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BYU football: 3 overreactions to Cougars’ overtime win over Baylor

By John Scimeca

PROVO, UT- SEPTEMBER 10: John Nelson #94 of the Brigham Young Cougars celebrates sacking Blake Shapen of the Baylor Bears during the second half of their game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
PROVO, UT- SEPTEMBER 10: John Nelson #94 of the Brigham Young Cougars celebrates sacking Blake Shapen of the Baylor Bears during the second half of their game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /
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PROVO, UT- SEPTEMBER 10: Head coach Kalani Sitake of the Brigham Young Cougars looks on during the second overtime period of the game against the Baylor Bears at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
PROVO, UT- SEPTEMBER 10: Head coach Kalani Sitake of the Brigham Young Cougars looks on during the second overtime period of the game against the Baylor Bears at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /

3. Crown BYU the Big 12 champs

Baylor won the Big 12 last year, beating OU and Texas en route to a last-gasp Big 12 title game win against Oklahoma State. The Bears capped a 12-win season (the highest win mark in school history) with a Sugar Bowl win vs. Ole Miss by riding a dominating defense under second-year head coach Dave Aranda.

Yet the Bears couldn’t muster enough to knock off BYU on the road in Week 2 this season, revealing that the Cougars might be fully ready to take on Big 12 competition when they join the conference in 2023. With the victory, BYU jumped nine spots in the AP Top 25 to the No. 12 spot entering Week 3.

This overreaction can’t happen in 2022 simply because BYU isn’t in the Big 12 quite yet. The Cougars will join the league next fall, ending a 12-year run as an FBS Independent since their departure from the Mountain West.

The Cougars are still capable of having a very special season in front of them — and with then-No. 25 Houston’s loss to Texas Tech, BYU could be the next technically non-power conference team to make a run at the CFP the way Cincinnati did last year. The Bearcats, after an early-season victory at Notre Dame, ran the table while winning the American Athletic Conference to become the first Group of 5 team to qualify for the four-team College Football Playoff.

All signs point to BYU being a strong candidate to win the 2023 Big 12 title even if OU and Texas can’t find a faster way out of the league. With the gutsy double-overtime win against Baylor that avenged a loss in Waco last year, the Cougars proved that they’re a bona fide contender for a New Year’s Six bowl (and perhaps more) in 2022.

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