The past two years, BYU football has finished the season ranked in the top 20 of the final Associated Press rankings.
During that stretch, the Cougars have gone 21-4.
Now, BYU heads into 2022 leading the nation in returning production at 85%, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly.
Even with all this, there’s a sense that BYU may be flying a bit under the national radar heading into 2022, the program’s final season as an independent before joining the Big 12 in 2023.
CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd believes so, calling the Cougars the “team no one is talking about” in his preview of the college football season, which kicks off in three weeks.
“The Cougars start at No. 26 in the CBS Sports 131 and have somewhat-quietly won 21 games the last two seasons with a 5-0 mark against the Pac-12 in 2021,” Dodd wrote.
If BYU can capitalize on a challenging schedule, the Cougars are likely to find themselves ranked among the nation’s top 25 again.
This season, BYU will face Oregon, Stanford and Boise State on the road, Baylor and Arkansas at home (two teams Dodd predicts will face each other in the Sugar Bowl) and Notre Dame in a neutral-site game in Las Vegas.
“Warning flares should go out to Arkansas, Baylor, Notre Dame and Stanford, all Power Five teams that all play BYU in 2022,” Dodd wrote.
“Kalani Sitake’s steady hand made the Cougars worthy of joining the Big 12. The five Cougars drafted in 2021 tied for the most at the school since 1986. BYU has arrived (again). Have you noticed?”