What to Watch During a BYU Bye Week

BYU’s bye week got off to a good start when Boise State blew out Colorado State Thursday night on the blue turf. If Boise State can run the table the rest of the way and finish in the Top 25, BYU would have at least one quality win to hang its hat on.

Below we look at who BYU’s opponents play and what other teams BYU should root for during Saturday’s action.

BYU Opponent Watch

• UTEP (3-3) at UTSA (4-4) — 1:00pm MT, ESPN Plus
• South Florida (1-5) at Houston (2-3) — 1:30pm MT, ESPN2

Houston will look to get back on track after two losses versus UCF and Cincinnati. Houston has 4 games left, and BYU would benefit with a strong finish from the Cougars in red.

• Southern Miss (2-5) at Western Kentucky (2-6) — 1:30pm MT, CBSSN
• Texas State (1-8) at Georgia Southern (5-2) — 1:30pm MT, ESPN3
• Hawaii (2-1) at San Diego State (2-1) — 2:00pm MT

The Aztecs will look to rebound after losing to San Jose State last week as a double-digit favorite. SDSU is a 10-point favorite in this one.

Other Games to Watch

• #9 Miami at Virginia Tech — 10:00am MT, ESPN

Miami is one spot behind BYU in the polls. They could easily pass BYU this season, so a Virginia Tech upset would help BYU.

• #10 Indiana at Michigan State — 10am MT, ABC

Same as above. Indiana is a TD road favorite over the Spartans.

• #2 Notre Dame at Boston College — 1:30pm MT, ABC

The Irish are riding high after a upset win over Clemson last week. If BYU wants any shot at the college playoff, they’ll need teams above them to lose games like this. Boston College gave Clemson a scare a couple weeks ago and is a 11.5-point underdog.

• #11 Oregon at Washington State — 5:00pm MT, FOX

The Ducks are the top Pac 12 team and the biggest threat to pass BYU from that conference. Wazzu could give them a close game as a 10-point underdog.

• Arkansas at #6 Florida — 5:00pm MT, ESPN

Could Florida be prime for an upset after a big rivalry win over Georgia? The Gators are 17-point favorites, but Arkansas is one of the most improved SEC teams and is capable of pulling off the upset if Florida comes out flat.

• #13 Wisconsin at Michigan — 5:30pm MT, ABC

The Badges are an interesting team. They blew out Illinois in their opener and rose up the polls, but their last two games were cancelled due to a COVID outbreak. It’s unclear how many Badgers players will miss this game, but they will be without some players. Michigan needs to get back on track here after opening 1-2. A Michigan win is good for BYU.