BYU Football Ranked in the Top 10 of ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25

BYU QB Jake Retzlaff drops back against Kansas State | BYU Photo

On Monday, the 2024 college football season came to an end as Ohio State defeated Notre Dame to win the national championship. Right as the game ended, ESPN published a way-too-early top 25 ranking for the 2025 season. BYU, led by veteran coach Kalani Sitake, cracked the top 10 at no. 9.

BYU was the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 in the way-too early Top 25, but four Big 12 teams were in the top 20:

1. Ohio State
2. Texas
3. Penn State
4. Notre Dame
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Clemson
8. LSU
9. BYU
10. South Carolina
11. Iowa State
12. Alabama
13. Illinois
14. Arizona State
15. SMU
16. Kansas State
17. Indiana
18. Florida
19. Tennessee
20. Louisville
21. Michigan
22. Texas A&M
23. Miami
24. Boise State
25. Ole Miss

Mark Schlabach, the author of the piece, had the following to say about BYU in 2025:

2025 outlook: If the 2024 season was any indication, you could probably pick any of four teams (or more) to win a Big 12 title. Arizona State, BYU and Colorado were unlikely contenders this past season, and the Cougars are bringing back top playmakers Retzlaff, Martin, Roberts and Marion. There are a couple of starters who will have to be replaced on the offensive line, but reinforcements from the transfer portal should help. On defense, four of the top five tacklers should return, although BYU will have to reload up front. Kalani Sitake has built a solid program that should contend in the Big 12 each season. The Cougars won't play Arizona State or Kansas State during the regular season, and road games at Iowa State and Colorado might be tricky.

Mark Schlabach

Preseason hype and expectation is exactly what the Big 12 conference needs for its best teams. Last year, the Big 12 teams picked in the preseason top 25 finished outside of the top 25. Those teams that ended at the top of the conference - Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, and Iowa State - had to start outside the top 25 and they were fighting against preseason narratives throughout the season. In the end, that hurt the conference's chances to get multiple teams in the College Football Playoff.

While the preseason recognition is nice for BYU, the 2024 season proved that preseason rankings mean very little. It will be up to BYU to live up to those preseason expectations. BYU will need to continue to get better to be in a position to contend for the Big 12 championship in 2025.