With the Big 12 releasing the conference matchups today, BYU officially has its 2024 schedule set. The opponents and locations have been known since early November, but fans wondered when each game would be and, more than anything, when Utah would be on the schedule.
To say that the schedule was a surprise would be an understatement. Here is a complete analysis of the schedule and whether or not the Cougars got a fair schedule.
Let’s Talk About Utah
BYU fans and Utah fans alike expected and wanted the Holy War to be the final week of the season. As one of the top rivalries in college football, and arguably the best rivalry in the Big 12, it only made sense to have this game played at the end of the season.
Apparently, that wasn’t in the cards. The Cougars will travel up to Salt Lake on November 9th, and then have three remaining games to finish out the season. Interestingly, both teams will be coming off of a bye, allowing both fan bases to smack talk for two weeks leading up to the game.
There hasn’t been an official statement released by either BYU, Utah, or the Big 12 on why the game isn’t be played in the final week of the season, but there is a theory out there that because of how other games lined up, there wasn’t a way to schedule the game without BYU only having four home games and five away games (BYU only plays one non-conference game at home).
Personally, I don’t buy it. I would have started with the biggest games of the season (including the Holy War) and then worked backward and made it work. Hopefully, this is a one-time deal, and fan pressure will push the conference to move the game next year.
Non-Conference, We’ll See, Difficult, Winnable for BYU
BYU’s schedule can essentially be broken down into four sections that can describe the season somewhat fairly, at least for now. This can all, and likely will change because the Big 12 is unpredictable, but for now, looking at the schedule, it can be broken down as the following:
- Non-Conference: The Cougars will have a clean A-B-C model next year and play all three of their non-conference games as the first three games of the year.
- We’ll See: Kansas State, at Baylor, and Arizona all feel like games that the Cougars can win or lose. Kansas State will have a new QB, while Arizona is dealing with the aftermath of Jedd Fisch leaving. In other words, there are a ton of questions with this part of the schedule, and only time will tell whether all of these opponents are for real or regressing next season.
- Difficult: Oklahoma State, at UCF, and at Utah are three games that will be very difficult for BYU. Oklahoma State and Utah are two of the top teams in the league, and UCF, as a road trip, will be a long trip for the Cougars. Also, BYU tends to struggle with fast athletic teams and UCF is just that. A 1-2 record here would be very acceptable for BYU during this stretch.
- Winnable: The Cougars will finish out the season at home to Kansas, at Arizona State, and Houston all feel like winnable games. Kansas may be really good next year, but they will be dealing with a new QB and offensive coordinator. Arizona State and Houston are both rebuilding their programs and while improved from last year, these games should be another stretch where BYU goes 2-1 or better.
2024 BYU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE pic.twitter.com/AF4NZq1kJ2
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) January 30, 2024
Overall, BYU’s schedule lines up pretty well. Going to Wyoming seems odd, and pedrhaps a game Tom Holmoe and BYU should have bought out, but that’s a minor detail. The BYE weeks come a great time (after a road game at Baylor, and after a road game at UCF). The one complaint, if any, is that BYU is probably stuck playing the top four teams again (Kansas State, Utah, Oklahoma State, and Arizona). Last year, the Cougars played five of the top six teams while avoiding teams like Baylor, Houston, and UCF who all finished towards the bottom of the conference.
Conclusion
It felt odd for Cougars fans to not know their schedule until now. Up until last year, as an Independent, BYU knew their schedule two or sometimes even three years in advance. Yes, the Utah date is disappointing, but overall, when looking at this schedule, it is solid and fair schedule.
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