The BYU Cougars had a much better chance at making the College Football Playoff a few months ago. Returning a good quarterback is always a huge advantage, and the Cougars were getting Retzlaff for another year.
Then, disaster struck. He violated the honor code, was facing a suspension, and decided to transfer to another CFP hopeful, Tulane. His exit left the QB room in shambles, but it might not derail a promising season, according to ESPN analyst Heather Dinich.
The Cougars have enough talent on offense to help whoever wins the QB job, and they have a strong chance at winning the Big 12. Therefore, Dinich isn’t buying their 12.6% chance at the playoffs right now.
“Because BYU has a strong chance to win the Big 12, it should be higher on this list — but how much higher depends on how the Cougars look without quarterback Jake Retzlaff,” she admitted.
“The Cougars still return their leading rusher, LJ Martin, and wide receiver Chase Roberts, who had over 850 yards and four touchdowns last year. BYU’s defense was also one of the best in the country last year at snagging turnovers,” the analyst noted. “The returning talent will help ease the transition of whoever replaces Retzlaff as the starter.”
This team was never just a quarterback, so even though they have lost a significant one, they’re still in good shape to be competitive and contend for a Big 12 title and playoff berth, something that might not have seemed possible when Retzlaff announced his intention to transfer.
