Deseret News | Cougars looking to '08, BCS bowl

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Cougars looking to '08, BCS bowl

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Cougar Logic | 6:32 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

"We think we are BCS therefore we are BCS"

Let get serious here for a minute Cougawr fans. Do you have a chance to win the MWC.....of course.

Will BYU go undefeated in conference another season ...probably not. Coaches in the conference will start figure out your offensive and defense schemes and start adjusting better next season. Bronco just can't out prepare teams season after season. So if B WHY? U can't go undefeated next season where is this BCS logic coming from?

Then you have to deal with bias pollsters and a weak schedule. Hmmmmm sounds like BCS to me.

Remember you just barely beat a 6-6 UCLA team who was horrible the 2nd half of the season. You still pulled out the win but it was ugly. Not exactly a foundation for a BCS run for next year.

Enjoy your nice little run in the MWC. You'll never have a 1984 ever again. The system is stacked against you.

The only "magic" happening next season will be the spell Bronco puts on his devoted fan base. Next year's theme... "Mission Impossible"

Crowton in BCS | 6:34 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

The only BYU folks in BCS bowls are former players and former coaches - Norm Chow, Gary Crowton, Steve Sarkisian, etc.

A last second win over a team that finished the season with a losing record in a mediocre bowl is not a springboard for a future BCS bowl.

You all have more spin than the presidential campaigns!

A Grateful Fan | 6:54 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

What a bunch of soreheads! Thanks to Coach Mendenhall and the Cougars who kept their cool when it appeared that all was lost. Never mind that most of the game had been unremarkable and even a bit boring. The Cougars have the tenacity and the sticktoitiveness to endure to the end and give their fans thrilling finishes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And, remember you soreheads--BYU WON!!!!!!

Comments continue below

religion? | 7:41 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

"Several Utes would convert"?

Uh, several Utes, such as the head coach, have already converted to Austin Collie's faith. Try not to forget that, folks.

BYU has every right to shoot for a BCS bowl, but they will need to play a lot better than they did this year to achieve it.

Anonymous | 7:44 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

the fact that byu is saying they liked winning on that last play is masking the fact that their win really was ugly against a very depleted team

Don | 7:55 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

It is funny how so many of you guys talk as if UCLA were a horrible team. Their defense is one of the best in the country, bar none. They held USC, who was at full strength both physically and mentally, to 10 points. The Bruins battered offense gave the other two touchdowns away. Don't believe me? watch the game. Also, stats are for losers. First game the cougars won the stats and lost the game. This time we lost the stats and won the game. I'll take the later everytime. I was bothered that the cougar defense didn't slam the door shut on the Bruins when they had them pinned on the last drive. They seemed to be playing not to lose. Lastly, there is huge parity in the college game, just because we had a close game with UCLA doesn't mean BYU can't compete as a BCS team. The key is to find a way to win and that is what they did. Hats off to coach and his players. They compete everytime they take the field, and I love that about our team.

JeffBlue | 7:56 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

We hear of the sore losers but why all the sore whiners, er I mean winners? Good teams play poor games and still win. Good teams still lose to teams with mediocre records. LSU is playing for the national championship yet lost to a 7-5 Kentucky team (were it not for the win KY would be 6-6). BYU almost lost to Wyo their championship year. Nebraska got very lucky one year and beat Mizzou on a reflected ball off a recievers foot. Colorado won the championship one year with 5 downs against Mizzou. BYU beat Michigan with 6 turnovers in the Holiday Bowl. Ty Detmer passed for over 500 years against Penn St in a Holiday Bowl and still lost. John Walsh passed for over 600 hundred yards against lovabale USU and still lost. What do you want? Is BCS talk premature and unrealistic? Of course not, that is what being a passionate fan is all about. BYU will play down here in AZ for a Fiesta Bowl either next year or the next. I can dream all I want, prior to '84 championship talk was scoffed at as well.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

