BYU SoS

BYU's SoS did not turn out to be as tough as expected:



#37: http://www.teamrankings.com/college-football/ranking/strength-of-schedule-by-team" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



#52: http://www.bcftoys.com/sos/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



#32: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

32 is about where I thought it was expected.



Irrespective of that,



What BYU team faced a tougher schedule and what was it rated.



Ty Detmer senior season is a contender.

1996 had 15 games and a great Bowl Game included



2013 is probably still tougher.



BYU has had seasons that included an opponent tougher than any one team we played this year. Miami for example. But even if you play the #1 team in the country, that is only 1 loss. .... wait..... they came to Provo and BYU won.



@Wisconsin

@ND

Kraft Fight Hunger Games

Texas

Boise State

@USU

Utah

@Houston

GT

@Nevada

@UVA

MTSU

ISU



Draw the line wherever you want, but I only see one gimme and 3 more easy - but we lost an easy and got a dog fight in another. So really - only 1 was easy.



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What I find interesting is, outside of Notre Dame, BYU has the strongest SOS of any school that is not in one of the P5 conferences. IMO, kudos to TH and BM for putting together such a schedule as an independent. This has to be a tremendously difficult and challenging task in this day and age. With that being said, part of me still misses having a conference championship to play for and following how the conference mates are doing each week. Part of me wishes BYU was playing in a conference championship game this week. Would I want that to be the MWC and a trip to Fresno on Saturday playing in prime time on CBS following Auburn vs Mizzou? (not sure what to think of the Aggies on national TV....I guess good for them) That might be a tough "no" this year, but probably not in the Coug's best interest in the long run. The Big 12 (10) needs to get their #$@% together, go to 12 schools and a championship game, invite BYU with a full invite for all sports, recognize and respect the Y's uniqueness, thus joining all the P5 conferences in the spotlight come championship Saturday. It is the Christmas Season and one can wish can't they?

The SoS was not as high given ND and UT ended up being disappointments this year. WI even ended up lower than expected, only 2 opponents ended up being ranked. I believe of the games on the schedule, BYU should have been highly favored in all but 4 games (WI, ND, UT and bowl game) and BYU should have split the 4 games (they still may). I think the schedule ended up being very manageable; there was no one that would have been a huge upset if we won.



The killer was losing games BYU had no business losing......aka Utah and UVA.

My contender for toughest schedule would be 1985:



Boston College (defending Cotton Bowl champs, finished #5 in '84)

UCLA (finished #7, won Rose Bowl)

Washington (defending Orange Bowl champs, finished #2 in '84)

Air Force (finished #8, only loss to BYU)

Ohio State (finished #14, beat BYU in bowl)



If not for some key injuries and a few quirky bounces, this team would have been the repeat national champs. Not often you see a non-power conference team lose a bowl, finish with 3 losses and still be ranked at #16 in the final poll.

IMO 1991 was easily the most difficult.....final rankings:



Penn State #3

Florida State #4

Iowa #10

UCLA #18

Air Force #24



The rest of the games were fluff (ex-SDSU), but playing 3 top 10 teams is legit. Worth noting SDSU had a RB named Marshal Faulk.



I agree with Mingjai that 1985 was legit, but the high rankings were from the year prior not where they ended.

Here the number of opponents in each season that won 8 or more games:

2013 7

2012 6

2010 6

2007 6

2000 6

2009 5

2008 5

2005 5

1991 5

1990 5

1988 5

2006 4

2003 4

2001 4

1996 4

1993 4

1989 4

1987 4

1985 4

1982 4

1981 4

1975 4

2004 3

2002 3

1999 3

1997 3

1995 3

1994 3

1992 3

1986 3

1980 3

1979 3

1978 3

1976 3

2011 2

1998 2

1977 2

1974 2

1973 2

1972 2

1984 1

1983 1

Mingjai wrote:
My contender for toughest schedule would be 1985:



Boston College (defending Cotton Bowl champs, finished #5 in '84)

UCLA (finished #7, won Rose Bowl)

Washington (defending Orange Bowl champs, finished #2 in '84)

Air Force (finished #8, only loss to BYU)

Ohio State (finished #14, beat BYU in bowl)



If not for some key injuries and a few quirky bounces, this team would have been the repeat national champs. Not often you see a non-power conference team lose a bowl, finish with 3 losses and still be ranked at #16 in the final poll.

