MWC-itis leads to unrealistic expectations?

I was listening to 1320 on the ride home yesterday and thought that they made a good point during the course of their conversation. This is my summary of what I heard them say:



Essentially the warped expectations for 10+ win seasons every year by BYU fans is a by-product of being a member of the WAC and MWC for so many years. BYU was automatically considered a contender every single year. But now outside of that "little pool", those kind of expectations are not realistic. Utah is learning that in the Pac 12. TCU is learning that in the Big 12. And with the difficulty of the future schedules that will be a lesson that Cougar fans will need to learn (I think our early schedules in independence have made our learning curve slower).



They also note that losing to Utah State was a big disappointment--but expectations that they go undefeated this year were also a stretch--even with the relatively ease of this year's schedule. There is a reason very few teams manage to go 12-0 regardless of the schedule. It is a very tough task and that is the reason that BYU hasn't done it in the past 30 years. It would be a special thing in any event.



Thoughts? Is what they say realistic? I'm curious to hear.

Makes perfect sense to me.

Strawman. Nobody is upset about not being undefeated. It's all about the way we lose every year. We tend to get smoked by teams that should not be smoking us. USU qualifies. I don't recall hoopla over losing to Wisconsin or ND. I love the fact that we play those guys and it's too bad we didn't have what it takes to beat them.



But letting USU walk into LES and slap us around is embarrassing and should cost jobs. Do you see the difference? I don't care that we're not undefeated. I care about why we are not.

I don't really buy it.



I have no problem with BYU going 9 - 3 as an independent as long as those 3 losses are to top 40 teams. We should never lose to USU.



No one expected us to be 4 - 0.

Gunk wrote:
I don't really buy it.



I have no problem with BYU going 9 - 3 as an independent as long as those 3 losses are to top 40 teams. We should never lose to USU.



No one expected us to be 4 - 0.

I expected BYU to be 4-0 once they got to 3-0 ;)

mizzoucoug wrote:
Strawman. Nobody is upset about not being undefeated. It's all about the way we lose every year. We tend to get smoked by teams that should not be smoking us. USU qualifies. I don't recall hoopla over losing to Wisconsin or ND. I love the fact that we play those guys and it's too bad we didn't have what it takes to beat them.



But letting USU walk into LES and slap us around is embarrassing and should cost jobs. Do you see the difference? I don't care that we're not undefeated. I care about why we are not.

It seems as if the following quotes from another thread show that some were upset about BYU not being able to achieve a "special season" by going to a "big" bowl game which would have required an undefeated season IMO.



by KingCoug » Sun Oct 05, 2014 11:58 am

It's amazing how many things fell into place for us this year to make a good run until we gave it up. How often does that happen? Maybe the real silver lining in Friday's debacle is that many BYU fans have finally woken up to the realities of Bronco as HC.



mizzoucoug wrote:

This was the perfect set up for a big run. It's too bad the defense sucks and Bronco is not HC material. I was hoping they could at least fake their way in to a big bowl and keep it close for a while. Instead BYU will get beat in the Miami bowl by a patsy team from nowhere.

Wolverine wrote:

Strawman. Nobody is upset about not being undefeated. It's all about the way we lose every year. We tend to get smoked by teams that should not be smoking us. USU qualifies. I don't recall hoopla over losing to Wisconsin or ND. I love the fact that we play those guys and it's too bad we didn't have what it takes to beat them.



But letting USU walk into LES and slap us around is embarrassing and should cost jobs. Do you see the difference? I don't care that we're not undefeated. I care about why we are not.

It seems as if the following quotes from another thread show that some were upset about BYU not being able to achieve a "special season" by going to a "big" bowl game which would have required an undefeated season IMO.



by KingCoug » Sun Oct 05, 2014 11:58 am

It's amazing how many things fell into place for us this year to make a good run until we gave it up. How often does that happen? Maybe the real silver lining in Friday's debacle is that many BYU fans have finally woken up to the realities of Bronco as HC.



mizzoucoug wrote:

This was the perfect set up for a big run. It's too bad the defense sucks and Bronco is not HC material. I was hoping they could at least fake their way in to a big bowl and keep it close for a while. Instead BYU will get beat in the Miami bowl by a patsy team from nowhere.

But again you miss the point. If Wisconsin or ND were on our schedule this season nobody would EXPECT to go undefeated. But with this soft schedule it was a realistic prediction. I thought we might go down to TX, UCF, or Cal. And we might have and I would've shrugged. But we got smacked around by USU. Yes, it kills our season (as most of us expected someone would), but it happened in one of the worst ways possible. That's why we're frustrated.

mizzoucoug wrote:

mizzoucoug wrote:
Strawman. Nobody is upset about not being undefeated. It's all about the way we lose every year. We tend to get smoked by teams that should not be smoking us. USU qualifies. I don't recall hoopla over losing to Wisconsin or ND. I love the fact that we play those guys and it's too bad we didn't have what it takes to beat them.



But letting USU walk into LES and slap us around is embarrassing and should cost jobs. Do you see the difference? I don't care that we're not undefeated. I care about why we are not.

It seems as if the following quotes from another thread show that some were upset about BYU not being able to achieve a "special season" by going to a "big" bowl game which would have required an undefeated season IMO.



by KingCoug » Sun Oct 05, 2014 11:58 am

It's amazing how many things fell into place for us this year to make a good run until we gave it up. How often does that happen? Maybe the real silver lining in Friday's debacle is that many BYU fans have finally woken up to the realities of Bronco as HC.



mizzoucoug wrote:

This was the perfect set up for a big run. It's too bad the defense sucks and Bronco is not HC material. I was hoping they could at least fake their way in to a big bowl and keep it close for a while. Instead BYU will get beat in the Miami bowl by a patsy team from nowhere.

