BYU Favored at Colorado; Northwestern Offense Falters

Northwestern’s offense has been a major concern through three games, scoring only three points against Tulane, piling up mostly garbage-time scores, and ranking last (136th) in points per drive. BYU opens Big 12 play at Colorado after a 3-0 start and a dominant Alamo Bowl rematch; freshman QB Bear Bachmeier has not thrown an interception and has shown steady development. The Cougars’ primary on-field weaknesses entering conference play are poor red-zone touchdown efficiency (ranked 96th nationally) and a lack of consistent non-blitz pressure from the defensive ends, forcing heavy blitzing to generate sacks. Oddsmakers list BYU roughly a 6.5-point favorite at Colorado, while analytics outlets’ win probabilities for the game range from the high 50s up to about 77%. ESPN FPI has boosted BYU’s projected season wins to about 9.4 and various models put their chances of reaching 10 wins at roughly 47.8%; Colorado’s loud home environment and revenge motive make the trip to Boulder an early measuring stick for BYU’s conference and playoff credentials.