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Las Vegas Bowl had no choice but the Bruins

Thanks Dick for setting it straight. Until we can be consistent in winning the bowl games and defeating BCS conference teams on a regular basis, we have no room to complain. Respect must be earned, not merely rewarded. Kudos to Bronco and the entire staff, players and fans. C'mon Cougs let's take this Cougar Nation to the next level.

The solution to putting on a crappy game, is entirely in Las Vegas's hands. PAY ENOUGH so the 3rd place team, will wish to come to Las Vegas. In 2005, California didn't want to play in the Las Vegas Bowl, but with some bad losses they had no choice. In 2006, Oregon didn't want to play in the Las Vegas Bowl, however with a end of year dive, they had no choice. The Las Vegas Bowl doesn't pay each team a million dollars, as yet, and stands in the bottom 20% in what it does pay, ($750,000 to $900,000). Pay Holiday money see what happens!
In all of Las Vegas, isn't it possible that there is so little interest in this game that they cannot build a nice, larger stadium of UNLV football, and all the other events that could be held? Sam Boyd is a small stadium build long ago, with reconstructions after remodeling until it's a mess, of slapped together changes. In one of the WAC championship games, they had old 1984 LA Olympic seats temporarily in the north end.
Pay more than you can negotiate for the 3rd place or even a better at large.

I don't think the complaining was because UCLA is not a good opponent. Obviously they are better than BYU because they already beat BYU this season. The problem is that they have already played and will play again next season. I am sure UCLA fans aren't any more more excited about this game than BYU fans. Everybody knows that UCLA is a great school and great opponent. It is just not as interesting to see the same teams play so much.

"Iron-weld connected"
"Bolt-and-nail salad"
Is this woman the executive director of the Las Vegas Bowl or the president of Ironworkers Local 433?
As for the clever writing, Dick, it's not working.

She's "bright"? Well, at least she's got a leg up on Craig Thompson!

Sad but true. BYU has to play the games it has on the schedule, not the ones it dreams of. Should BYU beat UCLA in Las Vegas (not an easy task, by the way), they may have a chance to make some noise in the BCS next year. However, should BYU lose to UCLA, all of the limited respect that they have garnered thus far will evaporate overnight.

Your on target Dick. If I recall BYU was beat by UCLA earlier this season so to say UCLA is an unworthy opponent does not make sense. Beat UCLA on the 22nd and again next fall and than the cougars will have proven that they are ready to move to the next level. GO BYU!

I love BYU, but am I the only one that sees BYU letting down to what they feel is an inferior opponent that could very well be healthy again. To the level when they beat BYU earlier, as well as, a new coach that nobody has prepared for???

Agreed. Although all of us would prefer an opponent we haven't already played this season, hopefully Bronco has them viewing it as a shot at redemption. BYU needs to put together a fantastic game and make UCLA wish they had chosen a different bowl. Otherwise we're going to look pretty foolish for complaining about meeting the Bruins again.

I agree, we cannot complain about UCLA or the Las Vegas bowl, but we can and should do something to fix the MWC. A conference that would concede that our best is only as good as the 5th place team in another conference is horrible and the TV deal, or lack thereof, is killing us (the whole conference)on the national stage. BYU does need to improve its post-season record, but win or lose in the Las Vegas bowl, we stand very little to gain and a whole lot to lose.

It sounds just like a Cougar fan to complain about their opponent in a bowl game. There is no pleasing BYU fans.

Needs to win some bowl game before griping about opponents. If BYU had beaten UCLA earlier this year, I would be even more upset if I was a BYU fan but BYU does have something to prove in this game.

I also think Kunzer-Murphy (what an awful name - and person from what I've heard) also needs to change her perspective of their "model" for this game. PAC-10 #4 or #5 isn't a team the MWC champ should be playing. A better model would be the MWC champ vs. the WAC champ. In most years, that will be two top #25 teams and generate a better game and event. The PAC-10 #4 or #5 in most years won't be that good and in many years, it will be a pathetic .500 team like this year's UCLA team.

Why do we fans start complaining now? We knew the score before the season began. We go undefeated, we may get a BCS bowl. We don't win out and the best we could hope for is the Vegas Bowl. The worst thing to happen to BYU is UCLA fired Dorrell. DeWayne Walker (remember him?) will have those pesky little Bruins ready to play. If my memory is correct, we are 0-1 against them this year. We should be grateful the Vegas Bowl took us. At least we didn't end up playing Navy.

Well put. If the key to glory in the regular season is to get wins against weak oponents, you'd think the key to long-term glory is bowl wins against weak oponents. BYU should be thrilled for the opportunity to avenge its loss against UCLA.

It seems that BYU wants to play a better team so they won't be so embarassed when they lose.

Pack the stands and beat the Bruins. Wish I could be there.
As many have said before, this is a game we cannot lose. It would be devastating to everything done by the Cougars so far this year.

I'm just glad I get to watch the Cougs play one more time this year!!

I just moved here from out of state. I don't understand why the BYU fans think they deserve a 'better' opponent. You LOST to UCLA!

There are good reasons why the MWC doesn't have better bowl tie-ins. To get the respect fans think you deserve, BYU should try all they can to get a better out of conference schedule, even if it means going on the road for all of the games.

By the way, Oklahoma beat Tulsa by 42 points.

So, because BYU's bowl record is dismal, as a Conference Champions, they are not worthy of playing anything better than a 6&6 UCLA team?
Stupid logic Dick. Kansas?

It's not a matter of dissing UCLA. It's finding the MWC teams right where they were thirty years ago.
Build up a bowl, then have said bowl, dump you like a led baloon. Remember the Fiesta and Holiday bowls?

Until the Mountain West Conference creates, owns, and controls it's own bowl, it will never change.

The league should start it's "OWN" bowl, set up an endowment and pay the Visitors 2 to 3 million per year, and then they would get the number 2 or 1 of some conferences.

If you have not noticed, the game today is all about money. The BCS was "contrived" to control the bowls and the money. It's against anti-trust laws and should be challenged.

But, until then, BYU and Utah should stop pussyfooting around and play hardball, get creative and put up the money to draw a higher profile team. Raise the money and get it done.

Do you really think the Vegas bowl could not get the 3rd PAC-10 over El Paso?

Let's see......Cougar fans are whining about their opponent in the Las Vegas bowl because it's only has six wins??? Annnnd one of those six wins was BYU? Puhleeeze BYU....play 'em and beat 'em before whining about 'em.

Supposedly this is an article about why BYU and its fans shouldn't complain about the quality of its bowl opponent, but then Dick has to go and disparage the quality of Utah's opponent in its bowl game - huh? How is the "Sagarin Rating" of Utah's opponent relevant at all to the point of what you're writing Harmon? It's as if you can't make a point about BYU without a dig at the U. Typical. The LV Bowl matchup, while contractually unavoidable, is an insult to BYU, Utah and the entire MWC. A BYU-Utah rematch would get more interest and be a better game - of course then Dick would have to point out that Utah's Sagarin rating is lower than the Y I suppose.

The Cougs have already lost to UCLA. They will have their hands full. That's all I have to say about that.