offense.
Gameday picks.
— Robby McCombs (@rtmccombs) September 28, 2024
Nick Saban: “That QB — Retzlaff — made a big believer of me last week.” pic.twitter.com/oLq3rv40Zk
Do I sincerely believe that this year's Big 12 champion resides in Provo, Utah? Not quite yet. But the undeniable truth about this year's BYU football team is that no one believed they would make it this far. I can't wait to see what else they have in store.