So much for the bachelor existence of BYU football, which divorced itself from the Mountain West twelve years ago to embark upon a gridiron single life as an independent (the Cougars would align with the West Coast Conference in other sports, including basketball). There are always some different motivations in Provo, where it was thought, among other things, that the football team could also spread the LDS message further and wider if not encumbered by a regional league like the MWC, and also able to use its TV network to further promote the brand of the church and school. Yet football scheduling often proved a bit of a challenge in the past decade-plus, while BYU has always been a desired target for numerous leagues who also recognized the value of the Cougars' national support base. 

All they ever had to do in Provo was say the word about being amenable to a new affiliation and conference suitors would line up. The new realities of college sports eventually demanded the Cougars take advantage of their undeniable appeal, and it was an easy sell for the Big 12 to extend the invitation... 

Bruce Marshall's full breakdown of BYU's 2023 outlook, which includes how he's playing their win total, can be found below as part of SportsLine's preview of the Big 12 season.

Big 12 preview: Conference winner | Baylor | BYU | Cincinnati | Houston | Iowa State | Kansas | Kansas State | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | Texas | TCU | Texas Tech | UCF | West Virginia

2023 BYU at a glance

• Last Year: 8-5 SU, 5-8 ATS, 8-5 O/U
• Returning starters: Offense 5; Defense 6
• Win total: 4.5 (Over -180, Under +145)

What do you need to know about BYU before locking in your Big 12 futures bets? And which side of their win total makes for the best play? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Big 12 futures betting strategy from a veteran college football expert!