BYU Football Updates LJ Martin's Injury Status Before Baylor Game

The BYU Cougars came in at No. 10 in the second College Football Playoff rankings this week. Kalani Sitake's team didn't fall but a single spot after the loss to No. 2 Utah last week.

With that being said, there is no room for error in the final three games of the regular season. BYU must take a step forward and pull out some style points. Win them all with no issues to send a message to the College Football Playoff committee. Even if they're not in the Big 12 title game, there is still a great chance for them to receive an at-large bid. That's this situation in front of the Cougars.

The first game will come in Week 11 against the Baylor Bears, who have found new life after firing Dave Aranda. The Cougars could be without a few key contributors. However, there is one name BYU can't afford to be without.

On the initial Big 12 Availability Report, LJ Martin was listed as probable. This is a significant upgrade after the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year dealt with an ankle injury. He made his return from injury against Utah after missing four games, but he wasn't anywhere near as productive as we'd all knew he could be. Martin managed just 24 yards against the Utes defense. There's a good chance he will be relied on more this week.

After racking up his first 1,000-yard season last year, Martin has 51 carries for 363 yards and four touchdowns. He's still the go-to option out of the backfield and is expected to take some of the load off quarterback Bear Bachmeier. The duo have been a tremendous force, and that shows with Martin being 100 percent healthy.

BYU faces three winnable games in consecutive weeks, with two of them in Provo. They'll host Baylor this week before facing a road finale against Kansas. Then comes the ending against Cincinnati.

While BYU needs a strong showing, all three could be viewed as trap games in different ways. Baylor has a bit of new life and could use it to their advantage. Kansas has nothing to play for and Lawrence could be a dangerous place this time of year. Cincinnati, at 5-4, has experienced an up and down season, knocking off Texas Tech.

BYU hopes Martin is ready to hit the ground running on Saturday. The Cougars host the Bears at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.