Before I start, I want to make a couple things clear. One, I'm not ranking these teams from worst to best. I'm ranking them based on how excited I am to play them. Two, I totally respect the teams on the bottom of the list. Honestly, the reason many of them are ranked so low is because I'm rooting for them and won't get as much pleasure beating them as I will for the teams higher on the list. With all this being said, let's get started.
12. vs. Utah Tech, September 5:
I have to rank the FCS game last, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited to play the Trail Blazers. For one thing, it's the first game of the season, and I'm always counting down the days for that. And for another thing, of the 19 FCS teams BYU's played in their history, you could argue that the one where they had the most trouble was in 2022 when they beat Utah Tech 52-26. Technically, BYU's had three other FCS games that were closer in terms of the final score, but none of those teams had a lead late in the first half like Utah Tech did. Not bad for a team that was only in their third year at the FCS level.
11. at Colorado St, September 19:
It's kind of wild that a P4 team that finished 12-2 last season is playing on the road against a G6 team that finished 2-10 last season, and it's also wild that this is the third year in a row that BYU's one G6 game has been on the road, but I'm not complaining. I think that a big part of the reason people tend to overestimate the gap between the P4 and the G6 is because the P4 has home-field advantage in the vast majority of the games they play against each other, so letting G6 teams have home-field advantage once in a while isn't the worst thing.
Of the eight other teams that were in the MWC between 2005 and 2010, Colorado St is one of only three that BYU hasn't played since leaving the MWC. Most of the games between the Cougars and the Rams weren't particularly close, but that 45-42 game in 2008 was one for the ages. The 2009 game was also special for me because I got to be in the announcer's box with Gregg Wrubell, so I'll have fun reliving that memory when we play the Rams this season.
10. at UCF, October 24:
If there is a trap game on the schedule, it's this one. It's the week after the Notre Dame game, and it's two weeks before the Utah game. It's also the only time all season that BYU will travel east of Texas. UCF hasn't been anywhere near the top of the standings since joining the Big 12, and neither of their games against BYU have been super close, but that doesn't mean BYU won't be in trouble if they come into this game unprepared.
Also, while we're talking about UCF, make fun of me all you want, but I am totally on the "UCF 2017 National Champions" train. They were the only undefeated team in college football, and they beat an Auburn team that beat both of the teams that played in the national championship game. The most important reason the college football playoff needed to expand was so that teams like this would have a chance to play for a national championship without needing a bunch of things to go their way like they did for the next team on this list in 2021.
9. vs. Cincinnati, November 28:
This will be the third year in a row that BYU will end the regular season with a home game against a former AAC team. I, like most BYU fans, would much rather be playing Utah during rivalry week. But I get it. You gotta have your biggest games during a quiet week where they'll get more attention, like the week where Alabama's playing LSU, Georgia's playing Ole Miss, Oregon's playing Ohio St, and Miami's playing Notre Dame.
Anyway, the Bearcats aren't expected to be very good this year, but they weren't expected to be good last year either, and yet there they were at the top of the standings for most of the season. Plus, it's very possible that BYU will be playing for a chance to go to the Big 12 title game.
8. vs. Baylor, November 14:
Since BYU joined the Big 12, the Bears haven't been the Big 12 powerhouse they were before, and they're losing a lot of their best players. But then again, they do have one of the highest-rated quarterback recruits in the country in DJ Lagway, so they could be sneaky good. If the fans are anything like they were during BYU's 26-20 double overtime win against Baylor in 2022, this could be an awesome game.
7. vs. Arizona, September 12:
Most BYU fans would probably rank this game higher, and there would be good reason to. That 33-27 double overtime win over the Wildcats last season ended up being one of BYU's best wins, and with Noah Fifita returning, I can see this game being one of the best wins this season for whoever gets it. The reason I ranked this one as low as I did was because BYU has a 5-game win streak against Arizona, and for me, that means it won't be as rewarding if we win, and it will hurt more if we lose. Still, this should be one of the most exciting college football games in week 2.
6. vs. Iowa St, October 9:
The next two teams on the list are teams that basically ruined BYU's first two seasons in the Big 12. The game against Iowa St in 2023 felt like BYU's best chance to get their sixth win, but instead, it ended up being one of the worst home losses in BYU football history. (When I asked my dog to lick my hand once for every point BYU would win by, he licked it over 100 times. He ended up being a little off.) Then, even though BYU didn't play Iowa St in 2024, the Cyclones ended up being the reason BYU didn't get to go to the Big 12 title game.
