The 2026 College Football season is just over a month away. And while the "Quest for Perfection" may be off the table in the expanded world of superconferences, BYU still has high hopes for their second year with Bear Bachmeier.
For the first time since 2020, when Zach Wilson finished 8th in the voting, BYU has a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, and a path to the Big 12 Championship Game is within reach, especially with Texas Tech not as big a threat this season.
That is the perfect storm that's never happened - a BYU team that makes the CFP and has a Heisman contender at the same time. The COVID year of 2020 had BYU at 9-0 by Thanksgiving and ranked #8 in the country, but a loss to Coastal Carolina shut that dream down. Similarly, in 1990 when BYU great Ty Detmer won the award, the team was 10-1 and #4 in the nation before a late-season loss to Hawaii crushed any national title chances they had.
Why 2026 could be BYU's year
Coming off back-to-back seasons of 11 or more wins, confidence is high in Provo. Keeping Kalani Sitake and most of his staff intact showed a new commitment from the school to paying for coaching talent, not just players, in this new era.
Running back LJ Martin returns, and while the receiver room was rebuilt, there's plenty of talent across the roster on offense and defense to keep the momentum rolling towards another great season.
And a favorable early schedule (hint: No Texas Tech) should allow the Cougars a path to being 6-0 going into a CFP watch game against Notre Dame in Provo in October. Win convincingly, and the Cougars should be in the Top 10 easily, with their game at rival Utah a few weeks later as the last tough outing on the schedule.
A year ago at this time, Bear was learning the offense on the fly, as he wasn't with the Cougars until after spring ball concluded. Now he has a full year in the system, a greater command of the playbook, and a load of confidence. All things that bode well for his 2026 season.
The time is now for BYU and Bear Bachmeier to capitalize on this golden opportunity. With teams turning over more quickly due to NIL and the transfer portal, they may never have a better chance.
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