BYU Is Top 2. But Not Satisfied With No. 2.
A 28-24 upset of Notre Dame launched the Cougars to their highest AP ranking since the 1984 national championship. Twenty first-place votes later, the Top 2 Not 2 mentality captures a program looking beyond its latest achievement.
BYU did not simply move up the college football rankings on October 18, 2026. The Cougars arrived at a place the program had not occupied since its national championship season 42 years earlier.
One night after upsetting No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 at LaVell Edwards Stadium, previously eighth-ranked BYU climbed six positions to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25. The Cougars received 20 first-place votes and finished only 22 polling points behind No. 1 Miami.
It was an extraordinary moment for a program accustomed to fighting for national recognition. But among BYU supporters, the excitement was accompanied by another sentiment: No. 2 is worth celebrating, but No. 1 remains the destination.
That contrast is the appeal of the Top 2 Not 2 slogan. It acknowledges a historic achievement while refusing to frame second place as the end of the journey.
The Notre Dame Game That Changed Everything
The Cougars entered October 17 unbeaten but facing their toughest challenge of the season. Notre Dame arrived in Provo ranked second nationally, and the Irish were favored by more than ten points.
The matchup carried unusual weight even before kickoff. ESPN’s College GameDay came to Provo, and the game marked the first top-ten matchup ever played at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier delivered a performance that reflected BYU’s willingness to use every part of its offense. He threw for 224 yards, rushed for two touchdowns and caught another touchdown on a double-pass play.
According to BYU Athletics, Bachmeier became the first FBS player in at least 30 years to record rushing, passing and receiving touchdowns in the same game against an AP top-five opponent.
That versatility helped BYU build a 21-10 halftime lead, but Notre Dame was far from finished.
The Fourth-Quarter Drive That Secured the Upset
Notre Dame recovered from its halftime deficit and took a 24-21 lead with 9:31 remaining. The game that had once seemed to favor BYU now threatened to end in disappointment.
Bachmeier responded by directing a ten-play, 55-yard drive. Facing third-and-goal from the six-yard line, he found tight end Walker Lyons on a slant for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:47 left.
Notre Dame still had time for one final possession. The Irish moved the ball into BYU territory and eventually reached the nine-yard line with four seconds remaining.
On the final play, quarterback CJ Carr rolled to his right and targeted Jaden Greathouse. The pass fell incomplete, sealing BYU’s victory and triggering a massive celebration in Provo.
The ending generated some disagreement over officiating and contact on the final possession. But the official result was definitive: BYU had defeated its highest-ranked opponent since its memorable victory over No. 1 Miami in 1990.
Why Twenty First-Place Votes Matter
The following afternoon, the Associated Press released a dramatically reshuffled Top 25. Five of the previous top seven teams had lost, creating one of the most unusual polling weekends in college football history.
Miami moved to No. 1 with 40 first-place votes and 1,697 total points. BYU followed with 20 first-place votes and 1,675 points, while Ohio State occupied third place.
The 22-point difference between Miami and BYU was relatively small. Although most voters did not place the Cougars first, a substantial group believed BYU had already assembled the nation’s strongest résumé.
The numbers also reveal a distinction that can disappear inside fan slogans: BYU was officially ranked second in the AP Poll, not first. “Top 2 Not 2” is an expression of ambition and confidence, not an announcement that the program had overtaken Miami.
The Cougars occupied an even more interesting position across the two major rankings. They were No. 2 in the AP Poll but No. 3 in the coaches poll, receiving ten first-place votes from coaches.
That made the AP ranking the specific milestone reflected by this 2026 design.
The 1984 National Championship Connection
To appreciate the significance of the ranking, it helps to understand what 1984 means in BYU football history.
That season, quarterback Robbie Bosco and head coach LaVell Edwards led the Cougars to an undefeated national championship. BYU finished No. 1 in the major polls, producing the program’s most celebrated achievement.
The victory changed how college football viewed the team from Provo. It demonstrated that a program outside the sport’s traditional power structure could produce a nationally dominant season.
In the decades that followed, BYU maintained a recognizable football identity, but a return to the very top of the rankings remained elusive. The 2026 climb to No. 2 therefore revived comparisons with the championship generation.
