Who should be our new Rival?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1254879-8-teams-byu-should-develop-a-rivalry-with-in-independence?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=byu-football#/articles/1254879-8-teams-byu-should-develop-a-rivalry-with-in-independence" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



I have some problems with the article but it is a new topic for this long slow summer.

I go with Boise.

From an in-state perspective - USU as the last couple of games have been very entertaining nail biters. We can thank them for causing the coaches to re-evaluate our coaching and team after the loss to them up in Logan.



Out of state new rivals - Notre Dame, BSU and HI.

Boise State could become a true rival.

Notre Dame could become a rivalry.



This author sounds pretty foolish talking about the BYU Utah rivalry not being very good and made it sound like it was very one sided towards BYU. Its been pretty even over the past 20 years...



We should develop the Boise State rivalry to become similar to how Michigan is with Ohio State. Ohio State is the big rivalry game, they still play Michigan State (Utah for us) every year but its a secondary rivalry.



Boise State should definitely be our last game of the season get year.

I'd like BSU to emerge as our rival. USU makes some sense but I get the feeling we're prone to playing down to their level. I'd like a team that our guys would get up for.



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The article promised 8 rivals since we are indy. Hawaii and BSU were on the list and I agree with them. He did not like USU which is wrong. They will partially fill the Utah void. Notre Dame is on it but I give it a half rivalry since we don't play ever year.

it's not going to be notre dame.



When BYU was in the MWC, everyone listed BYU as their rival because we beat them all the time and they hated us etc.. Notre Dame is the same way. Too many schools already list them as their rival and despite the commonalities that BYU fans may see, Notre Dame is just somewhere else.

Anyone with 5 stars or more.

scott715 wrote:
The article promised 8 rivals since we are indy. Hawaii and BSU were on the list and I agree with them. He did not like USU which is wrong. They will partially fill the Utah void. Notre Dame is on it but I give it a half rivalry since we don't play ever year.

The article promised 8 rivals and then listed five conferences. Dumb list.

Does one really "pick" their rival or does that just develop? For that matter, what variables make up a rival?



I assume geography generally has something to do with it. Although ND v USC or Stanford does not. But also there has to be some hill to have bragging rights over. length of time, year after year, etc.



I guess scheduling every year, which may eliminate ND. Although at best we would be like little brother rival, kind of like USU is to us.



Sounds like BSU or Hawaii is our best chance at a rivalry.



So does there have to be some sense of hatred?? Or am I just of jaded with the rivalry with Utah? No, I've seen some big rivalry hated with UT v OK, FL vs FSU, etc, etc.



I do hate BSU!!! But I hate Utah worse.

Guess that puts Utah with nobody. Maybe they will fight with Colorado to stay out of the bottom of the PAC. :munch:

Can't remember if I shared this already, I guess not based on the original post, but it is basically my thoughts about this



http://www.bluecougarfootball.com/2012/06/who-replaces-utah-as-byus-new-archrival.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Did it a little over a month ago.



The BR link was pretty interesting. Definitely an outside the box look at it.



As for Notre Dame, that is a pipe dream. BYU and Notre Dame have a less than 5% chance of ever being rivals.



Rather than include two links in one post, here is what I wrote particularly about Notre Dame in response to the comment" I’d love to see a rivalry develop with Notre Dame.



"I think we all would. It sounds nice on paper: two religious and independent schools who have the flexibility to play in November. However, the “you can’t force a rivalry” rule still applies, and developing a rivalry with Notre Dame presents some special challenges.



"Notre Dame has several rivals already: Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, and USC, to say nothing of Purdue, Army, and Navy. The last thing on the mind of Notre Dame and its fan base is to find another rival. BYU is just another game on the schedule for Notre Dame. That doesn’t mean it is impossible.



"BYU-Notre Dame can turn into a rivalry, but it requires several events to transpire. First, BYU needs to start winning most of the games the two schools play. Second, a BYU win needs to deprive Notre Dame of something—a winning record, a lucrative bowl invite, an undefeated season. Third, BYU needs to become a perennial top 15 team. In short, BYU has to make the game meaningful. Not until beating BYU becomes more valuable than beating those other rivals will a true rivalry exist.



"It is a nice thought, but not something we should expect."

hate does NOT have to be part of it. Equal matched teams is common. A desire for bragging rights or to get attention (i.e. siblings). Geography is common.

byucougar1 wrote:
From an in-state perspective - USU as the last couple of games have been very entertaining nail biters. We can thank them for causing the coaches to re-evaluate our coaching and team after the loss to them up in Logan.



Out of state new rivals - Notre Dame, BSU and HI.

As far as the last few BYU - USU games being nail biters, only the last one was. The one in 2010 was a "huck my remote at the TV in utter anger and frustration" game.



