Independence and Recruiting

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765633214/BYU-football-Scheduling-as-independent-helps-recruiting.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Two main points appear to be:



1. The ESPN exposure (only 7 teams were seen more on TV than BYU and none when BYUTv is factored into the mix. The players parents, family, friends, etc. will be able to follow the players career via TV if they can't attend the game).



2. The schedule (ability to play a variety of teams, travel to different venues, play big-name schools, etc.).



Based upon the majority of recruits so far being outside the state and from our hotbed recruiting areas, it appears that they are aware of BYU from seeing them on TV.



Let's see if 2014/2015 recruiting classes support the article's assessment.

This compounded over a few years with some quality wins and maybe the recruits, both non-LDS and top end LDS will increase. Good stuff.

And there are some chances this year for some quality wins. These games aren't just for the 2014 recruiting class. They're also important for the 2018 & 2019 kids too.



We need kids who are now in 7th and 8th grade to continually see BYU on TV - and winning.

Not to mention RMs from other schools that may have a change of heart (while in the mission field) and like the spiritual attributes of the Y as well as a consistent successful football program.

I read an article a while ago (can't remember where) that chronicled Boise state's recruiting success alongside their ESPN exposure. It was a BYU article that predicted BYU's recruiting to get better the longer they are on ESPN. Basically the author of the article was predicting BYU's talent to start reflecting the exposure on ESPN within 3-5 years after the contract started. It was pretty enlightening.

Spiff and Butter



Yes. And this is why BYU should be scheduling to win like BSU did. It worked.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

You are right on this Bib. But the fans are in deep-denial that we arent as good as the big boys week in and week out, season over season, and demand that we play a SEC-like schedule to merit entry into Babylon, I mean a BCS conference.

Fortunately this year we have some really good talent returning which will help the sting of or should I say string of losses. But, let's lace em up and see how we do. I still think this schedule looks much tougher on paper. But if we lose a few key guys, the river of deNile will dry up.

I'd take an LSU-type schedule. Sure, you've got some EXTREMELY tough games (Alabama, South Carolina, etc.)



But you've also got some great and winnable games too. Start by having only to play four road games. You've also got a game against and FCS team. And then you have five other games against teams with a losing record. That's six wins right there. Split the rest of your games and you're at 9-3!



LSU played five ranked teams last year and had three of those games at home.



The SEC knows how to schedule. Yes they play good teams at points in the season, but they also play some real bad teams too. LSU played four teams that four or fewer games.

You mean the upper echelon SEC teams know how to schedule, right? I don't think the mid to lower teams get as many breaks as the upper teams do. I could be wrong about that.

The part about denial, and while I'm at it, fans fantasies, are that BYU will rarely if ever have those same luxuries afforded to SEC teams.

BYU does this year--a great slate of tough home games and a few tough away games. So let's see how BYU does. I am certainly far more optimistic this year than last year--we have twice the qb and a fairly probably fix to the crap Oline that we have had under the Reynolds/Webber regime.

Ole Miss, Mississippi St., Tennessee, Auburn, and Kentucky are good examples of how the SEC schedules out of conference. You get 3 gimmies at home and one other tough/decent opponent (if that).



Ole Miss' gimmies - Central Arkansas (FCS), UTEP (C-USA) and Tulane (C-USA)

Miss St. gimmies - Jackson St. (FCS), MTSU (Sun Belt), South Alabama (Sun Belt?)

Tennessee - Georgia St. (FCS), Akron (MAC), Troy (Sun Belt)

Auburn gimmies - ULM (Sun Belt?), NMSU (WAC), Alabama A&M (FCS)

Kentucky's gimmies - Kent St. (MAC), W. Kentucky (Sun Belt), Samford (FCS)



Ole Miss tough OOC - Texas

Miss St. "tough" OOC - at Troy (??? Sun Belt - but on the road)

Tennessee tough OOC - NC St. in Atlanta

Auburn tough OOC - Clemson in Atlanta

Kentucky tough OOC - at Louisville



Ultimately, almost every SEC team has at least a 3-1 record out of conference (2-2 at worst - see Kentucky). So, when the SEC teams play each other, the conference has an extremely good-looking record to pad the computer rankings and sway the voters.



The result was, Ole miss goes 3-5 in the SEC, but still finishes bowl eligible with a 6-6 record. Mississip St. goes 4-4 in the SEC and is easily bowl eligible. Tennessee would have gone bowling if they could have beaten one of Missouri, Mississippi St., or Vanderbilt in conference play. (Auburn and Kentucky were hopeless, both going 0-8 in the SEC).



Side note - Kentucky was bad; 0-8 in the SEC and finished the season 2-10 - losing to Western Kentucky at home. But still, Kentucky beat Kent St. 47-14. Kent St. was in the top 25 most of the season - a pretty major indictment of the weakness of the MAC and the silliness of the college football rankings system.

