BYU football looked ready to welcome back star running back LJ Martin before facing Utah. Martin returned to practice Wednesday to help signal his potential return. Yet his status against the Utes remains questionable for coach Kalani Sitake and company.
ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel provided an update there on Wednesday.
“BYU star tailback LJ Martin is considered questionable to return Saturday against No. 3 Utah. He’s cleared to practice and has been available this week. If he’s back, he’s not expected to be 100-percent and could be limited,” Thamel posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
So this could put a wrench into the Cougars' plans ahead of their historic rivalry showdown set for Saturday. Martin plays a pivotal part of the BYU offense and helps add an extra rushing wrinkle next to dual-threat quarterback Bear Bachmeier. But Martin has become banged up, including before facing TCU early in October.
BYU faces a critical stretch too as the calendar has flipped to November. The Cougars cracked the top 10 at No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday. BYU rose as one of only two Big 12 teams to earn a top 10 ranking. But the other at No. 3 is their opponent in Salt Lake City.
Article Continues BelowThe Cougars own the nation's 16th-highest Football Power Index (FPI) rating per ESPN as of Wednesday. So that also hands them a 17.4% chance of winning the conference. But BYU owns a 6.9 % chance of winning the rest of its games.
Utah owns a 16% chance of winning out, while also earning a 48.3 % chance of claiming the Big 12 title. And the Utes' postseason chances rank higher compared to BYU with its 77.8 % probability compared to the Cougars' 44%.