superchargedcougar wrote:
SpiffCoug wrote:
Is Utah's win over Pitt the best victory by any of our opponents?
I would say Utah State's loss to Auburn was better than any of the victories by our opponents.
The best win by any of our opponents was when the Utes beat us.
With this schedule we wouldn't have gotten into the NC if we were undefeated, Jake Heaps had thrown for an average of 6 TDs a game and had 0 interceptions, held our opponents to negative rushing yards every game, shutout UCF, USU, SJSU, and OSU, and held our opponents to an average of under 7 points. Our SOS is seriously crappy and the fact that we have lost a single game is pretty pathetic. If we had any of the Max Hall's teams or John Beck's senior year team we would go undefeated. This schedule was primed for a BCS run. We just couldn't take advantage of it.
Maybe / Maybe not we go undefeated with those teams. But, I agree no NC from running this table or any table this year. Too many good teams out there in 2011. - but due to Texas and TCU having off seasons, the stupidity of giving them both a free road game could have been overcome.
And aren't you kind of glad that this year's schedule is not loaded with games against legitimately ranked teams. Unless you enjoy seeing your favorite team get pummelled. BYU only has a handful or less of WINS over teams that ended up ranked in the Top 15 at the end of the season in our entire history. Do you really want to play 2 or 3 of those a year? Nobody has a ton of those wins. That is why those teams are ranked that high. Because they do not lose.
But - here is some data.
Hall 2009 - did squeak past an Okie team that was far from its usual self - kind of like Texas this year. But then he got absolutely creamed by a Florida State team in Provo that just wasn't very good. Then he got creamed by TCU - albeit a very good TCU team. So that team might have run this year's gauntlet - but hardly a guarantee.
Hall 2008 - no big wins. Squeaked by a winless UW team by 1 point on blocked EP kick. Killed a poor UCLA team. Got thumped by a good but not great TCU team in Texas. Kind of like this year, but slightly better TCU. Got killed by an over-rated Utah team. Lost to an Arizona team in the Las Vegas Bowl that we were supposed to beat. So this team would have had a shot. Far from a guarantee.
2007 - After beating a mediocre AZ team in Provo, BYU lost in consecutive weeks to an over-rated UCLA team that was ranked at the time, and then to Tulsa. Yes Tulsa. Then we rolled, but did not beat anyone of note. Schedule. Schedule. Schedule. In fact this is the way we should schedule until we run the table a few times. We have only run it once - 1984 - and that was with a weak schedule. This team would have a shot at going undefeated vs 2011 schedule, but they had a shot and failed in their own year. Certainly a shot and certainly not a lock.
2006 - lost to a very beatable Arizona team. Beat Tulsa. Lost to a very beatable and over-rated #23 Boston College in 2 OT. This is the team that beat #15 TCU at the time, in Fort Worth. Smoked a highly rated Oregon team in The Las Vegas Bowl on a very cold night. I was there. This team would not be a lock either - but this one would have had a really good shot.
Bottom line - see the Absolutely Perfect Indy Schedule thread. It has the 1984 schedule. The only time BYU has ever managed to run the table. That schedule was easier than the 2011 schedule. It really was. We did beat a Pitt ream rated #3 a the time - but that over-rated team went on to win about 3 games that year.
BYU does not need a more ambitious schedule. They really don't.