But again you miss the point. If Wisconsin or ND were on our schedule this season nobody would EXPECT to go undefeated. But with this soft schedule it was a realistic prediction. I thought we might go down to TX, UCF, or Cal. And we might have and I would've shrugged. But we got smacked around by USU. Yes, it kills our season (as most of us expected someone would), but it happened in one of the worst ways possible. That's why we're frustrated.

Nope didn't miss your point at all. You are disappointed BYU lost to the Aggies. Who isn't? What I get tired of is the "everybody sucks now" routine because BYU gets beat. This same approach is taken by many whether the loss is to USU, Texas, Wisconsin or Little Sister Mary of the Poor. Can you honestly say that if BYU were 5-0 today and were to get thrashed in similar fashion tomorrow night at UCF that your comments wouldn't be in the same vein that they were after the USU loss?

Knowing the schedule is what it is and expecting that BYU should run the table is exactly MWC-itis. The schedule will be more difficult going forward and hopefully temper expectations but expecting 10+ wins--even in this year--is exactly what the thread topic is all about.

As mentioned, it's not BYU's record, it's how we get there.



In 2012, it wasn't the losses to Notre Dame (12-0), Boise St. (11-2), or Oregon St. (9-4) that were aggravating. It was the losses to Utah (5-7) and SJSU.



In 2013, we trounce Texas (8-5, 7-2 in Big 12) and beat Boise St. (8-5) and Georgia Tech (7-6) and Utah St. (9-5)...but lose to Virginia (2-10) and Utah (5-7).



In 2014, we trounce Texas again and beat Houston and Virginia. Then lose to Utah St. ??!!



We will probably beat UCF, Boise St, and Cal, but lose to Nevada and MTSU and end up with a 9-3 record.

YNot wrote:
As mentioned, it's not BYU's record, it's how we get there.



In 2012, it wasn't the losses to Notre Dame (12-0), Boise St. (11-2), or Oregon St. (9-4) that were aggravating. It was the losses to Utah (5-7) and SJSU.



In 2013, we trounce Texas (8-5, 7-2 in Big 12) and beat Boise St. (8-5) and Georgia Tech (7-6) and Utah St. (9-5)...but lose to Virginia (2-10) and Utah (5-7).



In 2014, we trounce Texas again and beat Houston and Virginia. Then lose to Utah St. ??!!



We will probably beat UCF, Boise St, and Cal, but lose to Nevada and MTSU and end up with a 9-3 record.

Welcome to college football. That's why you line up and play every game.

I have adjusted my expectations for BYU football I have determined any season where they win 6 games and go to any bowl I will just be ecstatic.No more buying the hype no more buying anything if they get enough wins to go to a bowl I am going to consider it a success.

BYU is now an 8-5 team unless injuries continue to pile up.



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I think those big win seasons are going to be special when things align (schedule, talent, injuries, etc.) This year it just isn't there. It looked like it might, but the last 2 games of injuries removed all chance of that. I did like some of the young players getting some experience and making some plays. Takitaki, Nacua, Brown..... But there were some frustrating young mistakes like those face mask penalties late (Nacua.....). Its growing pains this year. Hopefully it pays off in the next year or two.

Fido wrote:
I think those big win seasons are going to be special when things align (schedule, talent, injuries, etc.) This year it just isn't there. It looked like it might, but the last 2 games of injuries removed all chance of that. I did like some of the young players getting some experience and making some plays. Takitaki, Nacua, Brown..... But there were some frustrating young mistakes like those face mask penalties late (Nacua.....). Its growing pains this year. Hopefully it pays off in the next year or two.

Another excuse for terrible play. It's frustrating to me that injuries gives the coaching staff a free pass by blind fans. The defense was crap before anyone got hurt. I believed that getting BK back would change the way our D played after the UofH and UVA debacles. Obviously that was not the case. When Bronco is the DC the D dominates. Fact. When Bronco gives up that responsibility the D gets torched. Fact. Injuries had nothing to do with the D not able to get stops against any offense with a pulse this season.

mizzoucoug wrote:

I think those big win seasons are going to be special when things align (schedule, talent, injuries, etc.) This year it just isn't there. It looked like it might, but the last 2 games of injuries removed all chance of that. I did like some of the young players getting some experience and making some plays. Takitaki, Nacua, Brown..... But there were some frustrating young mistakes like those face mask penalties late (Nacua.....). Its growing pains this year. Hopefully it pays off in the next year or two.

Another excuse for terrible play. It's frustrating to me that injuries gives the coaching staff a free pass by blind fans. The defense was crap before anyone got hurt. I believed that getting BK back would change the way our D played after the UofH and UVA debacles. Obviously that was not the case. When Bronco is the DC the D dominates. Fact. When Bronco gives up that responsibility the D gets torched. Fact. Injuries had nothing to do with the D not able to get stops against any offense with a pulse this season.

Wow. This is fan hyperbole at its worst. Sorry to call you out but since you are taking direct shots at me first, I'll give you my responses. "Debacles" is a stretch. Remember they won those games. In any case, is it fair to expect that Howell's defense this year be as good as Bronco's the last few years minus Van Noy and minus Ziggy? BK is a player but hasn't been the same since his injury (not an excuse, fact). I'm not "blind" as you say to the fact that the defense had issues prior to the injuries. But players coming in and out or moving over out of position to cover it doesn't make improving the defensive challenges any easier. It certainly seems that some fans took the "quest for perfection" to mean "expectation of perfection". You sir, are a great example of what this entire thread is all about. Best wishes.