Does it really matter where they finished the prior year. Where did they finish in '85?



Excluding Bowl Game, which is not in SOS initially because you do not know who you will get,



UCLA and AFA were tougher than anyone this year. Beyond that, a couple of challenging games you listed.



What you left out were the other 6 or 7 WAC opponents from a very weak WAC.



IIRC, 1-10 UTEP turned out to be a tough game that year. Bosco played Broken Bosco that year with an undisclosed injury.



UCLA ended our nation leading win streak with a bomb at the end of the game.



Fun season. But it probably had only 3 regular season games where BYU was not favored.



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Bronco is 24-22 against teams that win 8 or more games. He was 5-2 this year.

NDCougar wrote:
IMO 1991 was easily the most difficult.....final rankings:



Penn State #3

Florida State #4

Iowa #10

UCLA #18

Air Force #24



The rest of the games were fluff (ex-SDSU), but playing 3 top 10 teams is legit. Worth noting SDSU had a RB named Marshal Faulk.



I agree with Mingjai that 1985 was legit, but the high rankings were from the year prior not where they ended.

So not counting Bowls - 3 teams tougher than any this year and 1 more pretty good one plus SDSU a good team. Then WAC fodder.



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SpiffCoug wrote:
Bronco is 24-22 against teams that win 8 or more games. He was 5-2 this year.

Wow, great year for him this year, in that regard.

And if we play Washington in the bowl game - eight our 13 opponents will have won 8 or more games. This will only increase the amount of what is already the highest number quality teams on any one schedule.

SpiffCoug wrote:
Here the number of opponents in each season that won 8 or more games:

2013 7

2012 6

2010 6

2007 6

2000 6

2009 5

2008 5

2005 5

1991 5

1990 5

1988 5

2006 4

2003 4

2001 4

1996 4

1993 4

1989 4

1987 4

1985 4

1982 4

1981 4

1975 4

2004 3

2002 3

1999 3

1997 3

1995 3

1994 3

1992 3

1986 3

1980 3

1979 3

1978 3

1976 3

2011 2

1998 2

1977 2

1974 2

1973 2

1972 2

1984 1

1983 1

This year may be toughest top to bottom, but we did not have many top opponents (ranking wise). WI and UT are ranked in the low/mid 20's, no one else is top 25. Do you have data with # of ranked teams, also with those in the top 10 finish?



I would take 2013 over 1991 any day of the week if my goal was to win out. I did not find this years schedule overly daunting looking back, maybe at the beginning of the year before several team fell apart (UT and ND).



IMO this year was the perfect schedule, every game was winnable with brand name opponents. We would be in a BCS game if we won out, but no games being impossible. 1991 was too daunting, that being said if undefeated we would have had a gripe to be in the top 2 (if we beat 3 top 10 teams).

SpiffCoug wrote:
And if we play Washington in the bowl game - eight our 13 opponents will have won 8 or more games. This will only increase the amount of what is already the highest number quality teams on any one schedule.

This is the true measure of a SOS. Eight games that could easily go either way.



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Cougarbib wrote:

And if we play Washington in the bowl game - eight our 13 opponents will have won 8 or more games. This will only increase the amount of what is already the highest number quality teams on any one schedule.

This is the true measure of a SOS. Eight games that could easily go either way.



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I could go either way. I lean more towards how many top teams you play.



I think last year's schedule was tougher because we played 5 really good teams that finished nationally ranked. Plus, a pretty solid Georgia Tech team.



Wisconsin may be the only team we play that will finish nationally ranked although Texas and ND both have a decent chance. I acknowledge that our depth this year is superior.

