Following a season that saw BYU football finish 11th in the Big 12 with a 5-7 record, expectations are nearing dropping even more for the upcoming 2024 campaign.
Every coach in football is trying to win games (just ask Herm Edwards), but not every coach goes home after the 12th game of the season with a smile on their face. Building a winning program in college football gets harder every season, especially with the NIL advantage of the power conferences. As the elite programs like Alabama, Georgia, and Michigan have buckets of cash to throw at the best players in every recruiting cycle, the little guys are left fighting for table scraps.
The odds for BYU's wins this season were set at 4.5 a few months ago, and the national consensus is that the Cougars won't have a shot at bowl eligibility in the closing weeks of the season. Uncertainty at the quarterback position has been a major talking point for the team, and in recent preseason polls, a lukewarm reception has been directed their way in the new-look Big 12.
Of the 16 schools in the Big 12 Conference, the Cougars are expected to finish 15th according to ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI), above only Houston (some anti-Cougar rhetoric across college football circles, I deduce). Among other schools that struggled last season, like Colorado, Arizona State, Baylor, and Cincinatti, BYU finds themselves with an uphill climb entering the year.
But what is the truth about this team? After one season in a power conference, should fans expect improvement for the team, or is patience the key. Admittedly, my optimism for a resurgence (and hopefully a 6-win season) is tied to my fandom, but why shouldn't fans believe in an improved roster?
Despite the ongoing quarterback battle, the receiving core of this team is the deepest we've seen in years. Whoever is under center when the season kicks off, just get these guys the ball. Recent success in recruiting has been a breath of fresh air after basketball stole the spotlight in the past few months.
But despite all the noise from talking heads, media members, and others with opinions to share, no one can be certain how the Cougs will fare in the 2024 season until we've seen the product on the field. Will BYU's 100th season be a reflection of BYU's winning culture or a "Groundhog's Day" repeat of the "LaVell Badge" 2018 season? Time will tell.