CFB odds: The BYU Cougars were once one of the most prolific passing teams in the history of college football, which made them an entertaining team to watch, even among the many fans who hated them for their perceived arrogance and perfect self-esteem. It is therefore a bit ironic that in this new era of fast-break football the Cougars are a defensive-oriented team that likes to run the ball and control the clock on offense. A program that was once celebrated as a quarterback factory ranked a weak 73rd in the nation last year for passing yardage. Beyond that the Cougars declared their independence in 2011 after breaking away from the Mountain West Conference. So far the BYU dream of becoming a Mormon Notre Dame has not come close to being realized and their future is in limbo as they are discovering that it would be better to be in a power five conference, but that could mean concessions that could conflict with the University and its stated religious mission. BetDSI opened with BYU as a +11489 choice to win the BCS national championship with an over under win total of nine -155 over and +135 under.
Experienced Lineup
Tenth year head coach Bronco Mendenhall was a defensive coordinator before getting the head gig and that is reflected by the Cougars’ personality on the field of play. Mendenhall will have an experienced team this year with eight starters back on offense led by junior QB Taysom Hill who led the Cougars in rushing with 1344 yards while posting at 19/14 TD/INT ratio. Junior RB Jamaal Williams was also a 1,000 yard rusher last year. The defense returns six starters to a unit that ranked 22nd in the nation for fewest points allowed. BYU returns a total of 45 lettermen while losing 21.
Handicapper’s Notebook
BYU has been a reliable 29-21 against the spread as a home favorite, 14-9 ATS as a road dog, 7-3 ATS on neutral fields, and 23-12 ATS after a straight up loss.
Our Prognosis
BYU may end up with a record that is better than their actual ability because of a soft schedule with their toughest games still in the winnable category at Texas, at Boise State and at UCF. With their strong running game and experienced lineup they should meet, if not likely surpass, the nine win total.