TO BYU HATERS | 9:10 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

Great teams find ways to win games when they have an off night... great upsets consist of weaker teams that win a game against a great team. That is the difference between Utah and BYU over the last two years!!!! All you BYU haters, get over it.... BYU is better. Nobody believes the App State is ultimatley better than Michigan, that Stanford is better than USC, and Pittsburg is better than West Virginia; but they all lost in great UPSETS!!!
BYU is the current dominant team in the MWC, and 18-0 proves that!!!!
There is no reason that BYU can't think that a sophmore driven offense will greatly improve, and make it to a BCS bowl. Just as a Utah team can't dream of beating BYU next year....
If BYU makes it a goal to making it back to the Las Vegas Bowl next year for a fourth time, Now that's something as a fan to be upset about!!!! But it is a good place for that Team Up North to Start!!!

Cougar Fan | 10:32 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

I have been a BYU fan since back in the 1960's. It was fun watching them build and develop a program.

We made it when we beat SMU in the Holiday Bowl McMahon to Brown.

Awesome when we Beat Michigan in the holiday Bowl for the national Championship.

Sorry Utes, these things happened. I won so many free lunches from Ute fans in the 80's it was embarrassing.

The Cougars are returning to glory. Hang on and watch. Spewing all of your hateful bile can't stop it.

Learn to relax and not go all emo on us everytime BYU wins, or you're going to be in need of some serious religion.

Collie can say whatever he wants. It's a first ammendment thing. If DennyG is going to tie the BCS to the second coming, people are going to call it lucky or magic, maybe it's fine for Collie to explain the luck and magic are all about, and if you want to putdown LDS about the second coming, let him explain that it is really coming.

Hey, gotta go read scriptures and say family prayer. I'll be sure to say a blessing for the Ute Fans.
Merry Christmas.

Come on | 10:32 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

For all those UTAH/BYU guys that think that next year we (BYU) have no shot at a BCS should just be quiet...or maybe you're right. Maybe BYU shouldn't shoot for the stars. Maybe they should keep realistic goals of just winning the mountain west and be content with playing a middle of the pac...pac 10 school. I'm sure that's exactly what Boise State thought last year. I'm sure they just told themselves that winning the WAC was the best they could do and why shoot for the BCS, because with their talent they have no chance! Calling all mountain west fans - let's shoot for another team to go to the BCS...why not? I'll tell you this, i'd rather lose to Georgia in the BCS than beat UCLA in the Las Vegas bowl!!!

Some people are retarded | 10:36 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

BYU has the whole off season to improve. It is completely capable of going to the BCS next year. Is it going to go for sure next year? No. But that is a goal. About being humble, BYU has won 2 consecutive conference champoinships being humble, that approach isn't going to change next year. There are certainly holes on the defense to fill, but just as the new offense stepped it up this year, the new defense will step it up next year too. It won't be as good, but it will be good enough to win games.

TheHailstorm | 10:46 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

BCS Game ?
I hope that BYU does go to a BCS bowl game and get their butt kicked so bad the'll have to walk backward for a week. Let them play Alabama , LSU , Florida State.
Those teams may schedule BYU so they have at least one patsy team to use as tackling dummies. I hope that they DO get to a bowl game. It will be as smelling salts to Mendenhall who really needs a good dose of college football smelling salts to wake him up from the BCS stupor. Do you think that a Big Ten , Big Twelve , PAC 10 , ACC , or SEC team would have stood up for a clueless offensive coordinator that called a hand off running play deep in their own territory with seconds to go in the half.
WAKE UP BLUE BLOODS ! !

BCS YES | 10:53 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

WE won the game. WE will continue to win the games. WE have the best team. WE have the best coaches. WE are envied by all. Go Cougars!

Anonymous | 10:59 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

I'm convinced that reading these posts gives a person a totally screwed up idea of what the average BYU or Utah fan really thinks. I.E. -- the people who post on these sites are NOT average fans, they're wackos.

