BYU Football: Bowl Opponent Outlook for the Cougars

With a cakewalk game against the Idaho State Bengals this week, it is highly likely the Cougars end the week bowl eligible.

After all, the Bengals are just 2-5 in 1AA/FCS and have a 33-point loss to Montana on their schedule.

It’s pretty much a formality now that BYU ends up in the Bell Helicopters Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 30 in Dallas, right?

Maybe. But whom will the Cougars play? Let’s take a mid-season look at the possibilities.

Southern Mississippi or Southern Methodist

The Golden Eagles and Mustangs square off this weekend in Hattiesburg. SMU has yet to lose in conference play, while USM has a loss to Marshall.

The loser of this game could likely end up being the third bowl selection from Conference USA, which means the Armed Forces bowl.  

SMU has already beat future BYU opponent TCU and has looked very good since a loss in Week 1 to Texas A&M.

Tulsa

The Golden Hurricane has three losses, but all of them are out of conference and they are to staggeringly tough teams: Boise State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

If Tulsa continues to perform well, it will challenge Houston for its division title and could end up taking the league. However, with games yet to play against Houston and SMU, a third-place finish in C-USA is every bit as likely.

Tulsa may end up being a very good team with losses only to teams in the Top 15 and could pose a very tough challenge for the Cougars in Dallas.

UTEP or Central Florida

What’s that noise? A collective yawn from Cougar fans in Provo?

Either of these teams would be an anti-climactic finish to BYU’s season, as the Cougars spanked the Miners in last year’s New Mexico Bowl by four touchdowns, and it wasn’t even that close.

And they likewise already beat Central Florida, albeit with a come-from-behind win at home.

However, with a 3-3 current record, UTEP and UCF are both longshots for the Armed Forces Bowl.

TCU or Boise State

Huh? How is this possible? BYU is in the Armed Forces Bowl no matter what, right?

Probably.  However, keep this in mind: The Armed Forces Bowl is owned by ESPN regional networks, which also owns the Las Vegas Bowl.

The Las Vegas bowl is set to match the Mountain West champ against the Pac-12’s fifth team. Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Arizona State are all bowl bound easily.

However, with USC ineligible one of these teams must get to six wins: UCLA, Utah and Washington State (Colorado, Cal, Arizona and Oregon State are pretty much already out of it).

If the Pac-12 doesn’t get that fifth eligible team, don’t be surprised if ESPN doesn’t start thinking BYU would be an attractive get for a bigger payout and higher profile game.

Sure, it’s a longshot.

A BYU versus TCU matchup wouldn’t sell many tickets, but if the Horned Frogs beat Boise State, you might see the Broncos back in Vegas and beating up on the Cougars.

Miami or North Carolina

Another head-scratcher, right?

Sure, it’s very unlikely, but the Pac-12 is also supposed to fill a slot with its sixth-place team in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco.

Should there be no Pac-12 option, you might start seeing some wheeling and dealing going on. The Kraft organizers know there’s a large LDS population in the Bay Area, and it’s a venue BYU hasn’t been to and would likely travel to easily.

The bowl matches up against the seventh selection from the ACC. So could Cougars and Tarheels be squaring off? Or BYU versus Miami? Maybe. Not likely, but it would be fun.