PROVO — BYU’s lone undefeated season occurred in 1984, which is also the year the Cougars claimed an improbable national championship. Coincidentally, “1984” is also the title of the dystopian George Orwell novel.
In this most bizarre of college football seasons, an Orwellian 2020, BYU is putting together an improbable magical, historic season amid a nonfictional global pandemic.
The Cougars (3-0) are currently ranked No. 15 in the national polls — the first time they’ve been ranked in the top 15 since 2009 — and national pundits are buzzing about BYU after its trouncing of Navy, Troy and Louisiana Tech. The Cougars haven’t trailed this season and they’re outscoring their opponents 148-24.
“They play every play like the national championship depends on it, regardless of who the competition is or what the score is,” said Trevor Matich, who was the starting center on BYU’s ’84 team and is a longtime ESPN college football analyst. “That’s the thing that stands out the most.”
Kirk Bohls, a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman, who has covered college football for about 40 years, listed BYU No. 7 on his Associated Press ballot this week.
“It’s a wacky year. I’m one of those voters — I think there are 11 of us — that are not considering Big Ten or Pac-12 teams until they start playing because that would kind of be a disservice to the teams that are playing,” Bohls said. “They’re taking the risk every day during this pandemic. “I’ve always championed the underdog. It’s their moment in the sun. I do want to point out that I voted (BYU) No. 7 in the country because I think they deserve it. It’s not a pat on the back. They’ve been dominant.”
“I’ve always championed the underdog. It’s their moment in the sun. I do want to point out that I voted (BYU) No. 7 in the country because I think they deserve it. It’s not a pat on the back. They’ve been dominant.” — Kirk Bohls, columnist for the Austin American-Statesman
Since 2011, BYU has been playing as an independent — marooned on its own college football island, not really part of the Power Five or the Group of Five — with multiple mediocre seasons and a handful of marquee victories during that span.
But is 2020 an anomaly? Could what’s transpiring now evolve into more than short-lived hype? Could the Cougars leverage this year into a return to long-term national prominence?
“I think this could be a transformative season for the Cougars,” Bohls said. “It could be a real turning point for coach (Kalani) Sitake and that whole program.”
Here are five reasons why:
Quarterback excellence
Whenever BYU has had a special season, it has had a special quarterback.
This season, the Cougars have one in junior Zach Wilson, who is completing an absurd 85% of his passes, is being projected as an NFL draft pick, and is landing on some Heisman Trophy watch lists.
Wilson has plenty of experience and, unlike the past two seasons, he’s healthy.
“Boy, is Zach Wilson good. I know he was hurt last year but he’s been impressive as far as efficiency. He’s getting the job done,” Bohls said of the Cougars’ junior signal-caller. “To me, he’s a guy that deserves to be in the Heisman talk, at least in the first half of the season. We’ll see if he can keep it up. He’s been the epitome of efficiency.”
And it appears that BYU‘s QB pipeline is well-stocked with Baylor Romney, Jaren Hall, Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters and Jacob Conover in the wings.
On top of that, the Cougars boast a dominant offensive line, which was also a staple of great BYU teams, to go along with a bunch of proven and promising playmakers in the program, even with tight end star Matt Bushman out for the season due to injury.
BYU’s brand is still strong
The Cougars have proven that their brand has enough cachet that they can jump quickly into the national rankings and become nationally relevant. It happened when they upset No. 6 Wisconsin in 2018 and again last year when they knocked off No. 24 USC and No. 14 Boise State. And it’s happening this season, too.
“It’s not a year that stands by itself. In years’ past as an independent, they’ve done great things. They’ve beaten teams nobody thought they could beat.” — Trevor Matich
“It’s not a year that stands by itself. In years’ past as an independent, they’ve done great things,” Matich said. “They’ve beaten teams nobody thought they could beat.”
Those who have followed BYU for a long time know all about its reputation for high-scoring offenses and a winning tradition.
