Comment on Independent schedule

Here in Oregon, the Ducks are taking some heat from the PAC12 for scheduling LSU for the 1st game. The thought is that if the Ducks had scheduled a New Mexico state they would still be in the hunt for the BCS NC game.



The problem with our schedule is that it is front loaded with the tougher teams. I would be OK with independence if we could open with teams that would allow our offense to gel then get the tougher teams at the end of the season. If we could play the tougher teams at LES that would make Independence more enjoyable as well.

I agree, the only problem is even though ESPN wants to have big cross regional matchups early in the season, it's counter productive to developing the team throughout the season. Then teams don't want a big non-conference game in the midst of their conference play so that's really the only time to do it.



I like the idea of starting out with a couple of cupcake teams and then schedule them progressively more difficult. Some have said you just mask over problems until it's too late to do anything about them but I think you find problems and have time to work through them and grow without getting hammered.

I like the idea of starting out with a couple of cupcake teams and then schedule them progressively more difficult.



Yeah. Ask KWhitt how that's working out for him.

1967cougar wrote:
I like the idea of starting out with a couple of cupcake teams and then schedule them progressively more difficult. Yeah. Ask KWhitt how that's working out for him.

Not sure how you can use KWhitt as an example of a progressively more difficult schedule with USC week two and Pitt week 7 in the middle of their conference schedule. :utard: schedule is a killer, serves them right! ;)

KYCoug wrote:

I like the idea of starting out with a couple of cupcake teams and then schedule them progressively more difficult. Yeah. Ask KWhitt how that's working out for him.

Not sure how you can use KWhitt as an example of a progressively more difficult schedule with USC week two and Pitt week 7 in the middle of their conference schedule. :utard: schedule is a killer, serves them right! ;)

The reference is to last year when Utah was ranked in the top 10 before playing any good teams and then they got worked by TCU and Notre Dame.

Point is a progressively more difficult schedule will only carry you so far. You still have to win your games. Last year Utah was not as good as TCU, ND at home, or Boise and no scheduling would have made a difference, but you look at their overall season and I'd have to say it was successful with a marginal team.

The argument over playing better teams later in the year cuts both ways. The first game of the year is traditionally the best time to pull off a major upset for BYU. The key to our success usually hinges on having an upperclassman quarterback returning as the starter. So its great to have Max Hall start against Oklahoma or Ty Detmer start against Miami. But usually you have no idea who the players are going to be when you are scheduling out five years in advance.



Some of the perennial powerhouse teams are ranked early in the year based on their reputation and then later in the year they prove it with their performance after the team gels. Those teams are better to play early rather than late.



The other risk of playing great teams at the end of the year is how healthy is your team going to be? You are a lot more likely to have your best players on the field for the first game rather than the last game as its a long season full of injuries. If your team has a lot of depth then that isn't as big of a concern but its still something to think about. This is why it is a major disadvantage to play Air Force at the start of the year versus the end of the year.



Now looking at our head coach's history it seems that we probably shouldn't play any team with a pulse in the first three games of the season as we are very good at going 1-2 and it doesn't necessarily mean we played tough teams to start the year.

I like the idea of the first team being the tough game, because we can get plenty of time to game plan, are still healthy, and can upset a team not ready for our physicality. Then you schedule a couple of cupcakes to get things rollingand move to progressively better teams throughout the season. You want to end with another great team so that you get that last big push in the rankings before bowl season.



Now I'll just call Tom Holmoe and tell him I've got it all worked out for him because I am sure the games will just line up like that for us every season without any problems. ;)

How do you all figure?



BYU under Mendenhall has the 3rd worst scoring offense on opening day, in the nation - out of all 120 teams. That even includes the Max Hall, Unga, Pitta, Collie years.



We are not even close to ready, coming out of camp, to beat average teams year to year.

IF we stay Indy, we will never start out with more than 1 easy game. Ever. because the BCS leagues will most likely not play us past mid-October, so he have to fit those in fit 6 weeks..

BlueIsBetter wrote:
How do you all figure?



BYU under Mendenhall has the 3rd worst scoring offense on opening day, in the nation - out of all 120 teams. That even includes the Max Hall, Unga, Pitta, Collie years.



