Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young was back on the BYU campus in Provo, Utah along with ESPN's GameDay crew. Prior to his brilliant NFL career that culminated with his ascension to the shrine in Canton, Ohio, Young had been a dynamic college quarterback for BYU. Since the unbeaten Cougars are hosting powerful Notre Dame (6-0) this week, the GameDay producers decided to do their show from BYU (5-0) in front of the school's excited and hungry fans.
Young enthusiastically supported BYU during the picks segment, sharing laughs with Nick Saban and Pat McAfee. In addition to picking BYU to beat the Fighting Irish, the 65-year-old Young joked that he had petitioned the NCAA for another year of eligibility, and he was ready to serve as backup quarterback to BYU signal caller Bear Bachmeier.
The crowd roared its approval and McAfee asked Young how old he was. Young didn't give him a specific number, but he told McAfee that “I'm older than you think.”
Bachmeier is the key to BYU's offense as he has passed for 1,033 yards with 8 TD passes and just 1 interception. He is also a threat on the ground, as has rushed for 239 yards and 4 touchdowns.
The game between the Fighting Irish and BYU will have College Football Playoff implications. Notre Dame comes into the game as the second-ranked team in the nation, while BYU is ranked 8th.
This is clearly a tough assignment for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have not beaten a top-10 opponent on the road since earning a victory of No. 8 Oklahoma during the 2012 season.