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PROVO — For all that could've been or might've been, BYU will end the 2020 regular season as a top-20 team nationally.
Everything comes down to "would've," "could've" or "should've."
The Cougars held steady at No. 14 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, while holding to the No. 16 spot in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, as well.
The biggest slide was Florida, which fell five spots to No. 11 after Saturday's upset loss to LSU. Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Clemson held on to the top four positions, and Miami, which dropped nine spots to No. 19 after a loss to UNC. Texas A&M and Group of Five power Cincinnati slid into the "next two out" spots, to use nomenclature borrowed from the College Football Playoff selection committee that will likely release a similar set of rankings Tuesday.
Despite the slow start against the San Diego State Aztecs, the Cougars also held steady at No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. BYU came in just behind Northwestern and North Carolina and just ahead of Iowa and Louisiana in that poll to finish out its currently scheduled regular season.
The Cougars rank in the top 10 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 11 major statistical category, including No. 10 total offense and total defense. Other highlights include the No. 3 scoring defense in the country, Zach Wilson's No. 4 completion percentage, and the No. 8 scoring offense in averaging 43.0 points per game.
Whether the success of the 2020 season will come down to what happened on that final drive against Coastal Carolina, when BYU came up a yard short of a comeback and fell 22-17 to the Chanticleers in a game played on short notice, is up for debate.
But the Cougars had a chance to close out their home campaign on senior night with 10-straight home victories, and did so despite undergoing some early adversity against the Aztecs' fourth-ranked total defense.
"I'm really proud of our boys for getting the win, for our seniors, and for our team for protecting LaVell's house," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. "I think San Diego State is a great team with a physical, active defense. They're very high risk, and with some of their athleticism, they can really disrupt you.
"They got a lot of yards on us. We were able to stop points, and when all is said and done, that's the name of the game."
Barring a last-minute change in schedule, BYU will look ahead to one of 33 bowl games in the reduce, pandemic-influenced climate. Those games start as early as Saturdy, when SMU is scheduled to play in the Frisco Bowl in north Texas without a current opponent.
Sitake has always said he wants to play a 12-game schedule, if possible. But time is running out, and that 12th game may come down to the postseason.
"It all depends on when the bowl games will be played," Sitake said last week. "Maybe we'll have an invite by then. We want to get out there and play football; this last game didn't go that way … and the goal was to try to get 12 this year. If there's still an option, we'd love to play football."
See the complete AP Top 25 here.
