Tag: BYU Cougars Football

Kirk Herbstreit updates his top six college football rankings

College football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his latest rankings of the top teams in the country including Notre Dame, Alabama and more

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his latest rankings of the top college football teams in the country. There weren’t any upsets in Week 12’s action.

Ohio State narrowly defeated a pesky Indiana team, Clemson’s game at Florida State was postponed, Alabama dominated Kentucky in a sixty point victory, Florida won in a SEC game against Vanderbilt, and Cincinnati topped UCF.

Overall, Cincinnati’s win and Ohio State’s win were the two biggest storylines of the week.  Another interesting development was the incredible debut performance of Georgia Bulldogs quarterback JT Daniels. Daniels transferred to the University of Georgia after being a five-star recruit, who played at USC, then tore his ACL in a game for the Trojans last season.

In the SEC, Alabama and Florida are on a crash course to play each other in the SEC Championship Game. Will either team be tested in their remaining games? Florida plays Kentucky this week and Alabama plays the Auburn Tigers.

In the ACC, Notre Dame and Clemson are probably going to play each other in a rematch in the ACC Championship Game. Ohio State looks like the only other serious College Football Playoff contender.

Here’s who Kirk Herbstreit puts in his top six schools:

Notably, Herbstreit doesn’t put the BYU Cougars or Texas A&M Aggies in the top six. Both teams will need some help to make the College Football Playoff. BYU may not be able to make it at all after playing one of the easiest slates of games major college football has ever seen.

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Kirk Herbstreit releases his latest top six college football rankings

College football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his latest top six rankings including Florida, Notre Dame, Clemson, and more.

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his latest edition of College Football Playoff hopefuls following a quiet week of college football. Week 11 featured numerous cancelled/postponed games including: Georgia at Missouri, Ohio State versus Maryland, and LSU versus Alabama.

In notable college football action, Florida blew out Arkansas 63-35, Miami kept their slim hopes alive with a 25-24 comeback win over Virginia Tech, Notre Dame won handily at Boston College, and Wisconsin demolished Michigan 49-11.

The race for the CFP is coming down to the wire. The Big 12 is essentially eliminated from CFP contention, although Oklahoma State could win out and finish the season with one loss.  The Pac-12 needs either USC or Oregon to win out. Both programs need to look more impressive than they did in Week 11.

The SEC has only three teams with high hopes for making the playoff: Alabama, Florida, and Texas A&M. Texas A&M beat Florida, but trails Alabama by two games in the SEC West. The Aggies will hope to win out and that Alabama will defeat Florida in the SEC Championship. They’ll need more help than that. They’ll root for a two loss loser in the likely Notre Dame versus Clemson ACC Championship.

Ohio State is favored to represent the Big Ten in the College Football Playoff following the conference’s limited season. Wisconsin looks to be Ohio State’s biggest competition in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have a big game against Indiana this weekend.

How Kirk Herbstreit ranked the top teams in college football:

Overall, Herbstreit’s rankings look pretty solid. They haven’t changed at all since last week. BYU has been impressive, but its schedule has been very easy, so it would be fair to rank Texas A&M or Wisconsin over the BYU Cougars.

Aside from that, the rankings look good. Notre Dame deserves to be ranked over Ohio State due to its body of work. The Fighting Irish are 8-0 and Ohio State is only 3-0.

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Kirk Herbstreit releases updated top six college football rankings

Kirk Herbstreit puts the Georgia Bulldogs, Notre Dame, Alabama, Clemson, and more in his top six college football rankings.

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his latest top six rankings following week nine action.

Herbstreit puts Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Georgia among his top four. These teams would make his hypothetical College Football Playoff with BYU and Notre Dame on the outside looking in.

Last week, Alabama dominated Mississippi State in a shut out victory. Ohio State comfortably won over Big Ten contender Penn State, Clemson needed a comeback victory to prevail over Boston College, and Georgia won in a 14-3 snoozefest over Kentucky.

Herbstreit announced his rankings via his Twitter account:

Oklahoma State also fell to Texas in an overtime loss, which puts the Cowboys’ College Football Playoff hopes on life support. The Big 12 likely won’t have a participant in the playoff.

