PROVO, Utah — BYU, coming off a bye weekend, is ranked No. 9 in both The Associated Press Top 25 and American Football Coaches Association Poll released on Sunday.
AP voters kept the 8-0 Cougars at No. 9 after moving BYU into the top 10 last week, while the coaches followed suit this week moving BYU three places from No. 12 to No. 9 in the AFCA's US LBM Coaches Poll published by USA TODAY Sports.
BYU's No. 9 ranking is its highest in the two major polls since being ranked No. 8 four consecutive weeks during a 9-0 start in 2020. This week the College Football Playoff rankings will be begin with the first rankings being revealed on Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. MT/7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
This week's AP ranking marks BYU’s 66th week being ranked in the top 10 among 286 overall appearances in the AP poll since its first national ranking in 1974. Since that season 50 years ago, BYU has ammassed 439 victories to rank No. 8 in total wins among all FBS programs in that timeframe.
The Cougars have been ranked in the last seven national polls since entering the top 25 at No. 22 in week five of the polls to receive a top-25 ranking for the first time since week five of the 2022 season.
BYU's unbeaten resume through eight games marks the fifth time the program has accomplished the feat in its 100 seasons of football. Head coach Kalani Sitake has done it twice, along with the 9-0 start in 2020, matching College Football Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards. The legendary Edwards guided his 1979 team to an 11-0 regular-season record before a bowl loss and famously led BYU to the national championship with a 13-0 record in 1984. Gary Crowton led BYU's 2001 team to a 12-0 start on its way to a 12-2 season.
In their second season in the BIg 12, the Cougars are currently atop the league standings at 5-0 in conference play, one game ahead of previous No. 11/10-ranked Iowa State (7-1, 4-1), who lost for the first time on Saturday, and Colorado (6-2, 4-1), who had a bye this past week. Texas Tech, who upset of the previously unbeaten Cyclones 23-22 in Ames, improved to 4-2 in the Big 12 to share the next rung in the standings with previous No. 17/15-ranked Kansas State, who fell to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in conference games with a 24-19 loss to surging Houston on Saturday (now 4-5 and 3-3 after back-to-back upsets over Utah and K-State).
K-State's only other conference loss was BYU's dominating 38-9 triumph over the then No. 13-ranked Wildcats at LaVell Edwards Stadium in the Cougars' Big 12 opener. BYU's other conference games have included a wire-to-wire 34-28 road win over favored Baylor, a 41-19 victory over Arizona and a dramatic 38-35 win over Oklahoma State in back-to-back home games before leading start to finish for a 37-24 road victory over favored UCF.
Four Big 12 teams are currently ranked in both the national polls, with two others receiving votes. After BYU, Iowa State and Kansas State dropped to Nos. 17/18 and No. 22/21 in the AP and AFCA polls, respectively, while Colorado moved up to No. 21 in AP and entered the coaches poll at No. 24. Arizona State and Texas Tech are receiving votes in both polls.
BYU nonconference opponent SMU (8-1) moved up seven and five spots, respectively, to be ranked No. 13 by AP and No. 15 by the coaches after blowing out previously unbeaten Pitt on Saturday in Dallas in an ACC showdown. BYU handed the Mustangs their only loss of the season keeping their high-scoring offense out of the end zone in an 18-15 road win in week two.
Both major polls agreed on the top five teams this week, with Oregon (9-0) ranked No. 1, followed by Georgia (7-1), Ohio State (7-1), Miami (9-0), and Texas (7-1). The AP dropped Penn State (7-1) to No. 6 followed by Tennessee (7-1) staying at No. 7 and unbeaten Indiana (9-0) jumping five places to No. 8 just in front of BYU (8-0). Notre Dame (7-1) moved down two to round out the top 10. The coaches dropped Penn State to No. 7, with Tennessee up one to No. 6, while Notre Dame is ranked No. 8 and Indiana No. 10 on either side of BYU at No. 9.
This week the Cougars return to action to face in-state rival Utah (4-4) on Saturday at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN at 8:15 p.m. MT.