Ideal yet realistic Independent schedules

As we settle into independence, I generally like what I see with the schedule. Here is my ideal yet realistic schedule for BYU that will provide winnable games yet intriguining matchups while maintaining some rivalries.



1. Utah- This game must be played every year. Period.



2. Utah State every year- This is a good game for BYU because it's usually a win. It's a local school. They are flexible with General Conference scheduling. We've got a 2 for 1 arrangement right now which is ideal. I wouldn't mind a 3 home games for 2 road games arrangement if we can lock them up for a 10 year deal.



3. Hawaii every year. Already done. This game makes sense for recruiting and alumni.



4. Boise State every year. Already done. BYU has never had a regular opponent on the schedule that has been consistently great. BSU fulfills that. BSU has finished ranked in the top 15 in 7 out of the last 9 years (likely 8 out of 10 after the end of this year).



5. Air Force every year. When AF goes to the Big East hopefully they go with Army and Navy. This frees up some nonconference matchups for Air Force. It would make sense that AF would like to stay in the west for those games. BYU and AF have a good tradition playing against each other. AF is also the type of school that Bronco would love to continue playing against.



6. A FCS team. It's a necessary evil. It's a home game. It's a win.



7. A Huge Game. Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Penn State, etc. Yes it means we schedule them on a 2 for 1 basis, but they are who they are and we are who we are. Only 1 game like this per year.



8. A nonUtah Pac-12 game. This is important for connecting with alumni, recruiting, and credibility in the west. Oregon State is a good start. The rumored WSU game would be great. I think playing Cal regularly would make sense for both schools.



9. A mid to lower level BCS team. I prefer Big East or ACC teams. They provide east coast exposure and are generally beatable.



10. An old WAC or MWC rival. Just to remind them that no matter what they do we're better than them.



11. A CUSA team. This gives BYU a little bit of exposure in the South/Southeast.



12. A MAC or Sun Belt team. BYU can probably land a 2 for 1 with a MAC or Sun Belt team. A good portion of these teams are in recruiting areas that BYU has little or no presence (Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and Louisiana). They are also pretty much sure fire wins.



If you look at the 2013 schedule, it's pretty close to the ideal schedule for me although I wouldn't want to play Texas and Notre Dame in the same year. In 2015 we the have the best shot at implementing this type of schedule (teams already on the schedule are bold:



Game 1- Utah

Game 2- @Cal

Game 3- Maryland

Game 4- Boise State

Game 5- Utah State

Game 6- @Southern Miss

Game 7- @Colorado State

Game 8- Air Force

Game 9- Southern Utah

Game 10- @Notre Dame

Game 11- North Texas

Game 12- @Hawaii



It's not as good as a Big 12 schedule in terms of quality of opponent, but it's better than what we've had in the past.



What's your ideal yet realistic schedule?

Drop Utah. We don't need to help them and we can do without the bad feelings of the Holy War.

Keep Utah if it's 1:1. I think the buildup of vitriol over the last several years substantially reduced this year, and will continue to calm down as we exist in different spheres and have early-season games, but it's still a rivalry to keep.

Dropping Utah is like Notre Dame and USC dropping each other. That is just lame

It is actually a little too ambitious - but close to what we should do if we can get it. Thanks for the Hawaii - really convenient for me - at least until I retire. I would probably still go over to Hawaii even after I retire.



No 2 for 1s. We need to park that mid-major badge of shame in the past - no matter who we are talking about. We are not ND or T's walkover game. Straight up or just swap them out for Arizona, ASU, Cal, OSU, UCLA, Nevada, Fresno State, or a cupckae. And - remember - PAC won't play us after Sept, usually. So, pack Sept with Utah, and a bottom rung PAC or two more. BSU is the big time opponent. Utah will be sme times. THose mid PAC teams will be hot some times. We only need one TOp 15 team per year. More than two is lunacy. Colege football is a regional sport when it is most fun. And athletes are students too. Maybe after kcking some donkey - late in the year please - we need to dominate the Rocky Mountain region with a sprinkle of west coast and western mid-west. And sure - if we can get ND home and away every year - load em up - late in the year. Get Weber State or SUU every year - maybe both - at home every time. Don't hesitate to play 5 or 6 very, almost certainly, winnable games every year and mostly at home. Get 7 or 8 home games every year or a neutral game in SLC, LAs Vegas, or So. Cal that is (UN)Neutral in our favor. Schedule like the big boys schedule if you want to be one of them.

Game 1- Utah

Game 2- Weber State

Game 3- @Washington State

Game 4- @UCLA

Game 5- Utah State

Game 6- UNLV

Game 7- Boise State

Game 8- @Colorado State

Game 9- Air Force

Game 10- BYE or Southern Utah

Game 11- @Notre Dame

Game 12- North Texas

Game 13- @Hawaii



Probably should take the bye instead of the 13th game to avoid wear and tear and injury. This year, 9-3 is the best we would do vs that schedule (10-3 if we punk SUU instead of a bye). More likely - 5 losses.