Next week’s college football games feature a few contests among top rated teams. Firstly, in the ACC, Notre Dame faces Clemson for the top position in the conference. The duo could have a rematch in the ACC Championship as well.

In another must-watch game, the Georgia Bulldogs face the Florida Gators in Jacksonville, Florida in a game that will probably decide the SEC East. Will either one of these teams be able to beat Alabama in a potential SEC Championship Game?

Mac Jones and Alabama are looking like the National Championship favorite at the moment.

Jan 1, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws the ball during the first quarter of the 2020 VRBO Citrus Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines at Camping World Stadium. Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

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Kirk Herbstreit’s new top six rankings: UGA stays in top four

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his updated college football rankings following the Georgia versus Alabama game.

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his updated rankings of the top college football teams who have played so far this season. His top six excludes top teams like Ohio State and Penn State because they haven’t played. The Big Ten starts conference play next weekend.

Herbstreit ranks his College Football Playoff contenders after the Georgia Bulldogs fell 41-24 to the Alabama Crimson Tide in a top five matchup. Alabama looked impressive, as did Clemson, who absolutely dominated Georgia Tech. What else is new in college football?

Additionally, the Florida State Seminoles beat the UNC Tar Heels in an upset victory. UNC came into the game as one of the highest rated teams in the count.

Below is who Kirk Herbstreit puts in his top six rankings. He ranks the Georgia Bulldogs third now (remember no Pac-12 or Big Ten). He ranked UGA second and Bama third last week, so the Bulldogs did lose one spot.

It is hard to disagree with the top teams in Herbstreit’s rankings. The Clemson Tigers look strong and Alabama has an explosive offense. Ohio State will climb into the rankings as soon as they play.

Notre Dame, who Herbstreit ranks fourth, struggled in a one possession win over Louisville.

Texas A&M and BYU round out Herbstreit’s rankings. BYU seems overrated considering who it has played and how unimpressive they were in a seven point win over UTSA and considering their weak schedule. Texas A&M won by two touchdowns over Mississippi State.

Georgia is still clearly in the College Football Playoff hunt, but now can’t afford to lose another game.

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Kirk Herbstreit unveils his latest top six rankings

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his rankings of the top college football teams including UGA, Bama, Clemson, and more

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his rankings of the top college football teams who have played so far this season. His top six excludes top teams such as Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon because they haven’t played.

Herbstreit ranked his College Football Playoff contenders after the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 44-21 in this week’s top SEC matchup. The Texas A&M Aggies upset the Florida Gators as well. Now, there are only two undefeated teams left in the SEC.

Clemson knocked off Miami, Alabama beat Ole Miss in a shoot out, and UNC outscored Virginia Tech in notable action from the weekend.

Below is who Kirk Herbstreit puts in his top six rankings. He ranks the Georgia Bulldogs second (remember no Pac-12 or Big Ten). He rated UGA fourth last week, so this is an upgrade for the Dawgs.

It is hard to disagree with the top three teams in Herbstreit’s rankings. The Clemson Tigers look strong, Georgia may have the best defense in the country, and Alabama has an explosive offense. Georgia and Bama square off this week, so that will settle any debate of which team is superior.

Notre Dame, who Herbstreit ranks fourth, beat FSU in a win on Saturday. The Fighting Irish have a fairly easy schedule until they host Clemson. They will also play UNC in November.

UNC and BYU round out Herbstreit’s rankings. BYU seems overrated considering who it has played and how unimpressive they were in a seven point win over UTSA. The Cougars face a this Friday against Houston.

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Kirk Herbstreit releases his updated top six rankings

ESPN College Football Analyst Kirk Herbstreit has updated his rankings of the top college football teams including Georgia, Florida and more

ESPN College Football Analyst Kirk Herbstreit has updated his rankings of the top college football teams who have played so far this season. His list excludes top teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon and more because they haven’t played.

