What was your first reaction...

What was your first reaction when you found out that BYU would face the Wyoming Cowboys in the Poinsettia Bowl?



I'm curious if it was just me, but it was hard to be excited. This is a team whose coach swore they would never schedule BYU again after we left the MWC and a fan base that had a history of being the most crude of those we routinely played. Add to that the fact that even though they have a descent team this season (they beat Boise, while we did not), they still lost to 7-5 Eastern Michigan University (who by the way lost to Toledo).



I just don't feel like you win a whole lot in saying you beat Wyoming and if you lose to them, that would suck about as much, or more, as it was in losing to UVU this season in BB.

Disappointed.



I have never met a single Wyoming fan that has been kind or gracious.

There certainly is a healthy number of fans who despise all things BYU and aren't afraid to show it. :)

Well at least they have a new coach with no history playing us. Let's beat them down and enjoy it. No reaction as it was rumored for a while.

I would have rather played San Diego state but it doesn't matter. With the exception of BYU/Wyoming fans, no one will remember the outcome of this game past the day it is played.

Meh. Better than SDSU. I don't like playing them on their home field. If it had been SDSU in the LV bowl that's a different story.



I wish Holmoe had signed a contingency with the lower level PAC or Big12 bowls. Could have gone to any of the LV, Cactus, or Heart of Dallas bowls this year.

I agree with the contingency. I heard that 6-5 Army goes to the Heart of Dallas bowl for $1.1M almost double the Poinsettia bowl.

Bowl payouts http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/bowl_games_bowl_schedule.html



How about a deal to get into the Cure bowl at $1.35M and replace a Sunbelt team. Miami Beach bowl is $1.0M for a MAC team.

Two 5-7 teams got to go bowling however the bowls were not a lot of money.

It appears that bowl contracts are the most difficult part of football scheduling. However, I do think we need to get some more variability for bowl destinations and opponents. I really dislike knowing the bowl destination 2 months before the end of the season. Last year had a little bit of excitement - Las Vegas or Hawaii? It felt like we actually had something to play for.



If we had NO bowl contract this year, BYU could have ended up in DFW against either Army or Navy. (The B12 and B1G didn't have enough eligible teams to fill in the Armed Forces and Heart of Dallas bowls - so LA Tech and North Texas - who is 5-7, by the way - fill in).



Navy in DFW would have been fun.



Also, Boise St. gets Baylor in Phoenix - backfilling for the PAC.



Houston gets SDSU in Vegas - again, backfilling for the PAC.



I would like to see all of the following as at least options, with the ultimate destination depending on whether conferences can fill their bowl allotments and the attractiveness of BYU's season:



TIER 1 (contingent backup)

1) Holiday (San Diego, CA) v. PAC or B1G (backup)

2) Cactus (Phoenix, AZ) v. PAC or B12 (backup)

3) Foster Farms (Santa Clara, CA) v. PAC or B1G (backup)

4) Texas (Houston, TX) v. B12 or SEC



TIER 2 (v. PAC, B12, or B1G - no more than 2x in 6 years for any particular bowl)

5) Las Vegas v. PAC

6) Heart of Dallas v. B1G

7) Armed Forces v. B12 (or Army or AAC...Navy, Houston, SMU)



TIER 3 (v. MWC or AAC)

8 ) Poinsettia v. MWC or AAC

9) Hawaii v. MWC or AAC

10) Miami Beach v. AAC

I was thinking it was ok. We have an improved Wyoming team who we regularly trounced back in the MWC days. How much better are they? I think a good, solid thumping would help keep them in their place. Where they belong.



I think that Jamaal will have a fun rushing day, and will be spelled with Tanner's throwing attack. I think we will finally get a 100 yard receiver, maybe Kurtz or MLP. Wyoming will be overhyped, and we win in the trenches to a bunch of nasty good ole boys who use religion as an "othering" agent.

Don't get me wrong, I think it would be ideal to have multiple tiers of bowl options available depending on a number of factors but is it really realistic? What's in it for the bowls?



I wonder if we as BYU fans think it's much easier and more likely for Bowl's to give us contracts than it really is.



I mean really, either Tom Holmoe is terrible at his job (which I find extremely difficult to believe) or Bowls don't want to give us multiple options, contingency plans, etc.

hawkwing wrote:
Disappointed.



I have never met a single Wyoming fan that has been kind or gracious.

I have.

I wonder if BYU should go into a season with no bowl contract. I know it's risky but on a year like this year BYU could have come out on top with a better bowl game.



As for playing Wyoming, I want a win and according to ESPN they have a 78% chance of beating the Cowboys so I'm good with it. Rather its Wyoming, San Diego State or New Mexico the game was never going to stir up any excitement from anyone outside of the local fan bases.

It's worth a try to see what happens.