The SEC is a joke. I can't believe it when I actually hear people defending the SEC as a conference. If BYU had 8 home games every year we would always have a fantastic record.



Home field advantage is such a HUGE contributor to success.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Let's not go too far. There is no doubt that they pad their schedules to get seven and eight home games. We would do the same, if we could. We simply cannot. The SEC title games and national championships the last seven years prove that it is the most dominant conference. But people are right to point out that some of that reputation comes from buying wins. Most of the reputation, though, comes from kicking the crap out of the other teams in the BCS title games.



Before this current streak of titles, the Big 10, Big 12, and Pac 10 were often mentioned as the best conference. Shoot, no kidding, but the Big East was mentioned in that vein when Miami was dominating before joining the ACC. Until someone dethrones the SEC in the title game, it will continue to get credit as the most dominant conference. But this, too, shall pass.



I hope BYU smokes its independent schedule (not the watered down crap Bibs keeps asking for) and gets a shot at an SEC team (not a weakling Ole MIss, or Miss St.) in a BCS bowl or better. It would be nice to put that notch on the belt. Frankly, thought I love BYU, its not much fun watching them beat up the sisters of the poor. That's fun for about a quarter. Nor would it be fun to get the :utard: treatment. I quite like the way independence is shaping up as something in between (tough schedules, but bye weeks before to get ready).

Even The Bibster hopes BYU smokes the schedule. Just realistic about the odds of that. Don't want to hear you berating players and coaches if BYU ends up 6-6, thouvh.



For me BYU is fun to watch. Period.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Cougarbib wrote:
Even The Bibster hopes BYU smokes the schedule. Just realistic about the odds of that. Don't want to hear you berating players and coaches if BYU ends up 6-6, thouvh.



For me BYU is fun to watch. Period.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

You won't hear it from me. I am well aware of what we are, and what we can become. I love to see us challenge ourselves so that we are playing a tougher schedule, but with some thought that gives us a puncher's chance in every game. I am not expecting perennial domination...just bowl eligibility, our teams best efforts (not beating ourselves), a clean program that everyone can be proud of, and a special season every decade or two.

Cougarfan87 wrote:
I am not expecting perennial domination...just bowl eligibility, our teams best efforts (not beating ourselves), a clean program that everyone can be proud of, and a special season every decade or two.

This is all I ask for as well as should any reasonable fan. Elite programs don't beat themselves because they truly value discipline as the cornerstone of success. I think BYU does okay here but our turnovers and penalties have been criminal in the big games.

Cougarfan87 wrote:

Even The Bibster hopes BYU smokes the schedule. Just realistic about the odds of that. Don't want to hear you berating players and coaches if BYU ends up 6-6, thouvh.



For me BYU is fun to watch. Period.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

You won't hear it from me. I am well aware of what we are, and what we can become. I love to see us challenge ourselves so that we are playing a tougher schedule, but with some thought that gives us a puncher's chance in every game. I am not expecting perennial domination...just bowl eligibility, our teams best efforts (not beating ourselves), a clean program that everyone can be proud of, and a special season every decade or two.

My feelings exactly. We are due for one of those special seasons.Will it be this year? We can talk about it in January.

Screamineagle wrote:

Cougarbib wrote:
Even The Bibster hopes BYU smokes the schedule. Just realistic about the odds of that. Don't want to hear you berating players and coaches if BYU ends up 6-6, thouvh.



For me BYU is fun to watch. Period.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

You won't hear it from me. I am well aware of what we are, and what we can become. I love to see us challenge ourselves so that we are playing a tougher schedule, but with some thought that gives us a puncher's chance in every game. I am not expecting perennial domination...just bowl eligibility, our teams best efforts (not beating ourselves), a clean program that everyone can be proud of, and a special season every decade or two.

My feelings exactly. We are due for one of those special seasons.Will it be this year? We can talk about it in January.

Depending on which seasons you think were special - I guarantee you that season had a Jr or Sr QB, a strong supporting cast, stable and experienced coaching staff, a solid defense, decent kicking game, and a much easier schedule than we have this year.



If you disagree, let me know which special season did not require pretty much all of this to fall into place.



This season does not sound like one that would make us due this year.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Cougarbib wrote:

Cougarfan87 wrote:

Even The Bibster hopes BYU smokes the schedule. Just realistic about the odds of that. Don't want to hear you berating players and coaches if BYU ends up 6-6, thouvh.



For me BYU is fun to watch. Period.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

You won't hear it from me. I am well aware of what we are, and what we can become. I love to see us challenge ourselves so that we are playing a tougher schedule, but with some thought that gives us a puncher's chance in every game. I am not expecting perennial domination...just bowl eligibility, our teams best efforts (not beating ourselves), a clean program that everyone can be proud of, and a special season every decade or two.

