SB Nation Reacts: Arizona football fans remain confident despite BYU loss

PROVO, UT - SEPTEMBER 12: Arizona Wildcats running back Quincy Craig (24) runs with the ball during the first quarter of a college football game between the Arizona Wildcats and the BYU Cougars on September 12, 2026 at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo, UT. (Photo by Aaron Baker/Icon Sportswire via Ge

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What is the story about?

In the College Football Playoff era, an early loss can have a major impact on a team’s chances to play for a title. That’s doubly the case if that defeat comes in conference play, which was the case for Arizona when it fell at BYU last week in its Big 12 opener.

But despite that setback, Wildcat Nation is confident that a strong finish to Big 12 play is still possible. We asked our readers how many conference games the UA would win this season, and the results were pretty bullish:

More than half of

those who voted in the latest SB Nation Reacts poll think Arizona will win at least six of the remaining eight Big 12 games. The Wildcats were 6-3 a year ago en route to a 9-win season.

According to FanDuel Sportbook, the UA still has a projected win total of 7.5 while its odds of winning the Big 12 sit at +2700, tied with TCU for eighth-best. BYU is second at +750.

The next two games are nonconference tilts, with Arizona hosting Northern Illinois on Saturday and visiting former Pac-12 foe Washington State on Sept. 26. The next Big 12 game is Oct. 3 against Cincinnati at Casino Del Sol Stadium.