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Potential Opportunities for uture BYU Scheduling

by byucougar1 · 7/20/2012

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byucougar1
The WI H-H series may be a sign of things to come with BYU scheduling. Strength of schedule (SOS) appeats to be a key evaluation factor for the selection of teams in the four-team playoff to determine the national champion. It is no secret that in the past many programs from the big five conferences have scheduled up to three cupcakes to offset challenging competition within their division. Therefore, several teams could be looking to follow Wisconsin’s example and play more difficult opponents.



BYU is an Independent with flexibility in their future schedule to accommodate big name programs looking to bolster their SOS for the selection committee. As a perennial top 25 program, that seems to offer good competition, many make think they are beatable on their home field, which would represent an accomplished victory. This also bodes well for the Y, as a road victory over a formidable program brings cred.



I believe that this is an opportunity that Tom Holmoe and BYU could captitalize on as they schedule future opponents. Exposure on ESPN and quality opponents could lead to some big money and wonderful opportunities to make some noise.
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YNot
The ESPN deal will be very beneficial. Wisconsin and other big programs will know that the return trip to Provo will be on ESPN, for sure.
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byucougar1
I like the idea that big schools are honestly reviewing their schedule against cupcakes and replacing them with stronger opponents. Hopefully, BYU becomes an attractive venue with their drawing power, competitive team and ESPN contract.
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mormonrasta
I think it is fantasy to think that teams are going to have more difficult nonconference schedules to appease the selection committee. Most teams from major conferences play one and only one "name" opponent (i.e. an opponent that can actually beat you) in nonconference play and a bunch of scrubs. The reason they do this is to 1. make sure they have at least 7 home games and 2. Can just be OK in conference play to be bowl eligible.



Look at college basketball. BYU is a team that routinely is in the top 25 RPI and would help anybody's SOS for the selection committee. Yet how many "big name" programs do we see come through the MC? Very few. Why? Because just like in football wins and home games are more important than SOS.
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byucougar1
Read WI story - it totally contradicts your statement. They are scheduling challenging teams but also with belief they should likely win at home 50-50 away. Right now BYU is an unproven commodity whose reputation has been diminished while languishing in MWC and now just coming into view via ESPN exposure. Nothing talks like H-H-N.



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scott715
There is a greater opportunity to get a scheduling agreement with the Big East if they have 13 teams in conference.
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Mingjai
byucougar1 wrote:
Right now BYU is an unproven commodity whose reputation has been diminished while languishing in MWC and now just coming into view via ESPN exposure.


I don't know about that--everyone I talk to in the Midwest knows who BYU is and has a healthy respect for them. That includes media, Big Ten football players, and general football fans. The lack of exposure wasn't too big of a deal because even if BYU was on TV, not too many are going to watch it. Midwesterners watch very little games in the Mountain or Pacific time zones anyway because they happen so late in the day.



Once BYU got strong again from 2006 on, there were enough games on ESPN, VS, and CSTV that I know plenty friends, colleagues, and acquaintances who told me they watched BYU games without any effort. Versus had good distribution in the upper Midwest and every hockey fan--i.e., Minnesotan--knows what channel Versus is.
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Mars
mormonrasta wrote:
I think it is fantasy to think that teams are going to have more difficult nonconference schedules to appease the selection committee. Most teams from major conferences play one and only one "name" opponent (i.e. an opponent that can actually beat you) in nonconference play and a bunch of scrubs. The reason they do this is to 1. make sure they have at least 7 home games and 2. Can just be OK in conference play to be bowl eligible.



Look at college basketball. BYU is a team that routinely is in the top 25 RPI and would help anybody's SOS for the selection committee. Yet how many "big name" programs do we see come through the MC? Very few. Why? Because just like in football wins and home games are more important than SOS.

