Best Alternative for the "BYU Bowl"

Move the Holy War to bowl season?



Lots of questions about this alternative, but kind of intriguing as well.



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Interesting idea, but would never work. You're basically eliminating the Utes from the schedule. They'd rather play in a PAC12 bowl tie-in, and you're eliminating any chance the Cougs have of playing anyone else in the post-season. With the way the bowl system works now, you have to get your tie-ins set up in advance. BYU is already set for bowls the next three years.



Now, if a playoff is instituted, then this idea may have more merit.



I do like the outside the box thinking though. What about moving the Utes to midway between the end of the regular season and bowl game? Both teams could use it as a bowl prep game. Regular season, two bye weeks, BYUvUtah, bye week, bowl game.

SpiffCoug wrote:
Interesting idea, but would never work. You're basically eliminating the Utes from the schedule. They'd rather play in a PAC12 bowl tie-in, and you're eliminating any chance the Cougs have of playing anyone else in the post-season. With the way the bowl system works now, you have to get your tie-ins set up in advance. BYU is already set for bowls the next three years.



Now, if a playoff is instituted, then this idea may have more merit.



I do like the outside the box thinking though. What about moving the Utes to midway between the end of the regular season and bowl game? Both teams could use it as a bowl prep game. Regular season, two bye weeks, BYUvUtah, bye week, bowl game.

It would take the "perfect storm" and probably be 5-10 years away from happening, if it ever happens.



I guess the biggest "benefit" is getting the game back in the cold and at the end of the year with "all of the marbles" on the table for bragging rights.

Army and Navy have done this the past couple of seasons. They play the week after the conference championship games. As long as BYU schedules a game on that championship week as well, just in case the Utes make it, I don't see a problem with it. Army/Navy starting at 9am mountain time on CBS followed by BYU/Utah on ABC at 1pm wouldn't suck that 2nd week of December.



I for one don't hate that they are playing earlier in the year. Do I think the 3rd week of the season is kind of weird? Yeah, but I wouldn't mind them playing it game one of the season (a la Missouri/Illinois), especially if they can get an ABC national game out of it. An even better night for it would be the Friday before conference, as Bronco has suggested. That's currently reserved for Utah State, but they will be accomodating in that manner. It all depends on how the Pac-10 is going to handle the USC-Notre Dame game. If they force that game to be a September game, then they aren't going to budge for Utah. If they allow USC to keep playing ND in October (@ND) and November (@USC), then Utah vs BYU later in the year is a possibility.

stuckinbig10country wrote:
It all depends on how the Pac-10 is going to handle the USC-Notre Dame game. If they force that game to be a September game, then they aren't going to budge for Utah. If they allow USC to keep playing ND in October (@ND) and November (@USC), then Utah vs BYU later in the year is a possibility.

Since Utah isn't likely to have a say in Pac 12 matters for a while, BYU needs to get USC and ND to lobby hard to allow the ND-USC series to continue as you outline above, clearing up BYU and Utah to play annually on ND-USC weekend.

I dunno. For some reason, I just seem to feel better not having such a close relationship with the Pukes. Personally, I wouldn't mind us only playing them occasionally and having the rivalry die off a bit. It's just felt good not having to hate them so much these last few months because, quite frankly, we are going our way and they are going theirs. Sorta like a huge malignant tumor has been cut out of me. And I wish them nothing but ill luck and major misfortune as they hopefully flounder and wilt away in the Pac-12.

1967cougar wrote:
Sorta like a huge malignant tumor has been cut out of me.

The Utah Utes, ladies and gentlemen!

I say they play the game on the day of the PAC championship game. It's not like the Utes will ever make it. 8)