CougarCorner

What if THIS had been the schedule?

at Hawaii
vs UMass
at UNLV
at Fresno St
vs San Jose St
vs East Carolina
at Mississippi St
vs Boise St
at Utah St
vs Utah
vs Wisconsin
vs LSU
vs Portland St

My guess is, even with the injuries, we win every game we won, plus we likely beat UMass, Fresno, East Carolina, Boise and Utah St and finish with a 9-4 record.

A one game improvement is my guess. Surprise ECU maybe.

Given how we came out of the gate against lowly Portland State (finished their FCS season 0-11), I don't think the order of games played would have made a lick of difference.

snoscythe wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2017 4:47 pm Given how we came out of the gate against lowly Portland State (finished their FCS season 0-11), I don't think the order of games played would have made a lick of difference.

This.

I think at least 3 more wins. UMass, ECU and one or more of the others.

I seriously think we start the season 5-0, but the games are much closer than most predicted. But, most of the team is healthy and in a good rhythm.

But then, we lose to ECU on the road in a close game...that starts a three game slide with Mississippi St. and Boise St. losses. We rebound with a close road win over Utah St. but then have another 3-game slide against Wisconsin-Utah-LSU (the correct order). The LSU game is actually played in Houston. Half of our roster is on the injured list going into the Portland St. game, but we still manage a decent win to finish the season with a winning 7-6 record.

We receive an invite to play in the Frisco Bowl against SMU. Toss-up game.

A vocal minority of fans calls for BYU to re-join the MWC, citing our 5-1 record against the MWC, including a win over the West division winner, and lack of a bowl tie in.

Best case scenario Hawaii = Portland state and we win both. Worst case scenario Hawaii was better than PSU and we travel to Hawaii and lay an egg to start the season. I don't see how we pick up a UMASS win in that BYU was playing well after a close one in Fresno and a win over UNLV, so I see UMASS as a loss either way. (unless we're basing our decisions on some alternate universe BYU team this year - then - hey we'd have won 'em all) But if we're 0-2 going into UNLV we might win that one we might not.

Here's where the case can be made strongly that BYU was lucky to have a front loaded schedule this year, that we worked out some kinks against teams that we were always going to lose to. Again, it was a real possibility that we lose to Hawaii if they're the first team on the schedule, and there is no reason to believe that we do any better against UMASS in week 2. In week two this year we never crossed the 50 yard line offensively - we hadn't figured anything out yet. SO to assume that we magically beat UMASS is folly. I voted 4-9 but I'd have been tempted to vote "worse" if it were an option

frdbtr wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2017 5:39 pm

snoscythe wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2017 4:47 pm Given how we came out of the gate against lowly Portland State (finished their FCS season 0-11), I don't think the order of games played would have made a lick of difference.

This.

My first thoughts as well. Agree with you both.

I think 9-4 or 8-5.

Where's the 15-0 option where we win the NC? I had to settle for 13-0.