Feeling sad after BYU's loss? I got you. I was Patient Zero.

If you wanna party with somebody who might know
About the Devil on (BYU's) shoulder under (its) halo
When the toxins take their hold, you'd rather die than let it go
But if you're (still reeling in pain and agony), I got you, I was Patient Zero.

I've gotta be honest, I've been expecting your call
No, it's not a bad time at all
I heard (and obviously knew) somebody saying there's trouble in (Provo)
And my lips are sealed tight now (this is newsletter, I'm not typing with my lips)

Losing to Utah sucks. Losing to Utah when the possibility of winning a conference championship for the first time since the Bush administration is on the line, that really sucks too. Losing to Utah and seeing them all-but-cement their spot in the College Football Playoff is a real kick in the shins.

It sucks.

Out of the wreckage from the Holy War loss have come a variety of different takes about BYU football. Some have said the season is over. Some have said this team lacks a killer instinct and the mindset to win big football games. Some (okay, one guy, with a very obviously and very well-disclosed bias) have called for the benching of Bear Bachmeier in favor of Treyson Bourguet.

The takes have been let out of their brain cages and they are just walking amongst us now. Let's sort through them as best as we can.

It's not for me to tell

Someone else what to (think) (but I'm going to try anyways)

"This Team Lacks Killer Instinct!"

Let's get this one out of the way early, as this is one of the most common things I've heard since the game ended.

You know how coaches just say stuff sometimes? Like it's stuff that really doesn't mean anything and they are clearly just dodging questions? We refer to that as 'coachspeak' and basically just ignore it.

The 'killer instinct' thing feels a lot like fanspeak. It's one of those things that we say when things don't go well. It doesn't really mean anything. It isn't really something that can be quantified. But it sounds like a nice explanation for why a team doesn't play well.

Some have pointed to the slow start against Utah as another piece of case evidence that killer instinct is lacking. It's a fair enough argument. Utah showed up ready to play and pounced on BYU immediately. BYU looked like they hadn't woke up. For the first five minutes of the game, it was all Utah.

But what about the next 25 minutes? BYU woke up, punched back, and took a lead into halftime. To me, it seems a team without killer instinct would have taken down their tent and gone home after getting blitzed early. Did Utah lack killer instinct for not being able to put a team away after jumping out to a 14-0 lead in five minutes?

I don't think this team's instinct or desire to win lacks at all. I think running fake punts with the lead in your own territory against Notre Dame looks like a team trying everything in their power to put a team away. I think a team trying to push the ball down the field and punch it into the endzone just before the half but throwing a pick against (sigh) UCF, ASU, and Utah looks like a team that is trying to bury teams and capitalize momentum. In all of those scenarios, BYU turned the ball over. How different would we feel about 'killer instinct' if those plays are converted?

So, why does BYU struggle to get started and seemingly refuse to bury teams they should control?

I think it's the way this team is built. The offense is not forcing the ball downfield and living or dying by the chunk play. Since Bachmeier took over as starting quarterback, this BYU team has scored 40+ points against P4 teams just three times, against Iowa State last year (41), TCU last year (44), and UCF last year (41). Faletau Satuala had a pick six against Iowa State, Tanner Wall had one against TCU, and Parker Kingston ran a punt back for a touchdown against UCF.

Let's go back further. BYU scored 41 against Arizona in 2024, but Isaiah Glasker had a pick six in that game. The offense has not scored 40+ points against a P4 team since 2021 when Bronco Mendenhall's Virginia squad came to Provo.

Aaron Roderick's offense is a ball control offense. It is meant to stay ahead of the chains, keep the clock moving, and be super efficient with its scoring opportunities. It's how it is designed, and it has been that way under multiple quarterbacks. It leans into that even more heavily with Bachmeier's skill set.

The BYU defense is meant to keep teams out of the endzone and give the offense enough scoring chances to get a win. BYU's defense held Utah's offense to more than 10 points below their season scoring average, despite the fact that the BYU offense turned the ball over four times. The defense wasn't the '85 Bears, but the defense did its job on Saturday. They made mistakes, but there was nothing wrong with their killer instincts.

"The Season Is Over Now!"

If you wanna party with somebody who might know
About the Devil on (BYU's) shoulder under (its) halo
When the toxins take their hold, you'd rather die than let it go
But if you're (still reeling in pain and agony), I got you, I was Patient Zero.

