DICKSON: It’s interesting that this year’s BYU team would probably have a better chance making the CFP as a G5 than the second-place team in the Big 12, but that’s where we are. The CFP committee seems to pick and choose which metric is most important in the rankings which creates a moving target unless you are an SEC or Big Ten team. So the Cougars just need to keep winning and that’s the message Kalani Sitake is pushing to his players. If BYU wins three straight (including the Big 12 title game) they are in for sure. An 11-2 record likely won’t get the Cougars past the biases of the committee, which would much rather have a two-or-three loss SEC or Big Ten team in the playoffs for … reasons. Can BYU win three games and take the committee out of it? Sure, it’s possible. But the Cougars performance at Texas Tech two weeks ago doesn’t make it very likely. That Red Raiders defense abused BYU all game.

GURNEY: BYU should win its final two games of the regular season, although I believe this Saturday’s game versus Cincinnati is going to be far tougher than a lot of people are assuming. The hidden stat during the Bearcat’s 45-14 loss to Utah was the 427 yards of offense they put up, using a balanced attack that could have made it a game had they not been so turnover prone. So yeah, it’s going to be a challenge come Saturday, but yeah, go ahead and write off UCF. That team isn’t very good and the prospect of BYU hosting the game in late November strongly works toward BYU’s favor. And all of this leads us to a rematch versus Texas Tech, which is a very good football team that beat BYU down in all facets two weeks ago. I do believe the Cougars will show better should they get another shot at the Red Raiders, but it’s very hard for me to assign a win, all factors considered. I’m one of the rare individuals that believes BYU could be granted an at-large bid should it give Texas Tech a tough challenge, but there’s no way I’m taking that belief to the bank. The Cougars need to win out, and the great thing is the opportunity is right there for the taking.

2. While we don’t know all the details, BYU basketball player Kennard Davis Jr. has been suspended indefinitely for possession of marijuana and a DUI charge. What do you think the outcome will be?

GURNEY: You have to base a lot of the impending punishment on how the administration ultimately handled Jake Retzlaff in the wake of his honor code violation. The seven-game suspension of Retzlaff was a lot more onerous than most were anticipating, and I think that’s likely to be the case with Davis. BYU is serious about its honor code application, and consistently wants to send a message there’s no exceptions to be made when handling these cases with athletes. The headlines stemming from the alleged violation hurts BYU’s perception and will likely cause the administration to deal out a punishment that may be more severe than most anticipate, using the Retzlaff case as a prime example.

DICKSON: This is Kevin Young’s first experience with this type of Honor Code violation that also has a legal component, so I’m curious how he will handle it. We don’t know all the details yet so it’s kind of difficult to predict the outcome, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Davis is suspended for the remainder of the non-conference schedule (nine games). None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes. BYU and the basketball program have an obligation to help Davis through whatever process takes place next. But the school also doesn’t like being embarrassed in public and tends to lean more punitive than compassionate in similar cases.

3. Lets focus on BYU’s football game at Cincinnati this Saturday. What do you expect from the Cougars in this all-important matchup?

DICKSON: Saturday’s 44-13 victory against TCU was the most complete win of the season for BYU, and showed it can be a dominating force in the final two games. The offense recovered from a poor performance at Texas Tech and the defense stuffed a pretty good passing game. The Cougars need to take that show on the road to Cincinnati. I think BYU is a better team but sometimes the home team can get super charged and create problems. It’ll be important for the Cougars to stay focused and even on this trip.

GURNEY: BYU’s 44-13 win over TCU proved that this team has outstanding team culture that can respond positively to adversity and work together to forge big wins. They’ll need all of that versus a Bearcat team that can put up big chunks of yardage while playing at home in what will undoubtedly be their biggest game of the season. All signs point to a high-scoring game, and the good news is that the BYU offense has progressed enough to match big outputs from the opposition. But I do like what I saw from BYU’s pass defense last week in holding Josh Hoover and TCU’s passing attack very much in check throughout. I think you can bank on the Cougar defense reprising this against the Bearcats in what could tip the scales BYU’s direction in coming away with a win.

4. We get a rematch from last year’s NCAA Tournament on Friday at the Delta Center between BYU men’s hoops and Wisconsin. Thoughts?

GURNEY: I think BYU found some identity late in last week’s loss to UConn that is a very exciting prospect moving forward, and it’s almost entirely about AJ Dybantsa. The freshman phenom proved to be a big-time player down the stretch that could adjust well to what he’s being presented and then dominate the course of play. BYU is going to have to improve its 3-point shooting, however, but again, look at the improvements made last week from the first half to the second, and you have to believe that’s going to be rectified. Sure, better help off the bench will provide a big boost, but I really like the momentum BYU captured toward the end of last week’s loss and I believe it will continue into this Friday’s game.

DICKSON: That was a terrific game last March in Denver. The Cougars were up by double digits most of the second half but John Tonje (37 points) brought the Badgers back and almost ended BYU’s tournament run. Tonje is gone but Wisconsin returns a couple of starters and will be a good challenge. Meanwhile, the Cougars will likely be shorthanded and will have to get big performances from AJ Dybantsa and Richie Saunders at the Delta Center to hold off the Badgers. It’s good that BYU has already played a game at the Delta Center because NBA arenas can sometimes be a hard adjustment. Plus, it’s a 2 p.m. game so that’ll be unusual as well.

5. Another big rematch will take place Friday between BYU women’s soccer and UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars won the first meeting 1-0 in Provo on August 23. Can the fighting Jennifer Rockwoods pull off the victory?

DICKSON: I like BYU’s chances against the Bruins in a tight contest but why is the NCAA Tournament committee so predictable? They always match up the Cougars in the first round against a team from Utah they’ve already played (Utah State this season) and then send BYU to wherever Stanford is playing. This year, the Cardinal are hosting a regional so if the Cougars get past UCLA, guess who they would play next? That’s right, Stanford. BYU is 4-4-1 against UCLA all-time and 3-6-1 against the Cardinal. Stanford has won the past four meetings including a Final Four victory in 2023. This Cougar team is just as likely to pull off an upset as they are to get beat, so a little consistency would be nice.

GURNEY: BYU defeated UCLA early in the season, so why not again this time around? It’s easy to argue that the Cougars are a much better team currently than the one that scraped a 1-0 win against the Bruins back in late August, although UCLA has probably made some advances itself. I’m admittedly not an expert here in scouting out UCLA, but it is a team that has registered some notable wins throughout the season and should provide a very good challenge. It’s soccer, and anything could happen, probably more so than in most any other sport, but I like BYU’s momentum and overall talent, and believe the Cougars will advance to the sweet 16 after Friday’s match.