Anybody guess whose schedule this is?

http://www.cougarboard.com/board/message.html?id=16560961



F/+ rankings from footballoutsider.com in parentheses (BYU is #24) - Sagarin ratings for the two FCS opponents



vs. Southern Utah (#171)

vs. UNLV (#112)

Bye

Bye

at Indiana (#55)

vs. Auburn (#32)

vs. Colorado State (#99)

at Temple (#62)

vs. Montana State (#179)

Bye

at Nevada (#92)



This is BYU's opponents' schedule the week before they play us. So, people can say BYU will struggle playing a P5 schedule because of how we're doing against these opponents the past couple of years, but the reality is our opponents don't play a P5 schedule before they play us.



For comparison, here's Utah's opponents' schedule the week before their Utah matchup:



at Arizona (#67)

vs. Portland State (#160)

at Stanford (#5)

at Arizona State (#49)

at UCLA (#16)

vs. California (#56)

at Washington State (#57)

vs. Oregon State (#79)

BYE (same week as Utah's bye)

vs. Stanford (#5)

vs. Washington State (#57)



That's a MUCH different SOS than what BYU's opponents play the week before they play us. Even the one BYE on the schedule lines up with Utah's BYE week.

This is a good point and one of the big downsides to our independent schedule. We face tough teams early on, many of whom are in the cupcake part of their schedule. Obviously giving them extra time and opportunity to prep for us.

As I mentioned elsewhere, while I was supportive of independence early on (and will remain so IF the Big 12 tries to tell BYU what it can't do in regards to Sunday play, the Honor Code, Church doctrine, etc), it's becoming increasingly clear of the many downsides to it. Lopsided scheduling being one of them.



My fear has just always been a case of "being careful what you wish for." I've had my doubts about being able to consistently compete in the Big 12, though I think we could do as well or better than any of the other candidates for expansion. Just looking at the current 10 teams, it's hard not to imagine us being among the bottom 3-4 teams most years.

KingCoug wrote:
This is a good point and one of the big downsides to our independent schedule. We face tough teams early on, many of whom are in the cupcake part of their schedule. Obviously giving them extra time and opportunity to prep for us.

Of course, the positive side to that is sometimes the best time to beat a good team is at the start of the season before they have worked things out. A cupcake won't give the same kind of preparation as playing some good conference opponents will. I think it cuts both ways.

I'm hoping after playing four very fast P5 teams, the Toledo Rockets will seem slow to BYU.