We are not even close to ready, coming out of camp, to beat average teams year to year.

I think most teams' statistics are not that good in their opening game. I just know that given time to prepare, even against the likes of Oklahoma, Bronco has done a good job in the opening game. 5-0 since 2007. Granted one of those was Northern Iowa, but you get the picture. Opening wins against Washington, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss were all good wins for this program. I know they weren't great teams outside of a highly ranked Oklahoma, but the point is Bronco can win that first game ugly given time--as the past five years shows. Our bowl statistics are similar. Given time, Bronco is pretty good.

BlueIsBetter wrote:
How do you all figure?



BYU under Mendenhall has the 3rd worst scoring offense on opening day, in the nation - out of all 120 teams. That even includes the Max Hall, Unga, Pitta, Collie years.



We are not even close to ready, coming out of camp, to beat average teams year to year.

What is our scoring defense ranked the first game of the year under Mendenhall?

2005 defense gave up 20 points

2006 defense gave up 16 points

2007 defense gave up 7 points

2008 defense gave up 17 points

2009 defense gave up 13 points

2010 defense gave up 17 points

2011 defense gave up 13 points (technically 6 points...)



Seems like half our team has been ready to play the first game of the year. If we can get our offense rolling like Crowton did we'd be pretty darn good the first game of the year.



70 and 42 points the first game of the year under Crowton his first two years. We've shown that we are capable of scoring points, we just haven't done it for a long time...

Wickchad84087 wrote:

How do you all figure?



BYU under Mendenhall has the 3rd worst scoring offense on opening day, in the nation - out of all 120 teams. That even includes the Max Hall, Unga, Pitta, Collie years.



We are not even close to ready, coming out of camp, to beat average teams year to year.

What is our scoring defense ranked the first game of the year under Mendenhall?

2005 defense gave up 20 points

2006 defense gave up 16 points

2007 defense gave up 7 points

2008 defense gave up 17 points

2009 defense gave up 13 points

2010 defense gave up 17 points

2011 defense gave up 13 points (technically 6 points...)



Seems like half our team has been ready to play the first game of the year. If we can get our offense rolling like Crowton did we'd be pretty darn good the first game of the year.



70 and 42 points the first game of the year under Crowton his first two years. We've shown that we are capable of scoring points, we just haven't done it for a long time...

Well spotted. But.... Bronco is as responsible for the offense as the defense.



We are scoring 18 points on our opener. If you take away the 41 we dropped on FCS N. Iowa, it goes down to an average 14.5 a game.



This is with one of our most prolific offense/players on the field. We have had our all time wins leader @ qb, all time receiving leaders in Collie and Pitta, all time rusher in Unga.



The only FBS (Div 1a) team we scored more than 21 against was a terrible Washington team, last year.

BlueIsBetter wrote:

BlueIsBetter wrote:
How do you all figure?



BYU under Mendenhall has the 3rd worst scoring offense on opening day, in the nation - out of all 120 teams. That even includes the Max Hall, Unga, Pitta, Collie years.



We are not even close to ready, coming out of camp, to beat average teams year to year.

What is our scoring defense ranked the first game of the year under Mendenhall?

2005 defense gave up 20 points

2006 defense gave up 16 points

2007 defense gave up 7 points

2008 defense gave up 17 points

2009 defense gave up 13 points

2010 defense gave up 17 points

2011 defense gave up 13 points (technically 6 points...)



Seems like half our team has been ready to play the first game of the year. If we can get our offense rolling like Crowton did we'd be pretty darn good the first game of the year.



70 and 42 points the first game of the year under Crowton his first two years. We've shown that we are capable of scoring points, we just haven't done it for a long time...

Well spotted. But.... Bronco is as responsible for the offense as the defense.



We are scoring 18 points on our opener. If you take away the 41 we dropped on FCS N. Iowa, it goes down to an average 14.5 a game.



This is with one of our most prolific offense/players on the field. We have had our all time wins leader @ qb, all time receiving leaders in Collie and Pitta, all time rusher in Unga.



The only FBS (Div 1a) team we scored more than 21 against was a terrible Washington team, last year.

Perhaps some more practicing is in order...