Is this the year BYU takes the Big 12 crown?
GettyThe pressure is on Bachmeier to show progression in 2026. Getty
The Brigham Young Cougars are one of the more prominent college football programs in the western half of the U.S.
Brigham Young is in ownership of a national championship (1980), as well as boasting a Heisman Trophy victor in Ty Detmer.
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The Cougars have consistently been one of the better teams in college football in recent years. Head coach Kalani Sitake has recorded 57 victories over the last six seasons per Sports Reference. This makes the 50-year old both one of the most experienced and decorated head coaches in the Big 12.
One major goal continues to elude the Cougars, however.
The College Football Playoff.
Brigham Young has failed to qualify for the yearly tournament despite knocking on the door in 2020, 2024, and 2025. BYU tends to suffer bone-crushing losses that derail those hopes, but this may not be the case in 2026.
Brigham Young Prime Contender to Break Playoff Spell
GettyThe pressure is on Bachmeier to show progression in 2026.
David Kenyon of Bleacher Report lists the Cougars as one of six teams that have the best chance to reach their first CFP in 2026.
Yes, Texas Tech is the prohibitive favorite to win the Big 12. Yes, the Big 12 is expected to be a one-bid league yet again.
The door still remains open for BYU despite the circumstances.
Sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier is coming off of a splendid 2025 season. Running back LJ Martin won Big 12 Player of the Year a season ago. The Cougars are fast, strong, and versatile. Sitake always manages to stack phenomenal coaching staffs.
The schedule also bodes well for them.
There are five games that will define their season. One of them is a non-conference bout with Notre Dame that will have no bearing on the Big 12 race. Two of them will be at home (Arizona State, Arizona), while the other two (TCU, Utah) are challenges in hostile environments.
Arizona State and Utah are the two opponents that will be the most crucial for the Cougars. Arizona State prevented BYU from reaching the conference title game in 2024 due to a 28-23 victory in Tempe in late November. Now, BYU will host a talented ASU team that is more well-rounded on the offensive side of the ball.
BYU got the best of Utah in the 2025 Holy War matchup, but they are now set to take on the Utes in Salt Lake City. Devon Dampier is a game-changing player that might tip the scales in the rematch.
BYU will likely need to enter a hypothetical Big 12 title game with an 11-1 record to have a chance to reach the playoff, which isn’t inconceivable in this case.
Brigham Young Faces This One Challenge
Parker Kingston is a wide receiver that recorded over 900 yards for the Cougars in 2025. He was dismissed from the program and expelled from the school due to a serious off-field transgression.
How BYU responds to the loss is crucial for this team.
While the Cougars have a tall, lanky, and skilled corps behind Kingston, there isn’t anyone on the roster that has been battle-tested in a meaningful manner.
This is the opportunity for the 6’5″ Jojo Phillips to breakout, but there isn’t any guarantee that he will. The 2026 BYU offense has a chance to take a turn for the worse if there isn’t a reliable target for Bachmeier to connect with.
Still, this Cougar team is in a favorable position. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Sitake finally take the program to the College Football Playoff come December.
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