BYU quarterback Jaren Corridor throws a cross throughout a scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022. Jaren Wilkey, BYU
1 / 4 of the groups on BYU soccer’s 2022 schedule are beginning the season ranked within the preseason Related Press High 25 ballot.
Three of these groups are within the high 15 — Notre Dame at No. 5, Baylor at No. 11, and Oregon at No. 11 — whereas Arkansas sits simply inside the highest 20 at No. 19.
It units up the Cougars for a few issues: 1) the potential to have a breakout season of their closing yr of independence, and a pair of) the possibility to play spoiler for different groups’ playoff hopes.
That’s why 247 Sports activities’ Brad Crawford recognized BYU as certainly one of 9 groups who may trigger chaos within the nationwide title race this season.
“That is fairly a house schedule for the Cougars, who welcome nationally ranked Baylor and Arkansas to Provo, and must be double-digit favorites of their different 4 contests at LaVell Edwards Stadium,” Crawford wrote.
BYU’s dwelling opener is Sept. 10 in opposition to Baylor, adopted by a street journey to Oregon the following weekend.
The Cougars then go back-to-back with Notre Dame (Oct. 8 in Las Vegas) and Arkansas (Oct. 15 in Provo) later within the yr.
Crawford isn’t the one nationwide author who believes BYU may impression the nationwide title chase — CBS Sports activities’ Tom Fornelli additionally wrote about that earlier this month.
Crawford, like Fornelli, additionally believes the Cougars’ probabilities of turning their tough schedule right into a spot in a prestigious postseason spot are an extended shot.
“BYU has a clear-cut path to the playoff, however getting there can be treacherous and would take a Heisman-caliber season out of quarterback Jaren Corridor. It’s not unattainable, however unlikely given the standard of competitors,” Crawford wrote.
Arkansas can also be on Crawford’s checklist as a possible spoiler this season.
The Razorbacks are coming off a 9-4 season capped by a New 12 months’s Day bowl win, they usually had a handful of shut losses in opposition to the likes of Alabama and Ole Miss final yr. Plus, quarterback KJ Jefferson returns after a breakout season.
“Beating the drum for Arkansas as a doable title contender within the SEC wasn’t en vogue popping out of spring, but it surely feels like all probability the Razorbacks had of flying below the radar getting into the 2022 season is now over,” Crawford wrote.
“... If quarterback KJ Jefferson takes his sport to an excellent greater degree, Arkansas could possibly be an element within the playoff race coming down the stretch or will at the least go down swinging.”
Significantly if Notre Dame and Arkansas go into October with no losses — and even only one loss on their resume — it may open the door for BYU to spoil their championship aspirations.
“BYU may trigger chaos for certainly one of these contenders, particularly Notre Dame ought to the Preventing Irish come into the Oct. 8 matchup with a loss to Ohio State already,” Crawford wrote.