I bet (BYU) burst into your life like fireworks
I bet (they) made you ("We're playoff bound") first
And when you saw another (Big 12 team) coming out of (their) place
I bet (they did something to make you believe again) to your face

The season is not over. It literally just isn't. BYU is no longer in control of where this season takes them, that part is true, but the season is far from over.

We don't know what the rankings will look like until tonight, but we do know who the 1-loss and 2-loss teams are that are floating around the area of where BYU will likely be ranked tonight. (For what it's worth, I'm expecting BYU to be 11 or 12 tonight.)

These are the teams that BYU will be competing with for an at-large spot. Yes, there will be teams like Georgia, Alabama, and Utah who are basically locked in barring a complete collapse, and yes there will be a G5 team that makes it in automatically. I have excluded them from the list.

Someone from the ACC, in all likelihood it will be Miami, will also get an auto-bid.

Let's assume there are 7 spots up for grabs.

If Indiana falls to USC, where do they fall? Out? They haven't looked particularly impressive and their best win would be over Michigan or Minnesota. With two losses, their resume go up against BYU. If Indiana beats USC, it basically removes the Trojans from consideration.

BYU needs Notre Dame to win out. The victory over the Irish is one of the best wins any CFP contender has. It's critical that its value holds up.

A three-loss Texas probably gets in unless one of those losses in Arkansas. Their collective wins are great.

Miami probably wins out. It's important for BYU (and the rest of the bubble teams) that the Canes win the ACC Conference Championship Game so there aren't any bid stealers. If the Canes do drop to two losses, though, BYU will have the advantage of a win over Notre Dame to Miami's loss to Notre Dame.

Tennessee and Kentucky have tough schedules remaining. If either of them get to the three-loss mark, I have to think BYU crawls ahead of them.

Texas Tech and Wake Forest both have tough road games this week and could take themselves out of the running.

There is nothing concrete. Teams could just win games and BYU would be out of luck. But the point I'm trying to make. BYU undeniably lost control, but there is still a perfectly justifiable path to the playoff if the Cougars take care of business in their final games of the season. 2026 has been a weird year in CFB. BYU is not dead.

It sucks to not control your own destiny, but that doesn't mean that destiny died either. Win your games, get to 10-2, and BYU's resume stacks up really well against some of these other teams.

"Bear Bachmeier Be Benched If He's Going To Limit The Offense!"

So let's get into it
I know (Bear) charmed your family and friends
And you thought it's cause he (could bring football happiness forever)
But it's cause he lov–

I have to ditch the Taylor Swift bit for this one.

If you're on the GEHB Discord, you know that I've been a vocal non-believer about Bachmeier's ability to consistently push the ball down the field. You also know that every time Bachmeier completes a pass of 10+ yards, there is a chorus of "TAKE THAT JEFF" messages that get posted. Because of my skepticism, I've been labeled a Bear Hater.

The truth is, I've never hated Bear. I think what he has done for BYU these past two seasons is remarkable, and it's the exact reason why he should be locked in as QB1 as long as he wants to stay in Provo.

Period. Hard stop.

Bear is the guy and anything suggesting the contrary is idiotic.

He's not without his shortcomings, though. He has the arm strength and the ability to complete passes downfield, and he has proven that he can win games with his arms. The tape is clear. He can do that.

But the tape is also clear, he struggles to showcase that kind of arm talent and decision making over 60 minutes of a football game.

Bachmeier is not a typical quarterback. He needs to move the pocket, he needs to work off of play action, and he needs the short-to-intermediate stuff to carry the bulk of his passing success. He has the talent to catch a team napping and throw it over the top of everyone, but he still lacks the ability to read a defense and throw players open. His decision making against complex coverage schemes is not as developed as other areas of his game.

He threw four picks against Utah. The last one was on a Hail Maryish heave, so we won't count that. The first one was a ball that sailed on him and got away from him. It sucks, but it happens.

The middle two interceptions, though, came because Bachmeier simply did not see the defender sitting in coverage. They were bad reads and bad decisions that led to bad results.

Bachmeier has plenty of room to develop as a passer. He is far from a perfect quarterback.

But he is a great quarterback and is locked in as BYU's starter. Don't be silly and think otherwise, no matter how close you are to Treyson Bourguet.

So if you wanna kick it, then I'm with it, I've been there
Felt the reeling, done the healing, said the curses and the prayers
When the fever turns a dreamer into a pathetic ghost
If (they're) killing you, I see you, I was patient zero.

Shoutout to our girl Taylor for the framework today.