BYU

Who better to take on the title of college football’s Cinderella than the team who arguably best personifies it? At the very least, BYU is on the short list for well-known “giant killers.” In the three years of the College Football Playoff, no team outside the Power Five has cracked the top four, but the Cougars have a chance with their schedule.

That, by the way, is heavily front-loaded. On Sept. 2, BYU plays LSU at a neutral-site game in Houston. The following week, it gets a home game against nemesis Utah. After that, it’s another home game vs. Wisconsin. October doesn’t let up much with back-to-back games against Boise State and at Mississippi State.

That’s a tough stretch, but the Cougars are talented enough to win many of those games. Furthermore, they don’t lose many starters off of last year’s team, though the quality of the losses cannot be overlooked. Leading rusher Jamaal Williams is gone as is top pass rusher Sae Tautu. Finding another bell cow back and rebuilding the defensive front will be top offseason priorities. Do that, and perhaps BYU can notch some impressive, and perhaps unexpected, early wins.