“I’ve always had a very strong respect for BYU, going back to the days of LaVell Edwards and Ty Detmer and Jim McMahon. They were at the forefront of the passing game’s influence in college football. BYU did as much to further that part of the game as any other program in the country,” Bohls said. “It’s probably slipped a little bit and part of that’s because of the demarcation between the Power Five and the Group of Five. It’s just tough to be an independent. It’s a shame that they’re not in a conference. I’ve always had the ultimate respect for that program and the way they play tough football with great quarterbacks and receivers.”
BYU is fielding its most complete team in years. The Cougars are ranked No. 1 in total offense and No. 1 in total defense. They’re in the top 10 in more than 30 offensive categories and more than 20 defensive categories.
BYU ‘After Dark’ on ESPN
BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe pulled off a major coup when he was able to schedule Navy on Labor Day, in the Monday Night Football time slot on ESPN.
While that game was the lowest-rated Labor Day college football game in more than a decade, there are plenty of teams that would’ve loved to have 1.145 million households watching them instead of sitting at home without games to play.
As an AP voter, Bohls has always watched late West Coast games.
“You don’t have to stay up so late to watch BYU this year,” he said. “From the moment I watched that BYU-Navy game, when they had the stage to themselves, I was thoroughly impressed by how they played and how they dominated on both sides of the ball. I really haven’t seen a weakness yet.”
BYU’s deal with ESPN to broadcast its home games has paid off even more during the pandemic, monopolizing the West Coast broadcast window with no competition from the Pac-12.
“Having games on ESPN gives BYU a unique audience,” Matich said. “It matters because they get a lot of eyeballs on them. There’s a certain mantle of representation that BYU has been able to carry and I think they’ve done it well.”
“We’ve got a captive audience at home that’s been starved for college football. BYU has made a huge impression in September and early October,” Bohls said. “If they can continue to do so, it wouldn’t be so much putting BYU back on the map but it would restore BYU as one of the best non-Power Five programs.”
Recruiting boost?
Among the eyeballs on BYU this fall? Recruits. The Cougars’ fast start, and the way they’ve played, have been the best recruiting pitch it could offer.
“Recruits realize that BYU is a place they can go and get to where they want to go. Then you add to it those national showcases with victories that have been so convincing and the celebrations, dancing, on the sidelines. Recruits look at that and want to be a part of it.” — Trevor Matich
“Recruits realize that BYU is a place they can go and get to where they want to go,” Matich said. “Then you add to it those national showcases with victories that have been so convincing and the celebrations, dancing, on the sidelines. Recruits look at that and want to be a part of it.
“It’s unity and it’s fantastic. Doing that for the rest of the year would be a monumental success. Going undefeated would be a historic achievement given what they had to overcome with COVID and everything else in order to get that done. But in the meantime, the way they’ve started helps with recruiting tremendously. They’ll get into doors they weren’t able to before because they’re winning and having a blast doing it.”
Boldly independent
At a time when a lot of teams, and conferences, decided not to play, and the Cougars’ schedule was being decimated as a result, BYU blazed its own path. It shows the administration’s commitment to football.
The Cougars have no Power Five opponents on their schedule but athletic director Tom Holmoe cobbled together the best schedule possible under the circumstances.
This veteran BYU team has displayed resiliency and exuberance.
Perhaps the program has learned to overcome complacency and inconsistency, as occurred last year, when thrilling victories over Tennessee and USC were followed by disappointing defeats to Toledo and South Florida.
“I know that fans are used to a certain standard in Provo and BYU hasn’t lived up to it until what they’re showing so far now,” Bohls said. “When you’re an independent, you have to overschedule. Your players can get a little more complacent against those non-brand-name teams.”
For years into the future, BYU has difficult schedules lined up, including seven Power Five opponents on the 2021 slate.
But for now, this is uncharted territory for BYU in independence — being nationally ranked and nationally relevant a week into October. Is this sustainable for the rest of the season and beyond?
No doubt, the Cougars will enjoy the ride while it lasts.