BYU accepted a bid to the Poinsettia Bowl on Saturday after picking up its sixth win. So, only one big postseason question remains: Who will the Cougars play in San Diego? The Poinsettia Bowl's other tie-in is with the Mountain West Conference. While the Las Vegas Bowl is guaranteed the conference's top team, the rest of the bowls are based on getting the best possible games and geography. That means BYU could end up playing just about any bowl-eligible team.
Who could BYU play? Here's a breakdown of the MWC's five bowl-eligible teams:
Boise State Broncos
Record: 9-1 (5-1 MWC)
BYU and Boise State have already gone head-to-head with the Broncos coming away with a one-point victory. Could the Cougars get revenge in San Diego?
Boise State is still in the hunt for a New Year's Six bowl, but it would probably need Western Michigan to lose. Not to mention that the Broncos are currently in a three-way tie in the Mountain Division and Wyoming holds the tiebreaker.
If the Cougars indeed play Boise State, they'll have to figure out how to pass the ball against the Broncos' defense. Taysom Hill had a QB rating of 34.5 on the Smurf Turf.
San Diego State Aztecs
Record: 9-1 (6-0 MWC)
The Aztecs have already clinched the West Division title and have a great shot of winning the conference. If they do, they'll go to the Las Vegas Bowl and not the Poinsettia. If not, there's a good chance they end up here.
This wouldn't be the first time BYU and San Diego State have faced off in this very bowl. San Diego State fans probably still have nightmares of LB Kyle Van Noy scoring more points than either team's offense. I'm sure the Aztecs would love to get revenge in as close to a home game as you can get during bowl season.
BYU's defense would have its hands full with Donnel Pumphrey, who leads the nation in rushing yards with 1,779. QB Christian Chapman is no slouch either with 15 touchdowns to just four interceptions on the year.
Wyoming Cowboys
Record: 7-3 (5-1 MWC)
This would be the first time these former conference foes have met since BYU left the Mountain West for football independence. There's been a long history of animosity between these two programs, and don't expect that to have changed much despite the long hiatus.
The Cowboys were unbeaten in the MWC before losing to UNLV in triple overtime by the mind-blowing score of 69-66. Clearly, the Cowboys do not struggle scoring points.
Brian Hill is the best running back you may not have heard of as he has rushed for 1,417 yards and 16 touchdowns so far this year. And QB Josh Allen is Wyoming's second-leading rusher with 429 yards and six touchdowns. Plus, the Cowboys are a dangerous team having forced 20 turnovers this season.
New Mexico Lobos
Record: 7-3 (5-1 MWC)
Like Wyoming, BYU has not played New Mexico since leaving the Mountain West.
New Mexico does not have a featured running back like San Diego State or Wyoming. Instead, they have a dangerous backfield filled with weapons. Tyrone Owens and Teriyon Gipson have a combined 1,851 yards on the season, while Richard McQuarley has 12 touchdowns. So the BYU defense can't focus on just one running back should it play the Lobos.
Air Force Falcons
Record: 7-3 (3-3 MWC)
The Falcons had a tough three-game losing streak in the middle of the year, but Air Force is a tough team. It has already captured the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy with wins over Army and Navy.
Air Force's option attack is as potent as ever, but Nate Romine is also a decent throwing quarterback with 10 touchdowns and a QB rating of 158.6 on the season.
Former BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall was a master of defending against option teams. How will Kalani Sitake and the Cougars' new coaching staff do against the Falcons should they meet in San Diego?
Lafe Peavler is a sports strategist for the Deseret News and KSL.com. Follow him on Twitter @LafePeavler.