Herbstreit ranks his top six after the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Auburn Tigers 27-6 in this week’s top match-up. The nightmare season for the Big 12 continued this Saturday. Texas lost to TCU for the seventh time in their last nine games. Oklahoma, a perennial contender, fell again for the second consecutive week.

UNC, Viriginia Tech, Clemson, Oklahoma State, and Florida all had big wins this past week.

Here’s who Kirk Herbstreit puts in his top six. He ranks the Georgia Bulldogs fourth (remember no Pac-12 or Big Ten).

It is hard to disagree with the top two teams in Herbstreit’s rankings. The Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide look to be on course for another College Football Playoff appearance. Alabama toppled Texas A&M in a dominant performance at home.

Interestingly, Kirk Herbstreit ranks the Florida Gators above the Georgia Bulldogs. Dawgs fans won’t be happy about this, especially after their impressive win over Auburn.

Miami and BYU round out Herbstreit’s rankings. BYU seems overrated considering who they have played. The Cougars won’t face a real test until they face Houston.

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REPORT: Alabama is considering replacing USC with BYU in Week 1

Important news

The news hit the wires on Saturday that Alabama is strongly considering Brigham Young as a replacement opponent for USC in Week 1.

The importance of this story is not that USC is specifically being replaced. The importance of the story — similar to what we told you about TCU reportedly discussing replacements for the California Golden Bears in Week 1 — is that SEC and Big 12 schools are not yet at a point where they are accepting a reduced schedule for 2020.

This doesn’t mean SEC and Big 12 schools will play 12 games. The coronavirus drives this bus, not college football or any of its conferences or schools. Yet, the obvious importance attached to Alabama’s desire to find a Week 1 opponent is that while the Big Ten and Pac-12 have already accepted a reduced schedule (the Pac-12 hasn’t yet announced its specific scheduling plan, but a conference-only schedule puts a cap at 11 games, less than the full 12-game slate), the SEC and Big 12 show clear signs of wanting to play as many games as possible. If Alabama and TCU are both trying to fill a Week 1 nonconference gap in their respective schedules, that points to a desire to play 12 games.

How long is this dance going to continue? How long will this uncertainty about the 2020 schedule persist? Those are good questions.

Thankfully, the answer is that this coming week is the last week in which we will live with these particular voids and vacuums.

Remember: If six weeks is the widely accepted timetable for college football teams to get ready for the start of the regular season, any team trying to play a game on Sept. 5 must start that six-week preparation period this coming Saturday, July 25.

The Big Ten and Pac-12, by reducing their seasons in length, don’t have to meet this commitment. They can therefore unveil their schedules after July 25.

The Big 12 and SEC, along with the ACC, haven’t said anything yet.

They will need to say something by the end of this week.

The next four or five days might be boring in college football, but the political and logistical pressure on schools and conferences will definitely increase next week. Things are going to get very interesting (though not necessarily in a good way or for happy and positive reasons).

College Football News Preview 2020: BYU Cougars

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the BYU Cougars season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the BYU Cougars season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– BYU Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 7-6
Head Coach: Kalani Sitake, 5th year, 27-25
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 71
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 34
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 73

No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: BYU Cougars Offense 3 Things To Know

– The offense was really, really good against the okay to bad teams, and it was really, really just okay against everyone else. The Cougars averaged 444 yards and 28.5 points per game overall. They failed to hit 360 yards against Utah, Tennessee, Washington and Boise State, and they hit 400 or more against everyone else including USC.

This year’s offense is full of good veterans for an attack that should be even better, and when it’s not, it should still be able to come through in key moments like it did in the win over the Vols and Broncos.

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– Zach Wilson didn’t explode like many hoped he would – Thring for 2,382 yards and 11 scores and nine picks – and he ran for 167 yards and three scores. The 6-3, 2101-pounder is accurate, he’s not afraid to take shots, and now he has two years under his belt.

The backup situation is terrific with Baylor Romney – who threw seven TD passes and two picks – and Jaren Hall good enough to step in if needed. Both were fine when they got their chances.

If Matt Bushman isn’t the best tight end in the country, he’s not terribly far off. The 6-5, 240-pounder led the team with 688 yards and four scores on 47 grabs, but the top three wide receivers are gone.

