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BYU vs. Utah Holy War winner will cement Big 12 Champion
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- BYU vs. Utah Holy War winner will cement Big 12 Champion
BYU Cougars vs. Utah Utes , a matchup known as the Holy War, has become one of the best rivalries in college football.
BYU and Utah are hated rivals as both play in the state of Utah, and both are not just Big 12 contenders but title contenders.
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Utah is undefeated and is ranked third in the country, behind Miami and Georgia. The Cougars, meanwhile, are ranked ninth and are 7-1 with a huge win over Notre Dame, but also a stunning upset loss to UCF the following week.
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Entering the season, the Big 12 was expected to be Texas Tech's to lose, but the Red Raiders are a mess offensively.
With that, the Holy War game between BYU and Utah has more stakes, as the winner will likely be the Big 12 champion and potentially get a bye in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
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There is a chance BYU and Utah would meet again in the Big 12 Championship game, especially if the Cougars win.
Yet, if BYU loses, their playoff hopes could very well end, as well as their chance of playing in the Big 12 Championship. The Cougars would fall to 4-2 in the conference, and Texas Tech has an easy schedule, so they should cruise to an 11-1 season and play Utah in the conference championship game.
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Utah, meanwhile, is still a bit of a question mark as its schedule has been easy. The Utes, however, did have two tough games in back-to-back weeks, and they beat Houston at home and Cincinnati on the road, which, to me, showed they are real contenders.
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If the Utes can beat BYU, all signs point to Utah going 12-0, or at worst 11-1 with a loss to Arizona on the road next week. That will be good enough to earn a conference championship bid, and if they win the Big 12 with a 13-0 or 12-1 record, a bye seems likely.
The Holy War is already a massive game for both programs, but the stakes are even higher this week, as BYU's playoff hopes could be over on Saturday, or they could be the team to beat in the Big 12.
Kickoff is set for noon ET, which is 10 a.m. local, which could pose some problems for both teams.
Holy War rivalry at an all-time high
Oct 18, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars running back LJ Martin (4) runs the ball up the middle against the Utah Utes during the second quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
The state of Utah has become a college football hotbed.
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BYU and Utah are both top-10 teams entering the Holy War, and there is massive playoff stakes on the line for both teams.
"What makes it great is that it's competitive," said Utah coach Morgan Scalley. "Look at us, we're in one state within 30 minutes of each other, and we're both sitting here ranked in the top 10. That's awesome."
Due to the success of both BYU and Utah recently, the rivalry has taken a turn, but Scalley is hopeful the fans are more civil on Saturday.
"At the end of the day, it's mine and (Sitake's) hope that this thing can be more civil," Scalley said. "The hatred, the toxicity that is spewed from both sides to me, it's not good for the rivalry."
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BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, meanwhile, is just excited for the matchup as he knows not only the state of Utah but the college football world will be paying close attention to the game.
"They're a great team, and they're ranked," Sitake said . "They're undefeated for a reason. So it's not going to be an easy task, but I'm looking forward to the matchup. It's going to be a lot of fun."
The Utes are 4.5-point favorites against BYU on Saturday.
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This story was originally published by Lindy's Sports on Nov 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Lindy's Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
