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BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) throws against Oklahoma during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Provo, Utah.

Rick Bowmer, AP Photo

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Oklahoma State lines up against Oklahoma in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Stillwater, Okla.

Mitch Alcala, AP Photo

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BYU's Richie Saunders sails in for a layup during a men's college basketball game against Southeastern Louisiana at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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BYU's Kamaila Hiappo celebrates a point during a women's college volleyball match against UC Davis at the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday, September 2, 2023.

Donovan Kelly, BYU Photo

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The BYU student section reacts during an NCAA women's soccer second round tournament match against USC at South Field on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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Daily Herald sports writers Darnell Dickson and Jared Lloyd give their opinions on the hot BYU sports topics this week:

1. With the final regular-season game of the BYU football season comes this question again: Should the Cougars start Jake Retzlaff or Kedon Slovis at quarterback against Oklahoma State?

DICKSON: A few weeks ago I would have said Slovis was the easy choice. But the BYU running game has emerged under Retzlaff, even though he’s been mistake-prone with turnovers.

Could BYU still run the ball well with Slovis at the helm, or do the Cougars need a running threat at quarterback to make it work? That’s the question BYU coaches are wrestling with heading into Saturday’s game in Stillwater.

I believe Retzlaff will start but if he struggles to get the Cougars in the end zone we could see Slovis come in and sling the ball around. The wide receiver group is healthy for the first time this season and that would benefit Slovis if he gets a chance.

I’d like to see Aidan Robbins get 20+ carries against Oklahoma State because he’s finally looking like the running back we thought he was when he came to Provo. That will loosen things up for either quarterback.

LLOYD: Before answering this question, I’m going to add a caveat that both Kedon Slovis and Jake Retzlaff are approximately the same health-wise, which probably isn’t completely accurate.

If that is the case, then the next step is to guess whether Aaron Roderick wants to get involved in a pre-game chess match with Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo.

The Cougars just had their best rushing performance of the season against a decent (not phenomenal, but decent) Oklahoma defense. You have to think Nardo has been studying just how BYU did that and working on ways to counter it.

So if I’m Roderick and I want to play some head games (and Slovis is ready), I’d get Slovis out there and let him fire the ball around. When he is at his best, Slovis is clearly the best passer for the Cougars and that could force the Cowboys to attempt to change their gameplan on the fly.

Success through the air would then open up more lanes for Aidan Robbins and the BYU run game without Slovis needing to be the running threat Retzlaff is.

2. Who has more incentive to play well on Saturday: Oklahoma State to make the Big 12 championship game or BYU to become bowl eligible?

LLOYD: While both teams clearly have important goals on the table when they take the field on Saturday, I think these types of things are usually blown out of proportion.

Every player on every team always has something to play for: To win the game.

That’s the main driving force for any athlete and what pushes them to try to be at their very best. I just don’t think any true competitor is out there going, “Well, I guess we have nothing to play for so I’m just going to not try to play well today.”

These extra “incentives” are just icing on the cake, not the main reason for a team to attempt to play their best. This is particularly the case in football where there are so few games in a season that wasting any of them is travesty.

DICKSON: It would seem like Oklahoma State has more at stake on Saturday. Not only do they have a shot at the Big 12 championship game but it will be Senior Day in Stillwater, too. The Cowboys have a Doak Walker candidate in running back Ollie Gordon II and the BYU run defense is going to be stressed all game.

The Cougars would love to extend the season by becoming bowl eligible and have some momentum from playing well last week against Oklahoma.

It’s difficult to choose which team has more incentive because some players will be jazzed to play no matter what’s at stake and others will be influenced by the direction of the captains and leaders of the team. Whichever team has more players motivated to play their best will be the victor.

3. After watching BYU men’s basketball through four games do you think the Cougars are good enough to make the NCAA Tournament?

DICKSON: I’m not ready to go there yet, but I’ve been encouraged by what I’ve seen so far. This group took some lumps last season and lost a lot of close games.

The experience level on this team is elite, especially when compared to the roster upheaval many college teams went through during the off-season. The Cougars play together on both ends of the floor and are more suited for the roles that need filled on a winning team. Any number of five or six players can lead BYU in scoring on a given night.