Gunner Romney is a solid junior who caught 31 passes, and Dax Milne made 21 grabs for 285 yards and two scores. The rest of the parts have to fill in, with 604, 215-pound Neil Pau’u the linked No. 3 guy.

– All five starters are expected back on a line, but there should be some big fights among a group that was fine, but wasn’t dominant. There’s depth, and there are plenty of options. 6-6, 300-pound junior Brady Christensen is a keeper at left tackle, and junior James Empey has established himself the main man at center.

It would be nice if a No. 1 rusher could rise up. Sophomore Sione Finau is back after leading the way with just 359 yards, but he’s likely going to be a part of a rotation around Utah transfer Devontae Henry-Cole. Running back by committee wouldn’t be a horrible thing here.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: BYU Cougars Defense 3 Things To Know

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BYU Football Schedule. How Could It Change For The 2020 Season?

With Power Five conferences heading towards a conference-only format, what’s going to happen to the BYU football schedule?

With Power Five conferences heading towards a conference-only format, what’s going to happen to the BYU football schedule?

Who will be available for BYU to play with all the big schedule changes going on?

Will the Group of Five conferences – desperately looking for good matchups and games after being ditched by the Power Five programs – also lock it down, or will they want a high-profile game against BYU?

BYU isn’t in the same boat as Notre Dame, an independent with ties to the ACC. BYU loses five games against the Big Ten and Pac-12 combined, and will probably lose Missouri, so filling in the gaps with Mountain West teams would make a whole lot of sense.

What could a revised BYU schedule look like? Here’s what it is now, and what it might be.

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Sept. 5 at Utah

This really stinks because of the rivalry aspect, but maybe BYU can make up for it with something fun. Hawaii loses its home date against UCLA on September 5th, and hosting the Cougars could be just as interesting.

Sept. 12 Michigan State

Can the powers-that-be pull off a trip to Notre Dame? The Irish were supposed to play Arkansas, but that’s likely going to be be off. It might depend on whether or not BYU really does play Hawaii to start and where. Notre Dame might not be too keen on playing two straight road games – it starts at Navy – to kick things off.

Sept. 19 at Arizona State

This might be the Hawaii game depending on what the call is on the opener – the Rainbow Warriors were schedule to go to Oregon. Fresno State, though, has the week off – at the moment. It’s originally schedule to play at Colorado the week before, but that changes.

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Sept. 26 Minnesota

Just assume that Colorado State isn’t going to play at Vanderbilt, with the SEC likely to keep things in-house. Instead of going to Nashville, the Rams can come on over to Provo.

Oct. 2 Utah State

All good, all set. The Mountain West will want to keep this game between the Aggies and Cougars, especially on a Friday night.

Oct. 10 Missouri

It’s possible this could be the Notre Dame spot, with the Irish supposed to play Stanford this week. The easier call is Army, who needs to find a replacement for Princeton – the Ivy League has cancelled fall sports.

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Oct. 17 Houston

For now, this might stay as is. This would be a high-profile game for an American Athletic Conference that needs them, but if it plays a conference-only slate, Liberty could come calling – the Flames were scheduled to play at Syracuse.

Oct. 24 at Northern Illinois

A home game against BYU for the MAC? With the Big Ten bailing, this could be one of the biggest games of the conference’s college football season.

Oct. 31 OPEN DATE

There has to be at least one week off built into the schedule. Flexibility will be the key to the entire slate, but keep this open.

Nov. 7 at Boise State

If the Cougars get the week off before this, going to Boise State is more doable. The game likely stays as is.


Nov. 14  San Diego State

This is where the Cougars could have some flexibility. San Diego State also has an open date on October 31st, and the game could be moved if it’s more convenient.

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Nov. 21 North Alabama

The NCAA is likely going to allow two games against FCS teams count towards bowl eligibility. North Alabama will be a nice game to build up the win total.

Nov. 28 at Stanford

The Mountain West programs are all locked down at this point, but Notre Dame might be an option with the USC game gone. New Mexico State, though, is wide open – it’s season is scheduled to end the week before.

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