I want to start by saying that there is so much parity in the B12 that we cannot really take any game for granted, but in terms of what we know at this point in the season, we have a lot to be excited about looking ahead with our remaining schedule, at least on paper. We're at 5-0 with four home games remaining and our fans have really stepped it up at LES to provide a very meaningful home field advantage. As such, in Lavell Edward's words, we have a really good chance to be a really good team this year.

We catch both Kansas and Houston at home late in the season and they are both 1-3 teams that are really struggling right now. Unless one or both teams can turn things around in a major way this next month, we'll be heavily favored in both games. I won't call any B12 game a "gimme" as any B12 team can beat any other team on any given Saturday but, at least on paper, those are our easiest B12 games all season. I do expect BYU to win both games, particularly based on how our D has been playing this year against similar opponents. Winning these two home games and losing everything else gets BYU to a respectable 7-5 season and some December bowl game. Obviously we're all hoping for more, but that's actually not a bad season.

Our next two games are at home against Arizona and Oklahoma State, respectively, and both will be tough "coin flip" type games where I'm guessing BYU will be favored by relatively modest margins. Comparisons of common opponents favors us as AZ/OSU both lost big to the K-State team we beat at home, but AZ just beat Utah in SLC and Oklahoma State played Utah tough at home losing by only 3 points. Winning both games would be amazing and put us in the driver's seat for a nine win season even if we struggle away from home in the other games. I will say that Kalani's teams tend to be sluggish after bye weeks, so I honestly expect our first loss over this stretch, but I would love nothing more than to be wrong about that by advancing to 9-0 and a top ten ranking three weeks from now.

The games at Arizona State and UCF should also both be tough "coin flip" type games. There's just not much by way of common opponents here other than ASU smashing a Wyoming team by 41 in their home opener that we beat by 20 in Laramie. If we're still undefeated we'll be favored in both games, but it's never easy to travel to the east coast for a game and any away game in the B12 will be tough no matter who you are facing.

Utah in SLC will be a tough game to win and we will not be favored unless Utah has a total collapse over the next month and Rising either can't fight his way back from his severed limb or he does come back and gets injured again in five minutes (like usual). I don't think any of us "expect" to win this game, but, in spite of what Ute fans believe about themselves, they are not 'Bama, Ohio State, or Michigan. As shown by AZ, Utah is a beatable team in SLC, but even if we are favored going in I will only believe in a win against Utah after I see it.

Taken together, we've got 1 game we "should" lose, two games we "should" win, and four coin flips. That makes for one really exciting ride ahead with berths in the B12 championship game and/or the CFP very much on the line. What a fun time to be a cougar fan!