The countdown to BYU football is officially down to one week, and our excitement is finally reaching maximum capacity.
We've got an interesting season ahead of us, as BYU is expected to be battling for bowl eligibility in their second season of Big 12 play. Now, with their first matchup against FCS foe, Southern Illinois, only a week away, we decided that there's no time like the present to put our misguided delusions on full display.
Here are our BYU football predictions for the 2024 season, complete with score projections for each contest.
Opponent | Calvin Barrett | Jake Olsen |
|---|---|---|
Southern Illinois | W 42-10 | W 56-7 |
@ SMU | L 20-28 | L 24-28 |
@ Wyoming | W 33-17 | W 42-10 |
Kansas State | L 14-24 | W 35-32 |
@ Baylor | W 23-9 | W 35-10 |
Arizona | L 25-28 | L 28-35 |
Oklahoma State | L 21-36 | L 35-42 |
@ UCF | L 16-20 | W 28-24 |
@ Utah | L 27-28 | W 35-34 |
Kansas | L 24-40 | L 35-36 |
@ Arizona State | W 34-27 | W 45-42 |
Houston | W 24-13 | W 24-17 |
Final Record | 5-7 | 8-4 |
From our two writers, we have a 3-win disparity. Our newest writer, Jake Olsen, is optimistic about the Cougars' ability to outperform preseason expectations. Before last season's introduction to the Big 12, BYU often found themselves overachieving in the win column. Some notable results in Jake's table are wins over Kansas State and Utah--two favorites to contend for the Big 12 championship.
My (Calvin's) table is a bit less optimistic, as I believe the Cougars could suffer a losing skid following their away matchup in Waco. Back-to-back clashes with the likes of Arizona, OK State, UCF, Utah, and Kansas are looking like a gauntlet right now, but I could see the Cougars snagging upset wins against Arizona, UCF, and even rival Utah if things shake out in BYU's favor.
Nothing is certain, and we'll always be cheering for a 12-0 season. The best part of playing in the Big 12 is that nearly every week is a must-see matchup for a fanbase that had grown accustomed to seeing the likes of East Carolina, San Jose State, and Fresno State during the middle of the season. Even if the Cougs enter their matchup with Utah at 0-8 (heaven forbid), fans will flood Rice-Eccles with as much blue as possible.
Get up and get excited! BYU football is just around the corner!