BYU vs Southern Illinois predictions: our pick for week one

Pop quiz! School is back in session, so I hope you brought a pencil. Who loves the word "tomorrow" more than a hopeful little orphan girl named Annabelle (or whatever)? The answer is a college football fan one day from their team's season opener!

Here we are, only one day removed from fans packing themselves into LaVell Edwards Stadium like sardines just to be a part of the Cougars' second Big 12 season. While many variables about this year are still uncertain, excitement is in the Provo air this August, and it will only grow stronger as the temperature drops and the leaves fall.

So, as the Cougars claw closer and closer to game day, what should we expect from Kalani Sitake and his roster? Let's quickly jump into a few major points of this matchup between the Cougars and their FCS foe in Southern Illinois to answer that question.

For BYU, this is a bit of a "prove it" season, as many view the Cougars as an underwhelming member of a power conference following last year's 6-game losing streak to close the schedule. With that "prove it" mentality, pressure will be on the team to not only win against their "tune-up" opponent, but to win convincingly.

Coaches and staff have confirmed that a starting quarterback has been selected, and those close to the program seem convinced that junior Jake Retzlaff will return to his starting position from last season. After leading a poor offense in the second half of last season, Retzlaff will need to show some real improvement in his second season at the helm.

SIU is expected to enjoy an excellent season and was nearly a preseason top-10 team in their division, but I don't think they have quite enough to sneak an upset past BYU. Despite some early success from other FCS teams like Montana State and North Dakota State--who gave Coach Prime and Colorado quite a scare on Thursday--BYU is entering this game with something to prove and I think they'll come out of the gate on fire.

With some continuity at quarterback and Jay Hill's defense ready to make a statement, I think the offense may hit some road bumps throughout the game, but the Cougars should win in a convincing fashion. The spread currently favors BYU by 14 points. I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I'd sell everything I own and bet it on the Cougs to cover.

Final Prediction: BYU 42 - SIU 10

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