2011 Season Opener

Per wrubell:

Season-opener could end up being a game ESPN gets BYU's help with as the network plays match-maker on college football's opening weekend.

some teams that i think have openings.

purdue

miami

ou

rutgers

cal

nebraska



Are we going up against one of these again for a big season opener game. If so, who do we want?



I would love any of them but Nebraska.

a win over Rutgers would be nice.

We want a home game. And we want an opponent that we beat. Based upon that list, it is Purdue or Rutgers. I pass on the rest. We just moved OSU to get a more winnable first game. Not sure I want to replace them with Nebraska or Miami, ya know.



And with Hawaii roadie, I hope we go for 8 home games. 1 FCS mid season would be nice. And play Hawaii first week in December, so its like an extra bowl game.

Lawboy wrote:
We want a home game. And we want an opponent that we beat. Based upon that list, it is Purdue or Rutgers. I pass on the rest. We just moved OSU to get a more winnable first game. Not sure I want to replace them with Nebraska or Miami, ya know.



And with Hawaii roadie, I hope we go for 8 home games. 1 FCS mid season would be nice. And play Hawaii first week in December, so its like an extra bowl game.

I agree with everything except for the FCS team. Schedule UNLV or New Mexico for the 13th game instead of an FCS team.



I wouldn't mind opening the season against a very bad team so that we have some momentum and confidence going to Texas.

Wrubell said to expect BYU to have 7 home and 5 roadies. He thinks that ESPN is trying to do the matchmaker thing ala BYU-OK last year. That would still count as one of the roadies. It will probably be a winnable game against a big name team. Rutgers in Yankee Stadium might be a nice matchup in a nice venue.



By the way, he also said that 11 contracts have been signed and the 12th has been agreed to in principle, but not signed.

Lawboy wrote:
We want a home game. And we want an opponent that we beat. Based upon that list, it is Purdue or Rutgers. I pass on the rest. We just moved OSU to get a more winnable first game. Not sure I want to replace them with Nebraska or Miami, ya know.



And with Hawaii roadie, I hope we go for 8 home games. 1 FCS mid season would be nice. And play Hawaii first week in December, so its like an extra bowl game.

I am not so sure we moved osu to "get a more winnable first game" anymore. It sounds like espn may have been behind the whole thing in the first place.



I agree with wanting an easily winnable game. that is why a rutgers or purdue is a good pick. I still am not afraid to play miami or cal either though. i wouldn't want to start with nebraska with their qb and traditionally stingy defense.

I think it's significant that BYU is not contemplating taking the 13th game. Many might say that it's just too hard to schedule it on short notice. While that may be part of it, I have a suspicion that BYU is getting significant enough money to not have to worry too much about off-setting the costs of traveling to Hawaii.

I predict that BYU will play Cal at AT&T Park in San Francisco. They have two home games to fill.

Also why is it that the Pac 12 forced utah to play us in September yet we are now playing Oregon st (a Pac 12 team) in October. Another reason why I think the opening game will be against a Pac 12 opponent.

realfan wrote:
Also why is it that the Pac 12 forced utah to play us in September yet we are now playing Oregon st (a Pac 12 team) in October. Another reason why I think the opening game will be against a Pac 12 opponent.

How about the fact that Stanford plays Notre Dame and Arizona State plays Lousiana Laffayette on the last game of the regular season.

Why don't we take Col St for the 13th game. They have an opening now and they want to play us. Might be that no dates are available between the two schools. The MWC could help there is they wish.

I am thoroughly opposed to playing a top 50 team before Texas... my two cents



Give me CSU at home to start; a game that looks like we're pitting the 2 former true freshman qbs but really is an experienced BYU team (aka Provo ambush) on a team that's really not very good.



CSU might even think it's winnable, particularly if they put up a decent performance saturday, but in truth it's a 99.5% lock for the Cougs. I want a W before Texas... anything but a W is unacceptable and if we have to play Dixe State to accomplish that, then sobeit.

If utah can schedule weak teams to every year as a mwc, I don't see why we can't as indy :lol:





Go Montana Tech Assistant to Canada University



MTACU

YBrit wrote:
If utah can schedule weak teams to every year as a mwc, I don't see why we can't as indy :lol:





Go Montana Tech Assistant to Canada University



MTACU

Or Pitt... same diff

craigoscarson wrote:

If utah can schedule weak teams to every year as a mwc, I don't see why we can't as indy :lol:





Go Montana Tech Assistant to Canada University



MTACU

Or Pitt... same diff

Or we could play Iowa State and then argue that they're a good team because - like everyone else - they beat Texas in 2010.

Mars wrote:


I'd vote for a home game against UNLV or Montana, or a road game (first of a 1-and-1) with Washington State.

seconded

CSU signed a game with UTEP.

I wouldn't mind Neb to start but only if the game were at home or at a neutral site.



What I really want is for the Utah-Col game moved up to the third week and the BYU-Utah game and Col-CSU games moved to Nov 26. It would open up another early game to schedule a BCS team or an easy win. They could do it again in 2012 when USC is scheduled to play ND at the end of the season.



Best case scenario right now in terms of good teams to play would be to start Cal/Neb, @Tex, Cal/Indiana (if you can move the Utah game) and add one or two of Rutgers/Purdue/Syracuse/UNC/Indiana sometime later in the season. That would be 6-7 BCS teams for the season which would be great, but I can only see two, maybe three of those games played at home. What I think is more likely is BYU schedules Cal and two MWC teams (I'd like Air Force and SDSU if I had to choose).



The other thing is that BYU has at most only one more road game to schedule in 2012 (they already have 6 scheduled) and part of the problem may be Cal or Neb are unwilling to wait until 2013 (or later) for their end of the home and home. I think BYU will have trouble getting two home games against quality opponents in 2012 which will leave another season I wouldn't really want season tickets.



Finally, ESPN only gains from BYU home games which I think will result in a 13 game schedule every year BYU plays at Hawaii or the guys at ESPN weren't thinking straight when they signed the deal. And BYUtv really only wins if they show a game non-members want to see, so I don't think you will see BYU scheduling as many cupcakes as many think, especially if this is really about missionary work which I hope it is. Which means our prayers for better home games might actually be answered.

ESPN can broker neutral field games for BYU, not just home games to televise. If we have 6 roadies in 2012, I certainly do not want another and no neitral field either. But a 2011 neutral field to start the season sounds good, much like 2009.