Everyone will be aiming their arrows at the men in Blue and White after their dramatic 22-21 victory over Utah last weekend. Kalani Sitake and his undefeated BYU Cougars are sitting on a gleaming 9-0 record. But as they bask in the glow of this flawless season, it seems there’s a crowd throwing a little shade over their shine. The Cougars’ spotless record may look pretty on paper. Some believe the Cougars might be skating on thin ice if they were thrown into the ‘BIG’ Colosseum.

Already the leaders of the Big 12 with playoffs and championship well in their grasp, they fell prey to the judgment sword of insiders telling them what to do with the big boys. Analyst J.D. PicKell, sitting in his On3 booth, threw some sharp elbows in BYU’s direction. PicKell recently called BYU’s resume into question, saying that despite the perfect record and ranking boost, they might not hold up against even middle-of-the-pack SEC teams. He made it clear that, in his eyes, a matchup with teams like South Carolina or Texas A&M would expose BYU’s potential weaknesses. “On a neutral site with South Carolina, [BYU] gets ragdolled,” PicKell asserted, setting the tone for his strong opinions on the Cougars’ spot in the rankings.

This might be like, what third team, to fall victim to the presumed category of the mic-warriors. While some fans might brush off these remarks as SEC bias. The On3 guy has stats to back his claim. BYU’s offensive line would struggle against the likes of Texas A&M’s Shamar Stewart. And that they’d likely face a rough time competing with Ole Miss’s dynamic playmakers. These concerns don’t come from nowhere. Kalani Sitake’s strength of schedule. When compared to top SEC and Big Ten teams, does suggest that their dominance in the Big 12 might look quite different against schools known for faster, stronger, and more aggressive defenses.

BYU and Ole Miss, did we see what Ole Miss did to Georgia? Adding fuel to PicKell’s argument is BYU’s depth issue. Questions were raised about is anyone worthy in Sitake blue and white army breaking into the two-deep for a team like Georgia. “Is anybody from BYU’s roster able to line up in the two deep for Georgia?” The reporter asked rhetorically, underscoring his doubt in BYU’s lineup.

Kalani Sitake has no doubts as he has full faith in Christ

For now, BYU has the luxury of its current success and a clear path to the Big 12 Championship. While we all know that Kalani Sitake and BYU have prior experience of being undefeated. While insiders keep doubting their abilities, Sitake blocks the noise with his Christ-centered speech. A true man of God lifted his team’s spirit after the controversial victory against the Utah Utes in the dying seconds of the game. They might have heard Greg McElroy’s prophecy beforehand.

As seen in the highlights video of Cougars athletic department after the Utah game. The theme of Sitake’s speech was Helaman 5:12 from The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Just giving a glimpse of the powerful verse, “The verse reads, “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God.” He further asked his troops to stay humble and respect their opponents.

All the prayers is certainly accepted by God as BYU football is climbing the rankings. The undefeated Cougars are ranked No. 6 in the latest CFP rankings. In a season as competitive as this one, BYU has its work cut out for them. They will get a chance to answer all the critics in the playoffs.