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Adjusting BYU football preseason projections after first quarter of the 2026 season

Three games into the 2026 campaign, the BYU football program has successfully validated preseason expectations that positioned the squad as a primary conference contender and potential playoff participant. Early forecasts from analysts such as Stewart Mandell, CBS Sports, and Trevor Matich anticipated anywhere from ten to twelve victories.

So far, the Cougars have outscored their initial three opponents by nearly three to one, securing decisive wins against Utah Tech by roughly sixty points, Arizona by eleven, and Colorado State by eighteen under the direction of Jim Mora Jr. Following a tight first half against the Wildcats where Arizona claimed a brief seventeen to fourteen advantage, BYU completely shut down their opponents in the final two quarters.

Looking toward the remainder of the schedule, the Cougars face a tiered path including matchups against Kansas, TCU, and Iowa State, all of whom currently sit at or below the five hundred mark within the bottom tier of the Big 12. While Kansas and TCU have experienced mixed early results alongside Iowa State, BYU remains heavily favored to handle business against these opponents.

Meanwhile, conference rivals Texas Tech and Utah have also entered the early discussion as legitimate Big 12 title threats as the season progresses past the first quarter.

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