No. 9 BYU is 3-0 and sitting in the top 10 of both major polls for the fifth time in seven seasons. KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper uses the bye week to step back from the game-to-game grind and deliver a big-picture episode — what he's learned about this team through three games. Mitch opens with his observations from a quarter of the way through the most anticipated season in BYU football history. The Cougars have outscored opponents 132-47 across wins over Utah Tech (63-7), Arizona (28-17), and Colorado State (41-23). They're averaging 44.0 points and 514 total yards per game. But the stats only tell part of the story. Mitch identifies four things he's learned that the numbers alone don't capture. In the second segment, Mitch explores a question that the Big 12's global expansion has put squarely on the table: Could BYU play an international game in the future? The 2026 Big 12 schedule featured two games on European soil — TCU versus North Carolina in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland on August 29, and the inaugural Union Jack Classic between Arizona State and Kansas at Wembley Stadium in London on September 19. Commissioner Brett Yormark has made no secret of his desire to grow the Big 12's international footprint, and the league's 2026 schedule release emphasized the conference's "global expansion" as a marquee initiative. Mitch makes the case for why BYU would be a natural fit for an international showcase. Then, finally, we're closing in on a potential vote in the U.S. Senate for the Protect College Sports Act. Would this be a good thing for BYU athletics? Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes. Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT). Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609 YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh Download the KSL Sports app Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593 Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper. Want more coverage of BYU sports? Take us with you wherever you go. Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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