Could BYU Football be in danger of a Week One upset?

BYU football is 18-0 against FCS opponents.

This stat likely doesn't surprise you. Most FBS division schools have a strong record against lesser competition, and BYU is no exception. Taking down SUU in dominant fashion last season was one of the few bright spots for a Cougar football season that flashed more disappointment than fireworks against a power conference schedule.

This season, BYU will open the season with a tune-up game against FCS opponent, Southern Illinois at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and the Cougars are favored to win this game without much worry for resistance from the Salukis.

With expectations low for the Cougars, it's hard to properly gauge how this year's squad will fare against a brutal schedule that features five teams ranked in the preseason AP Poll. The Cougars wrote Southern Illinois into their opening matchup to let the team iron out some of the early-season wrinkles before squaring off against FBS foes for the remaining 11 games.

By all indications, we have no reason to expect a week one loss in Provo, but a few loose ends could factor into an underwhelming opener for the Cougs, and when the team underperforms, you never know what could happen. So, what's putting BYU on a pseudo-upset alert?

Roster Uncertainty

What do BYU fans and people who were robbed of $0.25 have in common? They both want their quarter back! Jake Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon have been deadlocked in a quarterback battle since spring camp, and that battle has yet to be decided--at least externally--by BYU's coaching staff.

Aaron Roderick, BYU's offensive coordinator, insists that a starting QB hasn't been named due to both players competing equally impressively. As he recently shared with the media, "Both of them make some really good plays [...] we haven't decided yet what we're going to do."

BYU should take down Southern Illinois regardless of who's starting under center, and BYU is still a power conference team, no matter how upsetting their losing record felt last season. A big concern on my end is how the coaches will handle the final decision, as the quarterback needs to be a leadership figure for the locker room. Knowing who to rally behind early will be advantageous to the Cougars.

I can foresee a possibility where both quarterbacks share minutes against the Salukis, possibly tagging in and out for alternating drives. Could the desire to impress coaches and fans drive either player to make some risky throws or pile additional pressure onto their shoulders? Without continuity, both players may makes some major mistakes, cough up possession, or misread the offense.

It's mostly speculation, of course, but uncertainty at the depth chart only serves to harm the Cougars--it's not an advantage.

Looking Ahead

The Cougars' odds are heavily favorable to carry a week one win into Dallas for their matchup against ACC foe, SMU. SMU projects to be a challenging game for Kalani Sitake's BYU squad, and it would be hard to blame the Cougars for already preparing for their matchup against the Mustangs in week 2.

It's an overused sentiment, but a common concern for an "easy win" game in college football is that the favorite to win will often overlook their current opponent in favor of preparing for their next game. Though this may not be the case for this matchup, no win is guaranteed, and this year's BYU is not the same team from a few years ago.

A convincing win over Southern Illinois would be the perfect start to the season, and many questions from the preseason will hopefully be answered in this week one duel. The nation expects a dominant performance from BYU, but FCS foe SIU won't walk into Provo intent on losing.

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