After ‘wasting some opportunities,’ can BYU get to a bowl game this year?

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake’s team has been at the doorstep of bowl eligibility for two weeks now.

Since they got to five wins, the Cougars have been outscored 72-13 and lost two games. Granted, one was to the No. 7 team in the country and the other was on the road in West Virginia. Still, BYU has now backed itself into a corner to get a sixth win with three weeks left in the season.

“It’s like, let’s go already,” Sitake said. “C’mon, man. We are wasting some opportunities here. And I don’t plan on wasting one this weekend.”

BYU welcomes Iowa State on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. With No. 17 Oklahoma after that and No. 15 Oklahoma State on the road to finish it out, it will likely be BYU’s best chance to make a bowl game.

Most winnable game?

Last week, we asked Eye on the Y readers which game remaining on BYU’s schedule appeared to be the most winnable. Here’s what you said ...

51.5% — Iowa State

41.1% — West Virginia

5.3% — Oklahoma State

2.1% — Oklahoma

And Sitake didn’t shy away from the importance of the postseason in year one of the Big 12. It is a milestone, yes. But the extra practices will also be key to developing depth for a new Power Five program.

“We are so close now,” Sitake said. “It can provide us more time together. It is a really big part of our development as a team. We need those extra practices. We need that time.”

Iowa State also comes in at 5-4 and is looking at a similar must-win situation. The Cyclones finish out the year against Texas and Kansas State — two of the better teams in the conference. For both Iowa State and BYU, Saturday is likely win and go to a bowl game. Lose and go home.

“This conference isn’t going to make it easy for you,” Sitake said. “You aren’t just going to hand you wins, especially on the road. It just doesn’t happen. So we need to find a way to protect home.”