It did not make the current Cougars national champions, and a regular-season ranking cannot substitute for a postseason title. But it gave younger fans a rare opportunity to experience national attention comparable in scale to a moment that many supporters knew primarily through family stories and historic highlights.
The Vintage Helmet Behind Top 2 Not 2
The EllieShirt Top 2 Not 2 design reflects that relationship between the present and the past.
Its vintage-inspired BYU helmet gives the artwork a recognizable football centerpiece, while the ranking slogan supplies the contemporary meaning. The royal-blue and white identity connects both elements to the Cougars without relying on photographs of a particular player.
The most interesting feature is the tension inside the wording. “Top 2” describes BYU’s actual standing in the October 18 poll. “Not 2” transforms that standing into a competitive attitude, suggesting that second place is not where the program wants its journey to end.
A vintage college-football graphic celebrating BYU’s historic AP No. 2 ranking and the ambition to climb higher.
View the BYU ranking design →The retro visual treatment also connects naturally to the 1984 reference. Old football-program graphics, traditional helmet illustrations and direct athletic typography carry a sense of history without requiring an elaborate championship collage.
That restraint is especially useful for a ranking-based design. It celebrates a documented milestone while leaving the ultimate outcome of the 2026 season unresolved.
How BYU Fans Reacted to No. 2
The fan conversation reflected both excitement and uncertainty. In BYU’s Reddit community, supporters celebrated the ranking and the 20 first-place votes, while others admitted they wished the Cougars had reached No. 1.
Some fans preferred the lower position, arguing that avoiding the top spot might help the team remain focused. Others looked ahead to the schedule and imagined what additional victories could do for the national picture.
This division is exactly what makes the slogan effective. BYU fans were not disappointed to be second. They were excited enough about the team’s progress to start debating how it might become first.
What Comes After the Ranking?
The next challenge is to avoid allowing the Notre Dame victory to become the peak of the season.
BYU travels to Orlando to face UCF on October 24. With the Cougars now ranked among the nation’s elite, opponents have even more reason to treat the matchup as a major opportunity.
The 2026 team has already shown it can win through versatile offense and timely defense. Against Notre Dame, the offensive line did not surrender a sack, while the defense produced the final stop required to protect the lead.
Maintaining those standards will matter far more than the initial excitement of climbing the poll.
Within EllieShirt’s BYU Cougars collection, the Top 2 Not 2 graphic reflects one particular stage of the program’s 2026 story. The broader NCAA collection places the moment within the wider tradition of college football rankings, rivalries and postseason aspirations.
For those following the quarterback who helped produce the historic victory, related Bear Bachmeier designs offer another connection to the season’s emerging personalities.
Whether BYU ultimately reaches No. 1 remains uncertain. The program has already achieved something significant, but its biggest ambitions are still in front of it.
Verified reporting: BYU Athletics’ official 28-24 Notre Dame recap, BYU’s October 18 AP Poll announcement, and The Associated Press national poll report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does BYU Top 2 Not 2 mean?
The slogan celebrates BYU reaching No. 2 in the October 18, 2026 AP Poll while expressing the ambition to become No. 1.
What was BYU’s ranking after beating Notre Dame in 2026?
BYU rose from No. 8 to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 after defeating Notre Dame 28-24 on October 17.
How many first-place votes did BYU receive?
BYU received 20 first-place AP votes and finished just 22 polling points behind No. 1 Miami.
When was BYU last ranked this high?
BYU had not reached No. 2 or higher since the 1984 season, when the Cougars won the national championship.
Who led BYU against Notre Dame?
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw for 224 yards and accounted for touchdowns as a passer, runner and receiver in BYU’s 28-24 victory.
The BYU Top 2 Not 2 vintage helmet graphic captures the week the Cougars climbed to their highest ranking in more than four decades — without pretending the journey has already reached its ending.
BYU Top 2 Not 2 Shirt commemorates the Cougars’ rise to No. 2 in the October 18, 2026 AP Poll after defeating Notre Dame 28-24. The vintage helmet design connects BYU’s 20 first-place votes, its 1984 championship history and the ambition to reach No. 1.