The No. 8 BYU Cougars had themselves quite a weekend last week, hosting ESPN’s College GameDay for the first time since 2009 ahead of their matchup with No. 2 Notre Dame.
The crowd was electric all day in Provo, and there was plenty to celebrate, from the student that won $3 million in Pat McAfee’s kicking contest, to the game itself, which the Cougars held on to win 28–24 in dramatic, if controversial, fashion. That win boosted the Cougars all the way to No. 2 in the nation, and they should be a lock to make the College Football Playoff barring a total collapse over the final stretch of the season.
Speaking on McAfee’s show on Friday, former coach turned GameDay analyst Nick Saban said BYU put together one of the most impressive game environments he’s ever seen. Saban had special praise for Cougars coach Kalani Sitake, whose confidence and poise Saban believed was rubbing off on his players…