Very good post, and absolutely true. The SEC will still play Bowling Green, The Citadel, North Texas, and Louisiana-Lafeyette every season. Wins over weak opponents will always, always trump losses to strong opponents. No 0-loss SEC/Big XII/Big Ten/PAC-12/ACC team will ever be left out of the Playoff. 1 loss guarantees a BCS bowl bid, and often a Playoff bid. 2 losses will almost always be good enough as well. 2 conference losses plus an OOC loss to BYU? That spells Alamo Bowl.
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mormonrasta
byucougar1 wrote:
Read WI story - it totally contradicts your statement. They are scheduling challenging teams but also with belief they should likely win at home 50-50 away. Right now BYU is an unproven commodity whose reputation has been diminished while languishing in MWC and now just coming into view via ESPN exposure. Nothing talks like H-H-N.



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Actually, Wisconsin is simply trying to get up to the standard of most major conference teams. They haven't played a quality (judged by top 25 finishes) regular season nonconference game in almost a decade. From 2003 to present Wisconsin hasn't played a regular season nonconference game vs. a team that finished ranked. Every other team in the Big 10 has played at least 2 except Indiana. Penn St., Illinois, and Purdue played 6.



Wisky is just trying to get up to the standard of their conference mates.



But look at the larger trend. After the playoff format was announced the Pac-12 and Big10 discontinued their scheduling agreement. That wouldn't have happened is SOS was a priority. Utah said they will not play BYU because they are playing Michigan. If SOS was a priority they would have played both. Major conference teams will schedule the way they have recently scheduled; one "quality" nonconference game and a bunch of garbage.
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byucougar1
The scenario you are referring to does not apply to all teams across the board - it is common knowledge that FL and USC load their schedule and don't play patsies. They do this to demonstrate the power of their program and always be on the big stage. IMO BYU is trying to do something similar and looking for venues that will have a very large fan appeal due to the nature of the competition. There are clearly more WI out there that have to pick it up to be considered relevant. Right now the focus for BYU is showing they can compete/win with the KINGS so they can position themselves for higher visibility bowl games - which also means they must have a good fan base to attract viewers (at game or watching it on TV).



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Cougarbib
byucougar1 wrote:
I like the idea that big schools are honestly reviewing their schedule against cupcakes and replacing them with stronger opponents. Hopefully, BYU becomes an attractive venue with their drawing power, competitive team and ESPN contract.

This is what is wrong with college football. It is a beauty contest and teams play to "not lose".



If a 4-team play-off starts to change that a little bit, it will have proven to be well worth the wait. I have doubts. But some teams will - at least until they lose one or two of those games and miss the boat for that reason. Then the pendulum may swing back. Other programs like SEC teams may continue to avoid such risk and assume that their puffed up records resulting from all conference members doing the same,bill give them enough SOS. About the time an SEC team goes undefeated and gets nudged by a Big East team due to OOC SOS - look for them to change.



I hope it has the effect you suggested - for enough programs to get BYU an elite game every year vs Top 10 team, about 2 or 3 more Top 25 teams, and another 2-4 Top 50 teams. Then get 4 manageable games and a Bowl game. Maybe invoke the Hawaii rule and get a cup-cake warm up game even if us season ticket holders have to cough up another $20-40. Hit us even harder - insist on 2 for 1 with those weaker opponents. 8 home games. 5 roadies. And BYU never bends over again for anybody.



There - The Bibster's hopes and dreams. We All have them.
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Mars
byucougar1 wrote:
The scenario you are referring to does not apply to all teams across the board - it is common knowledge that FL and USC load their schedule and don't play patsies.

Isn't Florida well known for never willingly leaving the state of Florida?
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byucougar1
FL generally never goes much beyond Mason Dixon Line and West of MS. LSU on the other hand will venture anywhere (i.e. games with UW, OR, USC). Point is, that they are willing to step out and play some competition. I hope we can schedule some of these teams that will truly test our character/skill.
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Cougarbib
byucougar1 wrote:
The scenario you are referring to does not apply to all teams across the board - it is common knowledge that FL and USC load their schedule and don't play patsies. They do this to demonstrate the power of their program and always be on the big stage. IMO BYU is trying to do something similar and looking for venues that will have a very large fan appeal due to the nature of the competition. There are clearly more WI out there that have to pick it up to be considered relevant. Right now the focus for BYU is showing they can compete/win with the KINGS so they can position themselves for higher visibility bowl games - which also means they must have a good fan base to attract viewers (at game or watching it on TV).



