BYU Football Cracks Into AP Top 25 Poll After Memorable Rivalry Win

PROVO, Utah – For the second year in a row, BYU football enters the AP Top 25 poll early in the season.

After defeating rival formerly ranked Utah 26-17 on Saturday night, BYU now moves into the Top 25.

#BYU cracks into the @AP_Top25. Cougars check in at No. 23.

Will host No. 19 Arizona State on Saturday night.#BYUFootball @kslsports pic.twitter.com/uUIXE3WsH0

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 12, 2021

The pollsters voted BYU from the receiving votes category to No. 23 in the latest AP poll. Last season, BYU opened up the 2020 season with a 10-0 start and finished last year with a No. 11 ranking. That was with a schedule that didn’t feature any Power 5 opponents.

This season, BYU is one of the few teams in college football that has opened the year with two Power 5 opponents and remains undefeated.

BYU has another Power 5 opponent this Saturday, and a fellow Top 25 team when they host the Arizona State Sun Devils. Arizona State checks in at No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 poll. ASU defeated UNLV over the weekend, they’ll be making their first trip to Provo since 1998.

POLL ALERT: Oregon, Iowa jump in AP Top 25 following losses by Ohio State, Iowa State; Arkansas has first ranking since ’16.

Full poll presented by @askRegions >> https://t.co/zIXKidRuN7 pic.twitter.com/yVgTJSTrbk

— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) September 12, 2021

BYU Football Enters AP Top 25 Week 3 Poll

1. Alabama (2-0)

2. Georgia (2-0)

3. Oklahoma (2-0)

4. Oregon (2-0)

5. Iowa (2-0)

6. Clemson (1-1)

7. Texas A&M (2-0)

8. Cincinnati (2-0)

9. Ohio State (1-1)

10. Penn State (2-0)

11. Florida (2-0)

12. Notre Dame (2-0)

13. UCLA (2-0)

14. Iowa State (1-1)

15. Virginia Tech (2-0)

16. Coastal Carolina (2-0)

17. Ole Miss (2-0)

18. Wisconsin (1-1)

19. Arizona State (2-0)

20. Arkansas (2-0)

21. North Carolina (1-1)

22. Auburn (2-0)

23. BYU (2-0)

24. Miami (FL) (1-1)

25. Michigan (2-0)

Others Receiving votes: UCF 111, TCU 103, Liberty 52, Michigan State 44, USC 39, Indiana 34, LSU 31, Kansas State 30, Nevada 28, Oklahoma State 27, Texas 23, Maryland 14, Pittsburgh 13, Kentucky 13, Stanford 10, Utah 9, Boston College 8, Arizona 6, Texas Tech 2, Fresno State 2, Toledo 2, Army 1.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.