When it comes to ranking the best teams in the history of Cougar football, most will agree that the 1984 season comes in at the top spot. If a team is able to win the only national championship in the history of the program, it will undoubtedly propel it to the top of the list. Although 1984 was a legendary campaign, BYU has put many historic teams on the field in the past. With the 2022 season about to kick off, here are my picks for the top seasons in Cougar football history.
No. 1 – 1984
With the accomplishment of winning the national title, the ‘84 season has to be ranked at the top of the list. The team ended the season with a perfect 13-0 record and a Holiday Bowl win, which is still the only undefeated team in the program’s history. They started off the season with a massive win at the time, taking down No. 3 Pitt on the road. Although that Pitt team did not meet preseason expectations, it helped BYU gain the confidence it needed to win a ninth straight WAC title. The 1984 Cougars are also the last team from outside a “power conference” to win a national title. With that achievement still holding strong 38 years later, this team should be forever proud of what they accomplished.
No. 2 – 1996
There have been some great teams since 1984, but the 1996 version stands out among the rest after finishing with a 14-1 record. The team won the Cotton Bowl against No. 14 Kansas State, which is currently BYU’s last win in one of the six major bowl games. This is also the last time that the Cougars finished a season ranked inside the Top 10, climbing to No. 5 in the country while winning the WAC title. The highlights of the season included wins over three ranked opponents; Kansas State, No. 13 Texas A&M, and No. 20 Wyoming in the WAC title game.
No. 3 – 1983
The season before the national championship was almost just as historic for the Cougars. They finished the season 11-1, rolling off 11 straight wins after losing the season opener at Baylor. The key victory for the Cougars during the campaign took place on the road against fellow WAC member Air Force. The Falcons would go on to be ranked No. 13 in the final AP poll, while BYU would be ranked seventh. Winning a WAC title and the Holiday Bowl, this season brought a lot of attention and momentum to the program, which helped them to pull off the dream 1984 season.
No. 4 – 1979
The 1979 Cougars were both just a single game and point away from finishing with a perfect record during the season. The only loss of the year came at the hands of the Big Ten’s Indiana Hoosiers in the Holiday Bowl, 38 to 37. Still, an 11-1 record, a WAC title, and a win over No. 14 Texas A&M were highlights of the ‘79 campaign. At the end of the year, BYU was ranked 13th in the final AP poll.
No. 5 – 1980
This team will forever be remembered by college football fans everywhere for one specific game, the 1980 Holiday Bowl. In the game known as the “Miracle Bowl”, the Cougars pulled off what is quite possibly the greatest fourth-quarter come-from-behind win bowl win in history. Trailing 45-25 with just four minutes remaining, the Cougars mounted a furious comeback, winning 46-45 on a Jim McMahon scoring toss to Clay Brown as time expired. With a 12-1 record and a WAC title, BYU received a No. 12 ranking in the final AP poll.
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No. 6 – 2009
Finishing as the 12th-ranked team in the AP poll, I have the ’09 team in the sixth spot among the greatest BYU seasons. With three wins over ranked opponents – No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 16 Oregon State, and No. 22 Utah – BYU ended the year with an 11-2 record. While blowout home losses to Florida State and No. 10 TCU were painful, the Cougars still had a memorable season capped off by a Las Vegas Bowl victory.
No. 7 – 1981
Highlighted by wins at No. 19 Hawai’i and against No. 20 Washington State in the Holiday Bowl, the ’81 team had a very impressive year. They finished with a record of 11-2, with the two losses coming at the hands of 6-6 UNLV and 8-3 Wyoming. However, those losses did not stop the team from finishing 13th in the AP poll, or from winning both the WAC and Holiday Bowl trophies.
No. 8 – 2020
The circumstances surrounding the 2020 campaign made it special all on its own. It’s been well documented how college football teams – and everyone worldwide – had to adapt due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It led to BYU being ready to play “any team, any time, and at any place”, which became the team’s slogan. From not even knowing if there would be a season to finishing No.11 in the country with an impressive 11-1 record, the season was a wild ride for the team.
While the schedule was not one that fans were typically used to seeing from the independent Cougars – containing matchups with mostly subpar opposition – this team still stands out as one that persevered. A big win at No. 21 Boise State on the “Smurf Turf” was the highlight of the year, while the team’s record and Boca Raton Bowl title helped put BYU back on the map nationally while showing we can all push through difficult circumstances, no matter how challenging they may seem.
No. 9 – 2006
During the 2006 season, the Cougars finished 11-2, winning the Mountain West title and finishing 16th in the final AP poll. The highlight of the season was a road win over conference rival No. 17 TCU, while the two blemishes were closely-fought road defeats to Arizona and No. 23 Boston College. To end the year, BYU routed Oregon 38-8 to win the Las Vegas Bowl.
No. 10 – 2007
The 2007 campaign was another very solid year for the Cougars, similar in many ways to the prior 2006 season. The team finished with two losses – both on the road – to No .13 UCLA and Tulsa. And while there were some quality wins during the year (against 9-4 Air Force, New Mexico, and Utah and 8-win TCU), there were no victories over ranked opponents. Even with a No. 14 ranking and Las Vegas Bowl title, the 2007 season ranks just one spot below 2006 while rounding out the Top 10 seasons in BYU football history.