The reason I’m holding off on predicting an NCAA Tournament berth is because I still haven’t seen what it will look like with Aly Khalifa and Dawson Baker in the lineup. Right now, the Cougars are nine deep. Add those two players and the dynamic changes.

Khalifa is a change of pace big who can shoot from the perimeter and is an elite passer. Baker can get his own shot maybe better than anybody in the team when healthy. Will those two players make the team better or will it mess with the chemistry?

LLOYD: Let’s be honest about what we’ve seen so far: The Cougars have played three games against really bad teams. Houston Christian’s NET ranking is 357, SE Louisiana is 257 and Morgan State is 293.

The only barometer game for BYU was the very nice home win over then-No. 17-ranked San Diego State, which is 4-1 and No. 15 in the NET rankings. But one game only shows so much.

So it is too early to say this is an NCAA tournament team but there are opportunities for the Cougars to provide more evidence they belong in that conversation on the horizon.

It starts with Thursday night’s late game against Arizona State (No. 61 NET) with a second game on Friday against NC State (No. 43) or Vanderbilt (No. 81). December’s game against Utah (No. 80) won’t hurt either.

4. Has the BYU women’s volleyball team done enough to earn one of the top 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament and host the first two rounds?

LLOYD: I still think the Cougar squad hasn’t hit its ceiling but it’s still been a very good year for BYU. Led by Erin Livingston (who has more than twice as many kills as any of her teammates), the Cougars have had some impressive performances.

Yes, you can’t ignore the six losses but there are four teams currently ranked ahead of BYU who have seven or more defeats. Given the strength of schedule for the Cougars and their positioning in the Big 12 standings, the national rankings and the RPI, I think it would be head-scratching if BYU didn’t get a top-16 seed.

But the Cougars put themselves in this position of being right near the cutline of being a seeded team so they need to be prepared if they miss the cut and have to go on the road. They can’t let it impact their tournament preparation in any way.

DICKSON: It’s been an interesting first year in the Big 12 for the Cougars. Heading into Saturday’s season finale, BYU is 23-6 overall and 12-5 in league play. The Cougars lost six matches its first year in the West Coast Conference (2011) but never lost more than three the rest of their tenure.

The expectations really haven’t changed for the program but I’m not surprised they had five losses this season. In the WCC, the Cougars had two matches with San Diego every year but really weren’t tested on a regular basis by any other team in the league.

Frankly, BYU helps out its RPI more by losing to some teams in the Big 12 than beating some teams in the WCC. With one match left in league play, the Cougars are 15th in RPI and I think will get that hosting gig.

5. What will be one big key for a BYU women’s soccer win against North Carolina in the NCAA Elite 8 on Friday?

DICKSON: The biggest key has already taken place because the Cougars earned a No. 1 seed and are playing at home. South Field is an elite home pitch advantage, especially at this time of the year. BYU will put more than 4,000 fans in the stands on Friday and in an emotional moment like the NCAA Tournament, that’s a big deal.

Some of those fans probably remember the 2012 season, when the Cougars were a No. 1 seed but fell to the Tar Heels in double overtime in the Elite 8. The atmosphere is going to be electric and BYU needs every advantage to get a win. Friday will be cold (high of 36 degrees) and the possibility of snow, so bring your electric socks.

LLOYD: I’m going to go with two keys that are interconnected: First, BYU has to limit the turnovers in its defensive third and that is particularly the case in the early going.

In many of the games where the Cougars have had to scrap for ties or even outright lost, BYU has surrendered some early opportunities. If it does that against a very good North Carolina team, the odds of winning will go way down.

The Cougars like to play out of the back and build by spacing the field and moving the ball. But when you move up the defenders, it leaves gaps in behind if the ball is given away.

BYU’s offense is good enough to overcome giving up a goal to most teams but head coach Jennifer Rockwood certainly doesn’t want it to come down to that.

It should be an exciting match and whoever can get to South Field will likely be part of another amazing women’s soccer experience.

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