The Utah game isn't going to be happening after a few years. They are already rumoring to not re up after the current contract expires. I have said before on this board that it makes no sense for Utah to play us. It is a 50/50 game at best, and if you are scheduling a 50/50 game ooc with a non divisional rival as a member of a BCS conference, you are flat out crazy. The **only** way they would want to play us, is if we were rolling as independents, or B12 or whatever, and they were sort of floundering, and we were landing all the big in state recruits. As it stands now, they have no reason to potentially lose to us year to year. They are getting a majority of the recruits they want, and they can avoid a loss on their schedule, which has BCS implications (which bowl, etc.)



We should never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever ever, ever, ever, ever play Air Force. Ever again. Anyone wanting to play Air Force has never played against a team that cut blocks almost every person on the field, on almost every play.



I respect them for their service, but they play some of the dirtiest "legal" football I have ever seen, and we can do without the injuries.



I really don't see any MWC teams scheduling with us under current management. I imagine the "we need to focus on in conference games" bs excuse is going to be instituted there in a few years, if nothing other than to screw us. Which is one of the reasons we locked BSU down for a long term contract, I would think.



Any game from Week 6 on is either going to be a C-USA team, WAC team, or ND. And I am guessing ND and ESPN wants that game early in the year. First couple games-ish.



It is not looking good for the heroes, here.

Mixed feelings about AFA. We have their number most years. But cut blocks bruise up our guys at best and injure some at worst. I would happily substitute a cup cake or New Mexico or Wyo or SJSU or someone quite beatable that does not cut block.



Hate to see the U go away - but if it stays, we better not overschedule other tough matches. And if We go Big - We and They would have the same OOC risk issue. OOC risk should be minimized until a playoff system comes along



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BlueIsBetter wrote:
The Utah game isn't going to be happening after a few years. They are already rumoring to not re up after the current contract expires. I have said before on this board that it makes no sense for Utah to play us. It is a 50/50 game at best, and if you are scheduling a 50/50 game ooc with a non divisional rival as a member of a BCS conference, you are flat out crazy. The **only** way they would want to play us, is if we were rolling as independents, or B12 or whatever, and they were sort of floundering, and we were landing all the big in state recruits. As it stands now, they have no reason to potentially lose to us year to year. They are getting a majority of the recruits they want, and they can avoid a loss on their schedule, which has BCS implications (which bowl, etc.)



We should never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever ever, ever, ever, ever play Air Force. Ever again. Anyone wanting to play Air Force has never played against a team that cut blocks almost every person on the field, on almost every play.



I respect them for their service, but they play some of the dirtiest "legal" football I have ever seen, and we can do without the injuries.



I really don't see any MWC teams scheduling with us under current management. I imagine the "we need to focus on in conference games" bs excuse is going to be instituted there in a few years, if nothing other than to screw us. Which is one of the reasons we locked BSU down for a long term contract, I would think.



Any game from Week 6 on is either going to be a C-USA team, WAC team, or ND. And I am guessing ND and ESPN wants that game early in the year. First couple games-ish.



It is not looking good for the heroes, here.

The thing about Utah is that most BCS conference teams play at least 1 50/50 game in the nonconference schedule, many teams play 2. If Utah opts not to play BYU and plays 3 cupcakes in nonconference play then they will not be acting like a big time program and I don't think Utah wants to be perceived that way.



I like watching the service academies play, but I hate it when they play BYU because of the cut blocking. However, Bronco has made it very clear that he wants to play the service academies. If that is the case AF makes the most sense because of proximity and history.



MWC teams would like to play on ESPN. They will schedule us in the future.



Yes, the back half of the schedule will likely be weak. It is what it is.

Instead of AF every year I'd rotate service academies every year.



And I'd play Utah State 1-1 since Utah is making the real rivalry game difficult.



If I play an FCS team it would have to be an in-state game (Weber, Snow, or SUU).

Do not schedule any Pac 12 teams other than Utah unless the new Pac 12 TV contract guarantees that every game is on TV.



Only schedule AFA in years that we are playing Georgia Tech. Also it would be good to play Navy in those years as well. This way you are playing more than one triple option team so the amount of time spent practicing for this offense is not wasted as we would see the same offense multiple times that year. Don't play these games back to back as the team will get beat up.



Space out the cupcake games in between the tough games so you don't end up with a front loaded schedule like this year.



Also don't schedule 4 home games in a row like this year.



No FCS opponents. Maybe one every four years at the most. You can schedule a New Mexico State, Memphis, New Mexico, Sun Belt team and still get an easy game.



Try to get crappy BCS schools as often as possible: Minnesota, Duke, Indiana, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Iowa State. In their good years they are still beatable and no matter how bad they suck it still counts as beating a BCS school.

I stumbled across a blog where BC fans were looking to schedule BYU. That would be a cool matchup. Great school. Great travel destination. And it’s a big market, so ESPN would be happy about it, too.



http://www.bcinterruption.com/2011/7/14/2273677/future-boston-college-football-scheduling-finding-room-for-byu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



It’s just fans. Still nice to see some enthusiasm about scheduling BYU. And this was written before Syracuse joined the ACC, so they should have another open slot in the OOC schedule.



Move towards dropping the 2:1. OK, it fills out the schedule & makes a lot of sense in the first few years. But long term it sets a terrible precedent. Rumor is Utah was demanding a 2:1? :roll:



Instead of a 2:1, it may be better to just have “neutral” 1 & done matchups like those with WVU & TCU. This may result in a softer schedule. That’s not all bad, it could mean an easier route to a perfect season & busting the BCS.