With the announcement of BYU football's official 2025 schedule, I'm suddenly in the mood for some foolishness. Some tomfoolery, if you will. Some wild and impossible predictions about the 2025 slate of football games for the Cougs.
THE 2025 BYU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE pic.twitter.com/eLwPrCudFM
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) February 4, 2025
Kalani Sitake is fresh off a shocking 11-2 campaign last season, capped off by an Alamo Bowl demolition of Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes. Jake Retzlaff was much improved with a full year of starting reps under his legs, the receiving corps was about as talented as we've seen in years from a Provo-based crew, and the Jay Hill-led defense was simply terrific throughout the year.
The pieces came together, and many will remain in blue for another run in 2025. Already the questions pester my psyche: can the Cougars replicate last year's team of destiny? Is BYU footbal a sustainable model of success? Was it all just a beautiful, beautiful dream that I'm moments from awakening of?
I can't answer these questions--I'm simply a wall of text on the internet--but I have a brain that I refuse to employ while predicting the future of BYU football. Leading with my blood pump, here's how my way-too-early predictions of the impending season will play out.
Way-too-early BYU football 2025 predictions
Game 1: Portland State | 49-7 W
I still have PTSD of BYU's horrific 2016 season opener against the Vikings where the Cougars nearly lost to an FCS school for the first time in program history. BYU escaped and advanced that day, but on this Saturday in August, the Cougars feast.
Game 2: Stanford | 34-17 W
Stanford, while an ACC school, has fallen apart as a football program. LaVell Edwards Stadium will be bouncing for this one, and while I see some warts appearing in this game, BYU controls the game from kickoff to the final whistle.
Game 3: @ East Carolina | 41-13 W
More PTSD from the independant era of BYU football involving a trip to East Carolina yet haunts me, but this is a better BYU squad. No more losing to the Pirates, Sitake has his team fired up and finishing the non-conference schedule strong.
Game 4: @ Colorado | 28-23 W
Colorado will want revenge for the aforementioned Alamo Bowl massacre, and they'll come out of the gate hot, even while deprived of Shedeur and Hunter. BYU weathers the storm and finds a way to win on the road.
Game 5: West Virginia | 38-34 W
The first Big 12 clash in LES should bring fans to back the stadium to its absolute limit, but West Virginia is a stingy team capable of ruining your day. They get close in a Provo shootout, but BYU remains unbeaten.
Game 6: @ Arizona | 37-16 W
Arizona is toilet paper, and the 2025 season is water. I think the Wildcats are in for a tough time after losing their top receiver in Tet McMillan, and Fifita's return won't change a fundamentally broken roster. Cougs win big in Tucson.
Game 7: Utah | 22-17 W
BYU football never plays its best when facing their red-clad rivals from Salt Lake, and we can expect more of the same when Whittingham's team invades the Provo campus. This game confirms that these two programs are directionally opposed, and the Cougs stave off Utah's upset bid.
Game 8: @ Iowa State | 24-27 L
This team had to trip up at some time, and an Autumn classic in Ames is as good a spot as any to see BYU finally cave in. After running to a 7-0 start, the Cougars falter on the road to a well-coached program on the rise.
Game 9: @ Texas Tech | 33-21 W
Another game the Cougars could drop if they aren't careful, a trip to Lubbock will be far from pleasant for BYU. I expect the Red Raiders to jump out to an early lead before Hill's defense locks them up and the offense gets rolling once more.
Game 10: TCU | 27-25 W
TCU has had BYU's number for a very long time on the gridiron, and I'm not confident that BYU cruises against a TCU team that should--on paper--lose this meeting. A tightly contested battle goes to the home team.
Game 11: @ Cincinnati | 38-20 W
Cincy is not the same team that reached the playoff years ago. BYU walks into their house and leaves with a fairly comfortable victory.
Game 12: UCF | 26-14 W
The final test for BYU is a square-off against a UCF team that hasn't found solid ground since Guz Mahlzan took the reigns. The Knights will probably be a better group than last season's, but BYU wins a slow and solid game.
Final Record: 11-1
Am I overly optimistic? Probably, but a team returning so much production after an 11-2 campaign is hard to bet against. I'm certainly not going to stand opposed to this team so early before the season.