That's why beating them in Ames last season was so satisfying. At first, it looked like it was going to be just like the 2023 game, but the Cougars turned it around big time. I wouldn't mind making it two in a row.
5. at Kansas, November 21:
You may be scratching your head wondering why I ranked this game so high. The Jayhawks have never been a powerhouse in football, and they finished 5-7 last year. Here's why: Kansas is one of only two current Big 12 teams that BYU hasn't beaten since joining the Big 12, and they're the only team that has started 2-0 against BYU. I certainly didn't have that on my bingo card when BYU first joined.
Like the Cyclones, the Jayhawks kind of ruined BYU's first two seasons in the Big 12. The loss in Lawrence in 2023 prevented BYU from making it to a bowl game, and the loss in Provo in 2024 prevented BYU from going to the Big 12 title game, and possibly even the college football playoff as well. Unlike with Iowa St, though, BYU hasn't gotten their payback yet. This game will be a chance to do it.
4. vs. Arizona St, October 31:
Arizona St is the other team BYU hasn't beaten since joining the Big 12, although they've only played once. That game in 2024 basically ended up being a Big 12 semi-final game, and as amazing it would've been to win on a hail mary after waiting like 15 minutes for their fans to walk at most 26 yards to get off the field, which is the same distance Sam Leavitt ran backwards on second down in just a few seconds, the Sun Devils ended up winning anyway. I can totally see this year's game being just as crazy.
3. at TCU, October 3:
To me, TCU is BYU's biggest rival in the conference other than Utah. After losing five straight to the Horned Frogs by an average of 25.4 points, beating them by 31 in Provo last year felt very good. Still, four of the five games during that streak were in Texas (three in Fort Worth and one in Arlington) so beating them in Texas would be awesome. I just hope this game is scheduled for some time after 4:00 MT so that I don't have to miss any part of it for general conference. If it is in the evening, it's going to be an amazing day for BYU fans who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
2. at Utah, November 7:
In the 20+ years that I have been a BYU fan, I don't think there has been a single season where I would have ranked the Utah game anywhere other than number 1 until now. But it is not at all because I expect this game to be less exciting than the others. Just like in last year's game, there's a very good chance this game will have college football playoff implications for both teams, And even if it doesn't, who cares? It's the Holy War. Both teams could come in at 0-8, and it would still be exciting.
Also, unlike with Arizona, the fact that BYU comes in with a 3-game win streak against the Utes doesn't make me any less excited about this game. After a 12 year drought where Ute fans were acting like they were beating us by 30 every year even though seven of the nine games were decided by one possession, I don't think BYU's current streak could ever possibly get long enough that I would stop taking pleasure from it.
1. vs. Notre Dame, October 17:
I could write an entire article about why I'm excited for this game. For one thing, they're likely to be a top 10 team when we play them. For another thing, we've lost four straight against the Irish, and ending that streak would be awesome. And for another thing, while I don't hate the Fighting Irish because hate is a bad thing that should never be promoted, even in sports, the way they're perceived compared to us and the way some (not all) of their representatives and fans have acted makes me want BYU to beat the Lucky Charms out of them on the football field.
First, there was the whole controversy of them not wanting to play us in Provo. When BYU first went independent, they made an agreement with the Fighting Irish to play four games in South Bend and two in Provo, an agreement that already had gigachad vibes on Notre Dame's end. But apparently, after playing the first two games in South Bend in 2012 and 2013, they decided it would be beneath them to step foot into the state of Utah. They never officially cancelled the agreement, but they basically ghosted Tom Holmoe for nearly a decade.
Finally, in 2022, they said, "Fine, we'll give you your home game, but instead of doing it Provo, lets do it in Las Vegas." This seemed reasonable because Las Vegas is a lot closer to Provo than it is to South Bend, and BYU has a lot of fans in Las Vegas. But then, someone decided that Notre Dame got to sell the majority of the tickets for that game. So they basically ended up getting three home games, and we got zero. But hey, at least we got to wear those sick black jerseys as if we were the home team.
And then there's what happened this last season. Even though BYU had a better record and a better strength of schedule than Notre Dame, the Irish were the ones that got all the sympathy for missing the playoff. Notre Dame decided that being left out when they didn't have a better record or a better strength of schedule than any of the teams that got an at large bid was so outrageous that they were justified in rage quitting, especially since their consolation prize was going to be a bowl game against the lowly Cougars.
Thankfully, Notre Dame did decide to make it up to us by scheduling this series, and I respect them for that. This game, as well as the one in South Bend next year, will be a golden opportunity for BYU to earn some respect for themselves and for the Big 12. Overall, I expect this to be a very exciting season.
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