Watered Down Schedule | 11:09 p.m. Dec. 24, 2007

Coach Mendenhall is on the record as saying that the lesson of Hawaii and Boise State breaking into the BCS is that the powers that be care first and foremost about unblemished win-loss records.

And so looking forward he (and one would assume Tom Holmoe) are going to water down BYU's schedule so as to ensure the necessary victories.

But while I don't doubt that the analysis is correct for the here and now, I do wonder about the near future.

It's very easy for the BCS powers that be to increase the weighting of strength of schedule in their criteria for BCS contention.

And since the BCS has proven itself time and again to be concerned mainly about money and more to the point about money flowing to BCS schools, why wouldn't they make that change?

Since football schedules are made four and five years out, where would that leave the Coogs if the BCS changes its selection criteria at their next meeting?

Dumber | 12:50 a.m. Dec. 25, 2007

I think my I.Q. has dropped by reading many of the comments on this thread. Its like a train-wreck, horrible, but hard to look away. I need more self-discipline.

Mike Johnson Fallon NV | 1:18 a.m. Dec. 25, 2007

Both BYU and Utah have a chance to go to a BCS game next year. It is easier now than in 2004. Then the highest rated non-BCS conference champion had to be in the top 6 of the BCS to get in (guaranteed, top 12, with at least 9 wins to be considered). Today, you get in if the non-BCS conference champion is in the top 12 (or higher ranked than one of the 6 with an automatic bid). With 4 at large slots, that means more opportunities and also means that if less than 4 BCS conferences have two qualifiers, the top non-BCS conference champion could still get in even if not in the top 12.

It is a lot easier now for a non-BCS team to get in. And, we should remember, it is a big payoff for the team, but also for their fellow conference members, with each getting about a million. That is a million reasons why Ute fans should want to see BYU make and a million reasons why BYU fans should want to see Utah make it.

Richard | 1:29 a.m. Dec. 25, 2007

Did anyone stop to notice that they mentioned during the game that UCLA has 100 NCAA championships?
I think BYU has an outstanding chance to beat UCLA next year especially if one or two of their excellent players don't opt to rise up to heaven on a cloud before the game. (Calling and election made sure!!!!)
Finally, it appears the UCLA coach was almost astounded that BYU did not take a knee at that critical moment. Maybe BYU should check the GPAs of the local high school coaches and pick the brightest to make the "really tough calls" next year.

Finally, if we don't like the 2-7 record against the bruins, we might take a look at what happened to two good BYU teams that were soundly beaten by USC in the last few years. Thank heavens we don't play USC often.(Keep us out of the Pac 10, please.....)

Go Cougs in 2008

Better Left Tackle | 1:48 a.m. Dec. 25, 2007

The Cougars better improve at left tackle, or they won't go undefeated. I don't know if it was the kids or the coaching, but their left tackle was horrible, and left tackle is the second most important position on the team. (Left tackle -- protectors of the quarterback's blind side -- is the second highest paid position in the NFL, behind only quarterback.)

BcS schools | 1:57 a.m. Dec. 25, 2007

The BcS schools control NOTHING. Believe me, if people stopped watching the bowls, the system would change.

Non-BcS fans whine, then watch the games.

BcS fans whine that THEIR team didn't make it to the championship, then watch the championship.

You can't ask people to do one thing, THEN PAY THEM to do another, and expect them to change.

Stop watching the BcS games.

SEC Mormon | 7:01 a.m. Dec. 25, 2007

Interesting exchange. The comment "Keep us out of the PAC-10 please" is very revealing. If you really believed the team was ready for the BCS, you would welcome the opportunity to play in a BCS conference. Does any BYU fan honestly think that BYU could stand up to a schedule as rigorous as LSU's? Let's compare:

BYU versus final BCS Top 35 1-0 (Against AF [31] - does anyone really think that AF would be ranked at all if they played in a quality league?)

