BYU Football Cracks Into Top 25 Rankings For First Time Since 2018

PROVO, Utah – BYU is back in the Top 25 polls. The Cougars cracked into the national rankings on Sunday, checking in at number 22 in the Coaches Poll and number 21 in the AP Top 25 after an impressive 55-3 victory over Navy last Monday.

#BYU is No. 22 in the first USA Today Coaches Poll of the 2020 season. #BYUFootball @kslsports pic.twitter.com/HUp21pKvL1

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 13, 2020

This is the first time BYU has appeared in the national rankings since the 2018 season where they remained ranked for two weeks.

#BYU checks in at No. 21 of the AP Top 25.#BYUFootball @kslsports pic.twitter.com/KrBeRjIV9r

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 13, 2020

Recent BYU history in Top 25 rankings

BYU’s ranking in this week’s AP Top 25 poll is the ninth time since the Cougars became an FBS Independent in 2011. This appearance marks the third week during Kalani Sitake’s tenure as head coach (since 2016) that BYU has landed in the national poll.

College Football in 2020 is as unique of a season as we have ever seen before. With this season taking place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, four conferences have postponed their entire season. Some teams have yet to play their first game.

The AP’s preseason Top 25 included every team regardless of whether they were playing or not this fall. Now that the season has begun, the AP is only including units that are playing a football season this fall. That rule change benefitted BYU and a handful of teams outside of the Power 5 conferences.

BYU is 1-0 on the season and will next be in action on September 26th against the Troy Trojans from the Sun Belt Conference. The Cougars game against Army West Point on September 19th has been postponed due to a “small number of COVID-19 positive results” from the BYU program.

AP Top 25 Poll

1. Clemson – 1-0

2. Alabama – 0-0

3. Oklahoma – 1-0

4. Georgia – 0-0

5. Florida – 0-0

6. LSU – 0-0

7. Notre Dame – 1-0

8. Auburn – 0-0

9. Texas – 1-0

10. Texas A&M – 0-0

11. Oklahoma State – 0-0

12. North Carolina – 1-0

13. Cincinnati – 0-0

14. UCF – 0-0

15. Tennessee – 0-0

16. Memphis – 1-0

17. Miami – 1-0

18. Louisiville – 1-0

19. Louisiana-Lafayette – 1-0

20. Virginia Tech – 0-0

21. BYU – 1-0

22. Army West Point – 2-0

23. Kentucky – 0-0

24. Appalachian State – 1-0

25. Pitt – 1-0

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from Noon-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.