creative45 wrote:
Since AQ qualifying is going to become a non-factor why not start our own conference. It seems that with ESPN and BYU TV, a very strong conference could be created with a lot of upside to it.
1. BYU
2. Houston
3. UCF
4. SMU
5. Air Force
6. Army
7. Utah State
8. BSU
This is not a bad start to a pretty good conference. Pick up a couple of other teams from CUSA, MWC WAC and maybe be a little bold and try and raid a team or two from a couple of the major conferences, You know, the teams that have been crapped on and are tired of it. (I know, pipe dream, but if you are going to dream, dream big.) We could also partner with one of the conferences and create something like a regional playoff between the two instead of a conference championship. I think this would create more interest and money then just a conference play-off and we donât have the problems like the old WAC when it was 16 teams.
You forgot Navy. SDSU. Hawaii. then Nevada or FSU or SJSU.
Problem is - BEAST with it's BCS AQ and basketball prestige is going to trump this and these guys will turn you down - at least half will anyway.
BEAST WEST is going to happen. SDSU is going to send us a thank you card. I am sure TCU did as well. We remain Indy for now. See Wrubel's column today. He spells out what it all means. BYU needs to win. BYU needs to go undefeated. BYU needs to schedule accordingly. 1 loss per season on occasion is tolerable. 2 losses - a stretch. For BYU to be relevant it needs to go 13-0 or 12-1 essentially every year.
This would also be true in BEAST WEST. Maybe BYU could succeed with 1 more loss there. Big 12. Maybe 2 more losses. But that is it. Anything else, and you are out of the rankings, out of the discussion nationally, pretty irrelevant, invisible. Ask Utah when this season is over.
We spend way too much time worrying about how unworthy our oppnents are and way not enough time worrying about why 11-2 is the best we have done in nearly 30 years and we haven't done that very often. 10-3 barely cuts it folks. We went 7-6 last year. 10-3 is far from assured this year. In fact - 9-4 or 8-5 is more likely. But 10-3 is possible. We could do it. It is something to get up for. I certainly hope it means something to the players.
It means a Top 25 ranking. It means starting next season ranked. Even if we have another QB controversy next year - both Heaps and Nelson will be better than they were in 2010 or 2011. Lark might even be decent.
My biggest worry about 2010 was the schedule. I worried that it was too tough. Too many tough road games. Too tough early for a young team. Too tough for an inexperienced QB. I think I was spot on.
My biggest worry in 2011 was the schedule. I did expect to do better than 2010. But I was worried about Ole MIss on the road early. Our 1 point miracle win courtesy of KVN means I needed to be worried. I expected it to be close. It was. I expected to lose to Texas at their crib. I thought it was stupid to take that risk without a 1 for 1. But if you like moral victories - we got one of those out of it. I was worried about Utah but expected it to be winnable and close. Ouch. I expected USU to give us a battle but did not expect to have to bench Heaps to win it. I expected TCU to be a loss and thought it was stupid to take that one and done on their practice field. I always worry about Bowl opponents. We win some and lose some of those. I expected between 9-4 and 11-2 after bowling.
My biggest worry for 2012 is the schedule. Not that it is too weak or too boring. It will test us. Too many tough road games early. Rebuilding OL and loss of JJ and Kariya. Rebuilding DL and LB. The schedule is tougher than 2011 or 2010. It is. Maybe we ought to worry about how to get ready to win those games instead of itching about them.
