This fall will mark the last time the BYU Cougars football program will have a hodgepodge schedule that has been a trademark of the team’s era as an independent.
Last week, ESPN’s Chris Low put together a list of superlative schedules around the country, and he gave that independent schedule the nod for the most interesting in the nation.
Low’s observations that led him to this conclusion:
- The “highlight” is the Oct. 8 game against Notre Dame in Las Vegas, followed by Arkansas at home the next week (Arkansas won Low’s award for toughest overall Power 5 schedule).
- Low gave “a tip of the cap” to BYU’s travel department, as the Cougars fly across the country twice (for a Sept. 3 game against USF in Tampa and an Oct. 22 contest against Liberty in Virginia).
- Low noted that BYU also has road games against Oregon (Sept. 17), Stanford (Nov. 26) and Boise State (Nov. 5), as well as a home game against future Big 12 opponent Baylor (Sept. 10).
Other notes from Low that may be of interest to fans in Utah:
- UCLA won the award for “Cushiest open to the season.”
- Arizona State got “Cushiest close to the season.”
- Utah at Florida on Sept. 3 was one of eight “Must-see nonconference games” Low listed.