My feelings exactly. We are due for one of those special seasons.Will it be this year? We can talk about it in January.

Depending on which seasons you think were special - I guarantee you that season had a Jr or Sr QB, a strong supporting cast, stable and experienced coaching staff, a solid defense, decent kicking game, and a much easier schedule than we have this year.



If you disagree, let me know which special season did not require pretty much all of this to fall into place.



This season does not sound like one that would make us due this year.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

You are right that it has not happened in the past. But our recruits are getting better, the coaches on the defensive side are way better than any we had in the past, and there isn't anyone on the schedule we can't beat. Just because it hasn't happened with this kind of schedule does not mean that the program is not ready to take a step forward. The 10 win seasons against nobodies were getting kind of old. If BYU wants to be relevant, it takes more than just cupcake schedules anymore. Will there be some bumps and bruises along the way? Sure there will. But if we have a special season with this kind of schedule, doing it the right way, then that will be something to behold. I have faith that Bronco has it in him to get us there. He's getting the recruits, he has the coaching in place, we have the schedules, now its up to the young men to work hard to achieve it. But, like I said, I am not expecting perennial domination...just bowl eligibility, our teams best efforts (not beating ourselves), a clean program that everyone can be proud of, and a special season every decade or two. There is no reason to believe that this cannot happen. No one landed on the moon, until someone did. We've scrapped messing around with weather sattelites and are now shooting for the moon. Enjoy the ride. Or don't. The choice is yours.

I always enjoy the ride. Even last year. An undefeated season is always possible. Not at all likely this year. BTW - after 1984, recruiting of star studded recruits improved, schedules got tougher, losses mounted, and vocal fans decried that Chow and Edwards had lost their touch and excitedly welcomed Crowton to take them to the next level. Even decried that Edwards had left the cupboard bare, but when Crowton had time to get his own guys.....................



Ironically, Crowton wenr 12-0 with the bare cupboard before Staley went down and then sunk the ship with his own recruits while Chow produced Heisman contenders at lowly NC State and then USC.



So yes. I enjoy the ride every year. Including those 10 qnd 11 win seasons that got old for you. Back when BYU was nationally relevant almost every year. Watch BSU continue to prove that the 1984 BYU formula still gets you a BCS Bowl.



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Cougarbib wrote:
So yes. I enjoy the ride every year. Including those 10 qnd 11 win seasons that got old for you. Back when BYU was nationally relevant almost every year. Watch BSU continue to prove that the 1984 BYU formula still gets you a BCS Bowl.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Times have changed, and its seems they have passed you by. If a BCS bowl is all you want, then the old formula will work just fine. However, most fans want much more, and that old formula just wont work anymore...that old formula is why the BCS came into existence--so that a number one ranked team (BYU) would have to play the #2 ranked team (Washington, Oklahoma, or whoever it was that would not accept the Holiday Bowl invitation to play BYU instead of Michigan). Powder puff schedules did not get anyone into a national championship game under the BCS formula, and that is what fans long for again--everyone knows we can dumb down our schedule enough to get to a BCS bowl.



Dumbed-down schedules don't do much for me or fans that have aspirations of some day getting to and winning another national title. They certainly would not prepare a team to play in a four team playoff against at least two great teams. It does not satisfy most fans, players, recruits, or coaches in the new landscape of college football. For every TCU, Utah, and Boise State, there will be a Hawaii and Northern Illinois that just got embarrassed because their weak schedule did not prepare them to play a team of real significance.



I like playing basketball with my son, but beating him doesn't do much for me. It is only when it is truly a challenge that victory means something. Doing what your easily capable of doing doesn't prove anything. So please, stop advocating a dumbed-down schedule for BYU.



I, for one, agree with Tom Holmoe. It is only schedules like this one that prepare a team to get to a championship game--and when they do, they will deserve it. We don't want to sneak in. We want to earn it. There won't be the same attacks that we have always had against the 1984 Championship as being illegitimate. It will require patience, like I said before, because we will not be a perennial dominator, but being bowl eligible with an awesome schedule, a team that may get beat but doesn't beat themselves, and a clean program will be fine. And every decade or two, a special season will be the frosting on the cake. I believe being Independent allows us to schedule the tough games, but in a way we can handle (Byes before the tough games, e.g.), without compromising our standards. BYU actually wants to be better than Boise State, TCU, and Utah. They can have their BCS wins. We want more. So please, stop the incessant warning that we won't have the same number of wins as before. We get it. We won't get to a BCS game--That's right, because we will either be in the Playoff or not at all. There won't be 10 win seasons every year full of cupcakes. Got it. Let it go.