Five BYU Opponents Ranked in the Preseason AP Poll

BYU is scheduled to play five teams in the preseason AP top 25

Sep 23, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Darius Lassiter (5) runs with the ball against Kansas Jayhawks cornerback Kwinton Lassiter (8) during the first half at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The college football season is inching closer and closer. On Monday, the Associated Press released the preseason AP Top 25. Five BYU opponents were ranked in the top 25. Here is the full poll. BYU's opponents are in bold font.

AP Top 25

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Oregon
4. Texas
5. Alabama
6. Ole Miss
7. Notre Dame
8. Penn State
9. Michigan
10. Florida State
11. Missouri
12. Utah
13. LSU
14. Clemson
15. Tennessee
16. Oklahoma
17. Oklahoma State
18. Kansas State
19. Miami
20. Texas A&M
21. Arizona
22. Kansas
23. USC
24. NC State
25. Iowa

Five Big 12 teams are ranked, and BYU is scheduled to play all five of those teams. Three other Big 12 teams received votes: Iowa State, West Virginia, and Colorado.

It's worth noting that BYU has a favorable home-away split against those five ranked teams. Of the five ranked teams in the Big 12, BYU will get Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Arizona at home. The Cougars also host Houston at home who was picked to finish 15th in the Big 12. A 4-2 record at home would probably be enough to get back to bowl eligibility.

The opposite was true in 2023. Excluding Oklahoma, BYU's most challenging games were on the road in the inaugural Big 12 campaign. BYU had to travel to Texas, Kansas, West Virginia, Arkansas, TCU and Oklahoma State. BYU went 1-5 in those six games.