But as for any team, respect has to be earned. If Saban thought a good American team or MW team could beat a P4 team, he would make that pick accordingly. He knows ball, obviously; he doesn't just follow the court of public opinion.
If we win this Baylor game, he will start to respect BYU more. And to be fair, he will probably give more study time to BYU as a legitimate contender rather than as just another Big 12 team.