BYU should continue to play USU, but only if they don't expect to just waltz in and win every time. If they prepare properly, and with their heads on straight, I would be willing to guarantee a win almost every time. But USU is best saved for conference weekend. Boise St. should be BYU's #1 and should be played at the end of every season. They should be BYU's new rival, what with the red tail chickens turning tail and running. I think that would end up being a much healthier rivalry than the little yewties anyway. :utard:

Both opponents need to see a rivalry and something needs to be at stake. Being the Best of the three or so remaining independents is not enough to make ND worry much about us - unless we grab that every year for several years and they take it upon themselves to put an end to that. Very,Very, very long shot.



U views themselves as a major and us a mid-major. BSU and SDSU probably view us as an equal and have some regional and historical vitriol. Hawaii looks up to us - like USU - happy to have us be their rival now that BSU will no longer replace us as UH rival. But MWC may create a new rival for UH to hate.



We need to own the Rockies. BSU is our rival unless BeastWest convinces BSU and SDSU that they are rivals. This is very likely. Then we have no rival.



Keep this in mind when you think BEASTWEST has nothing to offer BYU. It could offer us two rivals - take your pick. I know - some of you cannot stomach looking at SDSU as a peer. Get used to it. They got a promotion. No longer a mid-major - though the next closest thing. They did not deserve the promotion - but got it. Like Utah. Like BSU. Like several teams. Maybe BEASTWEST dilution fades it to mid-major in 2014. But no PAC, Big 10, Big 12, ND, ACC, or SEC tem is about to make us it's rival. Really. Get used to it.



Schedule SDSU and BSU every year. Just do it. May not work. They are probably about to become rivals unless we immediately get BSU bought into BYU.



How do we do that? We have a very important date to make a statement on the Blue Turf. For various reasons - BSU has owned us - and nationally - more on the national radar lately. They are two or three in a row up on us. BYU cannot let that grow. Cannot.



Otherwise hope USU and UH do not become rivals.



BYU has no conference. BYU has no rival. BYU is Independent. An Island. Stands alone.



Get used to it.



But someone rattled off a handfull or two if ND rivals. Maybe they do not have one if they have 10. I think they do. It is USC.



Maybe BYU needs a handful of regular opponents as sort of rivals - until after BYU beating Utah several times in The Las Vegas Bowl - The U realizes BYU is still their rival.

scott715 wrote:
hate does NOT have to be part of it. Equal matched teams is common. A desire for bragging rights or to get attention (i.e. siblings). Geography is common.

Maybe not, but hate, or extreme passion, makes it better. Best rivalries in the nation have a level of hate. And it is why it makes the BYU-Utah rivalry rate as high as it does.



As for new rival--Utah Outside shot at BSU, but a 2-game history does not a rivalry make.

How can any rival top the Holy War? And by the way SDSU is not a major. Maybe a Mini-Major. That goes for the whole Big East.

TH will be wise to foster the relationships we have with Utah State and Hawaii. Because of proximity and history, those games can have some real interesting story lines and intrigue. I would also hope that we can get some old MWC opponents back on the schedule, like UNLV, Air Force, and Colorado State. Proximity and history can make for good match-ups.



But Boise State has the most potential at becoming a big time game. Not just for us, but even for the national stage. We haven't played Boise State for at least 6 or 7 years, so you cannot call that a rivalry....yet. However, Boise State has the best chance of becoming our new rival.



* Boise State has many LDS fans and divides families (ie, one spouse is BYU fan, other spouse is Boise State fan).



* Geography is on our side, such that there is some crossover in the fan bases and the half-day drive makes the road trip easy, for either side.



* Both have had recent success - number of wins and rankings - such that expectations are high.



*We have each other on the schedule each year for the next decade plus. That is crucial.



Frankly, all it will take is a couple of good games in 2012 and 2013 and the game's status will elevate exponentially.

scott715 wrote:
How can any rival top the Holy War? And by the way SDSU is not a major. Maybe a Mini-Major. That goes for the whole Big East.

Absolutely agree that no rival can top the Holy War. However, when a crucial part of the rivalry is taken away - not playing each other - the rivalry will suffer. BYU has to go out and have some good games against Boise State and Notre Dame to develop those relationships.



TH should try to get TCU on the schedule consistently as well. There's hope for that game and no reason to not capitalize on the relationships built the last 6 o 7 years. Plus, you have two religious institutions with some conference history. Could be fun.

My comment was:



Frankly I was disappointed. You listed conferences instead of teams. So what is the 8 teams? Texas, Hawaii and BSU (2 are done), Notre Dame (partially done) and ?



I like Texas but doubt it will happen. We have 2 and half. I would add USU as it has been done and it is improving as USU improves and moves up to MWC. I vote for SMU or Houston, We could get a combination of OSU/Washington/WSU on a rotating basis. Maybe UCF/SF could work. Not sold on SDSU yet, we can play there in a bowl. Air Force would be a must if they can work it into their schedule.



I do agree on who not to play unless it was a one and done and it would need to be a MWC team. We offer them ESPN exposure.