Cougarbib wrote:

And if we play Washington in the bowl game - eight our 13 opponents will have won 8 or more games. This will only increase the amount of what is already the highest number quality teams on any one schedule.

This is the true measure of a SOS. Eight games that could easily go either way.



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That has some truth to it, but I don't necessarily agree. I would say a schedule with 6 teams with 8 wins or more could be more difficult than a schedule with 8 teams with 8 wins.



This year had several fairly lightweight 8 win teams. Beating an 8 win team and beating a top 10 team should not be given equal relevance. Look at 1991 and swap rankings and then add the WAC opponents. Putting the final rankings of 1991 and swapping for this years opponent would mean we played:



#2 - Ohio State (road) - PSU

#3 - Auburn (neutral site) - FSU

#10 - Michigan State (in bowl game) - Iowa

#18 - UCLA (road) - UCLA

#25 - Texas (home) - Air Force



SDSU - Road w/ Marshall Faulk....that would be like playing an unranked Texas A&M with JM.....and A&M having no defense no defense



5 ranked opponents, 3 in the top 10 final rankings trumps 8 8-win opponents with only two being ranked 21 & 25.



Reversing 2013 and 1991 let's do the opposite:



#21 - Tulsa (WI)

#25 - NC State (UT)



Then a several average teams. Yet 2013 has more 8 win teams.



1991 still looks significantly tougher to me than 2013, even with some easy competition.

SpiffCoug wrote:
Bronco is 24-22 against teams that win 8 or more games. He was 5-2 this year.

But all the detractors tell me he's bad against winning teams. I'm confused :skeptic:

Schmoe wrote:

Bronco is 24-22 against teams that win 8 or more games. He was 5-2 this year.

But all the detractors tell me he's bad against winning teams. I'm confused :skeptic:

How is he vs ranked teams? Not a loaded question.....really curious.

He does the same vs ranked teams as everyone else. Poorly.



Ranked teams are mostly 12-0 and 11-1 in the top 10 and 10-2 with some 9-3 filling out the Top 25.



Perhaps 250-50 overall. And most of the losses are to other ranked teans.



I agree that playing 3 top 15 teams is almost 3 guaranteed losses for any team not in the top 10 itself.



Conversely, for teams not in the top 10, playing 8 teams with a record as good or better than most teams is likely to end up 4-4 or worse.



If you want to go undefeated, play Alabama's schedule and cross your fingers on a road game or two. Play at home. Play in state. Stay in region. Do not cross time zones. Schedule 3-4 automatic wins. Recruit a lot of 4 and 5 star players.



ND should be the expert on scheduling a team into oblivion - they did it for over a decade before they wisex up a bit and scheduled some wins.



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SpiffCoug wrote:
Here the number of opponents in each season that won 8 or more games:

2013 7

2012 6

2010 6

2007 6

2000 6

2009 5

2008 5

2005 5

1991 5

1990 5

1988 5

2006 4

2003 4

2001 4

1996 4

1993 4

1989 4

1987 4

1985 4

1982 4

1981 4

1975 4

2004 3

2002 3

1999 3

1997 3

1995 3

1994 3

1992 3

1986 3

1980 3

1979 3

1978 3

1976 3

2011 2

1998 2

1977 2

1974 2

1973 2

1972 2

1984 1

1983 1

I guess this pretty well proves what the Bibster has been saying about the 70's and early 80's teams. The glory days were built on a cupcake diet interspersed with a few great wins against great teams. We were Boise before Boise was Boise. While it would have worked for a BCS birth, that ship has sailed for a chance at a National Campionship. To get into a four team playoff we are going to have to play several RANKED teams and beat them all to have a chance. This year's schedule as an undefeated might get us there, assuming those we beat also continued to play well. It is a real uphill battle trying to get there from outside a BCS conference because even being undefeated, the selection committee is going to choose one of the BCS conference one loss champions over an undefeated independant not named Notre Dame.