Six Games that Could Impact BYU's AP Poll Ranking During the Bye Week

Casey Lundquist | Oct 5, 2024

Sep 28, 2024; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Sawyer Robertson (13) hands the ball off to Baylor Bears running back Bryson Washington (30) against the Brigham Young Cougars during the second half at McLane Stadium. / Chris Jones-Imagn Images

BYU is 5-0 and ranked no. 17 in the AP poll. BYU gets the weekend off before taking on Arizona at home next Saturday. Even though BYU is off, there are multiple games that could impact BYU's ranking in the AP poll. Here are six games that could impact BYU's ranking in the AP poll come Sunday morning, including four road tests for teams ranked ahead of BYU.

Baylor at no. 16 Iowa State

Baylor is 0-2 in conference play and desperate to get their season turned around. Iowa State is 4-0 and looking to remain unbeaten against the Bears. The Cyclones also control their own destiny to the Big 12 championship. A Baylor win over Iowa State would do two things for BYU's ranking:

1. It would drop Iowa State below BYU and move the Cougars up a spot
2. It would bolster BYU's resume after beating Baylor last week

ESPN FPI gives Baylor a 24% chance to pull off the upset. Vegas favors Iowa State by 11 points.

SMU at no. 22 Louisville

A Louisville win over SMU wouldn't be enough for Louisville to leapfrog BYU in the rankings. An SMU win over Louisville, however, would make BYU's win over SMU look really good. The Mustangs are 4-1 on the season and their only loss came against the Cougars. A win over a ranked Lousiville team might get the Mustangs into the top 25. In that scenario, BYU would have two wins over ranked teams.

FPI gives SMU a 33% chance to pull off the upset.

No. 12 Ole Miss at South Carolina

Former BYU target Jaxson Dart and Ole Miss suffered a setback last week against Kentucky. Now, the Rebels hit the road to take on the same South Carolina team that beat Kentucky 31-6 earlier this year. A loss against South Carolina would drop Ole Miss below BYU in the rankings.

Ole Miss is favored by 9.5-points in this one according to oddsmakers.

No. 10 Michigan at Washington

Washington is favored over no. 10 Michigan this weekend. The Wolverines are not the same team they were a year ago. A second loss of the season would drop them to 4-2 on the year and might be enough to fall below BYU in the rankings.

No. 11 USC at Minnesota

No. 11 USC faces a tough road test at Minnesota this weekend. The Trojans have a 72% chance to win according to FPI. Like Michigan, a second loss for USC could drop them below BYU in the rankings.

No. 15 Clemson at Florida State

A loss to Florida State might drop Clemson out of the top 25. Florida State has not been good this season. However, the Seminoles will have a new quarterback for this game and anything can happen under the lights at Florida State. FPI gives the Seminoles a 20% chance to pull off the upset.