There's no need to hide anything today. 

Tonight could be one of the best nights the Big 12 has had in years, maybe even decades. Oct. 17 has been circled on the calendar ever since the 2026 schedule was released, and for good reason. 

No. 8 BYU, who has been one of the few national contenders in the Big 12, will take on No. 2 Notre Dame tonight in Provo, Utah. It's easily one of the biggest games in Cougar football history, and College GameDay made its return to campus for the first time since 2009. 

BYU fans are obviously hoping for a win, but they really aren't alone tonight. Aside from Fighting Irish fans, most of the country is pulling for a Cougar victory. There's obvious reasons why on the outside - the hatred of Notre Dame due to the supposed bias it gets from the College Football Playoff higher-ups - but the impact of a BYU triumph on Saturday night goes far beyond satisfying one's taste for Irish defeat. 

If the Cougars pull off this upset, the Big 12 is probably going to send a personal note from the commissioner's office as a massive thank you. Why? Because the Big 12 has never been respected as a major league since Texas and Oklahoma left for the SEC after the 2023 season. 

The Big 12 hasn't helped its case by struggling to even win a game in the College Football Playoff, but it feels like 2026 could be its year. The conference is loaded with talented teams aside from BYU like Utah, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Houston, and maybe Baylor, and though a lot can change between now and CFP time, it feels like the league is poised to get two teams in the playoff. 

A Cougar win on Saturday bursts that door wide open for the league and would give the league what it finally wants - the national media beginning every headline with the Big 12. That's a net positive for each team in the Big 12, but there's another team that could benefit heavily from it - Iowa State. 

Some could say this article is biased because this is a Cyclone site, but hear me out. Jimmy Rogers' crew hasn't been perfect through six games, but it does feel like the foundation for the program has been set.

Remember the last time Iowa State stepped on the field? It was a heavy underdog against BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Oct. 9, but instead of floundering under the immense pressure that usually comes with playing a top-10 team in their house, the Cyclones held their own. 

The final score was a disappointing 21-10 loss, but if you peel back the curtains, Iowa State had a chance to win this game. The Cyclones shot themselves in the foot with many mistakes, but at the end of the day, Rogers' team produced a great fight in a tough road environment. There are no moral victories in sports, but you can't be upset about an 11-point loss against a top-10 team when you were expected to not win a Big 12 game this year. 

The bottom line: a BYU win is fantastic for the Big 12 as a whole tonight, but if the Cougars pull off the upset, it also makes the Cyclones look good as well. 

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