This Week is Make-or-Break Time for the BYU Cougars

Two weeks off, two weeks on...that's how it has seemed to go for the Cougars this football season.

Two average games to start the season, two mind-blowing shutouts after that, and two head-scratching snoozefests after that.

But with games remaining at TCU, at Air Force, and at Utah, BYU can ill-afford to continue to play inconsistent football.

The fun all starts two days from now against TCU in Fort Worth.

One can only guess how bloodthirsty the nation's best defense will be when the ninth-ranked team in the nation comes calling.

Other than a 35-10 loss to Oklahoma, the Horned Frogs have given up 45 points in six games. My trusty calculator tells me that's 7.5 points per game. My trusty football brain tells me that's pretty good, no matter who you've played.

This much is sure, however—TCU will need to balance out its offense to win. Current starting quarterback Marcus Jackson can do some wonderful things with his feet, but his arm is average at best. Previous starter Andy Dalton, who has missed the last two games with an injury, is in the same mold as Jackson—good runner, OK passer. Both have done enough through the air to put wins on the board, but they'll need just a little more to keep the underrated Cougars' defense off balance and on the field.

Who will win? That's anybody's guess. TCU definitely has the defensive talent to give BYU quarterback Max Hall fits. Then again, Hall and his trio of wide receiver Michael Reed, tight end Dennis Pitta, and wideout Austin Collie may follow the example of the Sooners and rack up some frequent flyer miles at the expense of the Horned Frogs' defense.

You know what you'll get from TCU—great defense and a relentless running attack.

But the problem is you don't know what you'll get from BYU. Will it be the team that got penalized for 123 yards against Utah State? Will it be the team that put the ball on the floor four times against Northern Iowa? Or will it be the team that hung 521 yards on UCLA and came away plus-six in the turnover battle against Wyoming?

If the Cougars have any hope of remaining in the top 10, or even top 15, they need a win. If they have any hope of climbing higher in the polls, they need a decisive win.

The only question is: What BYU team will show up?