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You logic is astounding. Wisconsin just finished a Top 10 season and you think they need to "pick it up to be relevant?". Really.



Now logic fail #2

Have you actually looked at Florida's OOC schedule? Any SEC schedule. Cupcake city. Big Stage - sure - their own home field 7 or 8 games. Un-neutral advantages. Cupcake City. The entire conference - fluffing up all of their records so that conference wins are all against teams with a winning record. Then throw in the Vandetbilt conference game. Sure - they are out there trying to prove their greatness and play on the big stage. Sure.



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Cougarbib
Mars wrote:
The scenario you are referring to does not apply to all teams across the board - it is common knowledge that FL and USC load their schedule and don't play patsies.

Isn't Florida well known for never willingly leaving the state of Florida?

Absolutely true. "Common Knowledge". BYUCougar1 should look at those schedules and come back and retract. USC - does take on challenges. Florida - hardly. Even LSU works a little cake into their cup. Just go look. Public info.



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mormonrasta
byucougar1 wrote:
The scenario you are referring to does not apply to all teams across the board - it is common knowledge that FL and USC load their schedule and don't play patsies. They do this to demonstrate the power of their program and always be on the big stage. IMO BYU is trying to do something similar and looking for venues that will have a very large fan appeal due to the nature of the competition. There are clearly more WI out there that have to pick it up to be considered relevant. Right now the focus for BYU is showing they can compete/win with the KINGS so they can position themselves for higher visibility bowl games - which also means they must have a good fan base to attract viewers (at game or watching it on TV).



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This is why I said most, not all. Most major conference teams follow the pattern that I described. Florida is a perfect example. They play one quality team each year in nonconference play, Florida State. Then they play 3 directional schools so that they can beef up their record and the amount of home games.



Yes. There are programs that don't just play one quality opponent each year. Oregon State has played 15 regular season nonconference games over the last 5 years and 8 of those teams they played finished ranked. Washington also played 15 games and 7 of them finished ranked, plus last year was the first year they played a FCS team. USC and UCLA have never played a FCS team. Florida State, LSU, and Oklahoma are other programs that haven't been afraid to tee it up with the best.



But outside of the Pac-12 and a few other teams, it gets dicey. Which is why the Wisconsin series is a real feather in the cap up Holmoe and the program. Those types of series aren't going to happen too often.
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Cougarbib
mormonrasta wrote:
The scenario you are referring to does not apply to all teams across the board - it is common knowledge that FL and USC load their schedule and don't play patsies. They do this to demonstrate the power of their program and always be on the big stage. IMO BYU is trying to do something similar and looking for venues that will have a very large fan appeal due to the nature of the competition. There are clearly more WI out there that have to pick it up to be considered relevant. Right now the focus for BYU is showing they can compete/win with the KINGS so they can position themselves for higher visibility bowl games - which also means they must have a good fan base to attract viewers (at game or watching it on TV).



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This is why I said most, not all. Most major conference teams follow the pattern that I described. Florida is a perfect example. They play one quality team each year in nonconference play, Florida State. Then they play 3 directional schools so that they can beef up their record and the amount of home games.



Yes. There are programs that don't just play one quality opponent each year. Oregon State has played 15 regular season nonconference games over the last 5 years and 8 of those teams they played finished ranked. Washington also played 15 games and 7 of them finished ranked, plus last year was the first year they played a FCS team. USC and UCLA have never played a FCS team. Florida State, LSU, and Oklahoma are other programs that haven't been afraid to tee it up with the best.



But outside of the Pac-12 and a few other teams, it gets dicey. Which is why the Wisconsin series is a real feather in the cap up Holmoe and the program. Those types of series aren't going to happen too often.


Agree - if Whisky ends up H-H without some un-neutral site game EXCEPT FOR THIS:



I would rather play some over-hyped elite power - like Ohio State.
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