It’s been a long time coming for the BYU Cougars to represent the Big 12 in football. Now, as their first season in the Power Five approaches, what exactly are the BYU season predictions for the 2023 season?
BYU Season Predictions: Predicting the Game-By-Game Results
Using groupthink, College Football Network analysts have painstakingly gone through every game for every team in the Big 12 and across the country.
Find every Big 12 Season Prediction per team: Baylor | BYU | UCF | Cincinnati | Houston | Iowa State | Kansas | Kansas State | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | TCU | Texas | Texas Tech | West Virginia
Picking these games straight up with a projected score using the rosters as up-to-date as the last spring practice, the BYU season predictions indicate what fans can possibly expect for the Cougars in 2023.
Week 1 – BYU vs. Sam Houston: Win, 31-25
Don’t let this “non-conference game” fool you, the Sam Houston Bearkats are every bit of a potential spoiler team in 2023. The newly-appointed FBS team enters the 2023 season with high hopes of competing in the Conference USA and brings with them former Arizona starting quarterback Grant Gunnell with them.
Gunnell, known as one of the greatest Texas High School QBs of all time, is back home and ready to put on a show. The last time we really saw what Gunnell had to offer, he beat out star QB Khalil Tate for reps at Arizona, but that was a college football lifetime ago.
For BYU, they’ll have to bring their A-game to Provo to start the season against the Bearkats but have the more complete and powerful roster to be too worried as fans in this one.
Week 2 – BYU vs. Southern Utah: Win, 35-11
Ahead of a tough two-game road trip, Southern Utah is a welcome challenge. Avoiding the hiccup and allowing the new offense to begin to gel with Kedon Slovis at the helm is imperative. Almost as important as getting out healthy in this matchup.
Week 3 – BYU @ Arkansas: Loss, 22-35
The prognosis for BYU during their conference schedule is primed and ready for them to make some noise. However, as we saw last year in Provo, the Arkansas Razorbacks can be too much to handle at times.
In Fayetteville, this matchup heavily favors Arkansas as KJ Jefferson is every bit of a dominant, dual-threat at the quarterback position. The Razorbacks also welcome in a few new pieces through the transfer portal that should pay major dividends, especially the massive Tyrone Broden from Bowling Green.
Arkansas’ defense will be headlined by star power in 2023, and edge rushers Trajan Jeffcoat and John Morgan III should be expected to make life incredibly difficult for Slovis & Co. on offense.
Week 4 – BYU @ Kansas: Loss, 29-35
The Big 12 opener for the Cougars is a winnable game. However, lest we forget that in Week 4 of 2022, Kansas QB Jalon Daniels had firmly put his name in the Heisman discussion.
While that kind of repeat performance is slim to start the season, the fact of the matter remains: The last time we saw Daniels back in the lineup following an injury was a dramatic, multiple-overtime performance of a lifetime against Arkansas.
Though it was in defeat, Daniels threw for 544 yards and five touchdowns, giving college football fans a glimpse of what they can expect in 2023. BYU gets that unfortunate glimpse in person in Lawrence to start the Big 12 schedule.
Week 5 – BYU vs. Cincinnati: Win, 30-25
Back in Provo, the Cougars are by far the better team than Cincinnati in 2023. Giving them an edge here both as a full roster and in familiar territory, Cincinnati’s first season in the Big 12 will likely be a heavy wake-up call as they adjust to a new era of football in the Queen City.
Scott Satterfield brings an incomplete roster and a team forging a new identity in front of our eyes in 2023 to Provo, where they can be expected to be overmatched by any number of facets by this BYU squad. Slovis should be able to set his feet and throw to Kody Epps or any number of the Cougars’ skill players outside.
And don’t count out Aidan Robbins in a big game against his former coach in a game that just means more for him.
Week 7 – BYU @ TCU: Win, 26-24
Before BYU fans get too excited here, yes, we are predicting a victory against TCU. But no, this Horned Frogs roster is nowhere near the roster that made waves last year and ultimately made it to the College Football National Championship.
Still, this is a close win in Fort Worth that is there for the taking for BYU in 2023. TCU has much to answer for this year and multiple games are within grasp for their opponents. Slovis will need to have a terrific, error-free game but BYU has the skill players and defensive components to limit this limited TCU offense.
Week 8 – BYU vs. Texas Tech: Win, 29-28
This is where our predictions were split for BYU. With the Red Raiders coming to town and a two-game road trip on the horizon, it’s important to split the difference and see what Texas Tech brings to the table against BYU.
The Red Raiders brought in Drae McCray to add to an already explosive receiving corps, and under Joey McGuire, they’ve been a talented, well-rounded bunch. However, BYU’s experience up front should be able to limit the Texas Tech pass rushers and give Slovis enough time to scan the field.
In a game that likely comes down to special teams, this is the marquee Big 12 matchup for BYU in 2023.
Week 9 – BYU @ Texas: Loss, 17-31
Even the most jaded BYU fan likely has this game penciled in as a loss on the Cougars’ schedule. Making the trip to Austin is no joke for any team in any normal season, but with Quinn Ewers leading the charge, Texas has a large advantage over almost every other team in the Big 12.
It’s not to say that this game is completely out of reach for BYU, but they’d have to play a mistake-free game and hope for a few lucky bounces against this Texas team that has high hopes in their final season in the Big 12.
MORE: BYU Head Coach Kalani Sitake Contract, Salary, and More
Week 10 – BYU @ West Virginia: Win, 30-27
Just simply getting to Morgantown is no joke for opponents. Coming away with a victory against West Virginia in Morgantown is another issue. However, in 2023, the Mountaineers present a team that needs some help in just about every game on their schedule.
Slovis knows a thing or two about defeating WVU, as he did last year when he threw for over 300 yards against what looks like a better defense in 2022. It’s a close game on account of the travel for BYU, but a winnable one at that.
Week 11 – BYU vs. Iowa State: Loss, 24-32
The proverbial next step must be taken from Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers but all signs point to that happening in front of our eyes in 2023. Jayden Higgins is an underrated transfer portal addition for the Cyclones and one of the projected impact players for the Cyclones in 2023.
It’s a tough spot for BYU as they have Texas, Iowa State, and Oklahoma within four weeks of one another. Fortunately, the Cyclones have to come to Provo and could be upset by a BYU team that should continue to gel and find firepower with a talented roster this season.
Week 12 – BYU vs. Oklahoma: Loss, 23-35
The second-toughest game on their schedule in 2023 only because Oklahoma comes to town. The Sooners are every bit as talented as the other potential favorites for the Big 12 title in 2023 (Texas) and have every bit as good of a quarterback, if not better.
Dillon Gabriel marks the second left-handed quarterback in as many games to face BYU here, giving the Cougars just that much of a slight advantage in their game plan for this meeting. However, the firepower Oklahoma holds on offense should be too much for almost every opponent on their schedule this fall.
Week 13 – BYU @ Oklahoma State: Win, 27-22
The Oklahoma State Cowboys have been the pinnacle of success during head coach Mike Gundy’s tenure in Stillwater. They’ve not had a losing record since 2005 — Gundy’s first season on the job — but 2023 looks like that feat may rear its ugly head for Oklahoma State fans.
For BYU, this is a winnable game for multiple reasons. First things first — they hold the better quarterback and a superior offense in general. OSU’s defense should present some unique challenges, but there are far too many departures at key positions to give them more than just the benefit of the doubt.
BYU heads to Stillwater for a dramatic season-ending victory that pushes their record to an incredibly successful 7-5 season debut in the Big 12.
