Top 4 BYU football storylines ahead of 2026 season

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The BYU football program is about to embark on what's labeled as the most anticipated season in school history. Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin will headline the offense as the 14th-ranked Cougars will make another run for a Big 12 championship.

This could be BYU's shot to get over the hump and avenge a runner-up finish behind Texas Tech last year. Bachmeier and Martin could be the most productive backfield tandem in college football.

Here are four storylines going into the Cougars' upcoming season.

Holy War dominance still at play

Utah hasn't had much luck trying to take down BYU in recent years. The Cougars are perfect in three meetings over the past seven years. The last time the Utes pulled out a win, COVID-19 was non-existent, and Cam Rising was a redshirt transfer from Texas.

The Cougars have turned the tables on the Utes within the decade after nine straight wins for Utah starting in 2010. They now have won three straight by a total of 13 points, including a 24-21 final last year. Can BYU avoid the in-state trap on Nov. 7?

Tough schedule with quality opponents

BYU will look to stay undefeated all the way to the Oct 17 meeting with Notre Dame. The Irish have more to lose in the game than the Cougars because of conference alignments. BYU could still drop that game and make the College Football Playoff if they won a Big 12 championship.

Notre Dame can't say the same. Being independent means winning out. They learned that lesson the hard way at the end of last season.

The Cougars also face an early test at home against Arizona, along with a late-season matchup at Kansas. Both could be a trap game for BYU for different reasons. The Cougars have never beaten the Jayhawks since their first meeting nearly a quarter-century ago.

Kalani Sitake takes a stand to make things better

This offseason has been odd for Sitake. The longtime Cougars coach entertained an offer from Penn State, but ultimately stayed after receiving an extension and promise of more resources for the program. Recently, Sitake has become outspoken over broken promises from BYU leadership. This has since forced athletic director Brian Santiago to be removed from being Sitake's direct report.

Sitake will continue to fight to make the program better. But there has to be a boost from everyone around him. BYU football is on the brink of being a Playoff contender. This should be an all-hands-on-deck situation to make sure that happens. Otherwise, Sitake might find a better situation in the coming years, which isn't what he wants to do.

Notre Dame vs. BYU will be huge

BYU can thank USC for dropping Notre Dame this year. This allowed the Irish and Cougars to schedule each other for what's expected to be one of the best non-conference games in the 2026 college football season.

The Fighting Irish make a trip to Provo for the first time in 22 years, which is also the last time the Cougars defeated Notre Dame. Expect a chaotic environment for this one, which comes right in the middle of the season on Oct. 17.