LSU versus final BCS Top 35 (4-1), with wins against

VA Tech - 3
Florida - 12
Tennessee - 16
Auburn - 23

and the sole BCS loss coming to Arkansas [27] in triple overtime.

BYU fans need to realize that it is not just the number, but the quality of wins that matter. I love BYU and would really like to see the program advance to the level that the fans say they want; however, in order to do so one of two things is required:

1. Get into a quality conference, take your lumps, and learn to win.

or

2. Schedule high quality non-conference competition (Top 10 caliber) and win.

Good luck.

BCS? | 11:29 a.m. Dec. 25, 2007

You just barely beat a 6-6 team on a last second play and now you are talking about going to the BCS next year. Get a grip on reality, BYU. You should be emabarrassed about the UCLA game. What happened to your blowout?

Next years goal | 12:39 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

After reading all of these posts I have to agree with the BYU haters.... I have changed my mind on what their goal should be next year...

1- Strive for mediocricy....
2- Stive for another 10-2 season.....
&
3- Strive to make it back to the Las Vegas Bowl (Only fools take the Vegas Bowl for granted and want to go to a bigger bowl game with better quality).

BYU Haters have shown my the light and brought me back to reality. As fans, we should always be accepting of a 11-2 season, playing middle of the pack BCS teams, and going undefeated in MWC. Only a foolish fan desires to see them match upper BCS teams, go undefeated, and still run the table in the MWC!!!

Re: BcS Schools | 12:42 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

Yah... and every MWC fan should call Direct TV/Dish Network, and their local cable company to get the Mtn put in the program line-up.

Any other bright ideas?

SEC Mormon | 1:38 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

BcS Schools, people watch LSU/Ohio State not because of the BCS, but because they have great football traditions, (in the case of LSU) played a difficult schedule against highly ranked, upper-tier programs, and very frequently play high caliber, exciting football.

Be grateful for the BCS. Do you really think BYU could make it through a play-off with LSU, Florida, USC, ASU, or Oklahoma (or even an Ohio State, Arkansas, Missouri, VA Tech, or West Virginia)? The BCS is broken, but not because it shuts out teams from weak conferences. The only way that BYU or Boise State can do better is either a return to the pre-BCS system (which allowed the 1984 National Championship even though no one outside of the Utah or the BYU Alumni base really believee BYU was the best team) or a step up in conference and competition.

Cougarmaniac | 1:40 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

Gandi would never take a knee. A win was all that really mattered. A rebuilding year and a top 20 finish. What more could we ask for.
Go Cougars! Next year a BCS dream is well within reason.

Why Not BCS | 1:57 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

Let's just take a look at the first team to break the BCS. Utah in 2003 went 10-2 losing to a horrible Texas A&M team on the road and also to New Mexico at home - also that year they barely got by BYU 3-0. Next year they go undefeated with a ton of guys returning on offense and a Junior quarterback.

Now look at BYU they went 10-2 this year with losses on the road to UCLA (a better team than the Texas A&M team Utah lost to) and Tulsa (a comparable team to New Mexico except it was on the road). BYU has had a tougher bowl opponent this year than Utah did in 2003.

I can't understand why anyone would doubt that this BYU team who was just getting to know each other won't come out and dominate the field next year just like Utah did in 2004. Its all working out the exact same way. BYU will end up #4-5 at the end of the season in '08 and end up playing some BCS school lucky to make it into the Fiesta Bowl.

CougarBlue | 3:11 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

Let's see, so many bloggers call BYU pathetic and unable to play with the big boys, yet why don't the "big boys" schedule BYU. They don't schedule us because they know they have a very good chance of being upset.

When you look at the non conference games the "big boys" play you will see that they are padding their win-loss column, pure and simple.

BYU has tried to schedule many of these "big boys" and they just turn us down. Yet, the very same people who call us pathetic complain when we play an Eastern Washington. They say we need to schedule tougher opponents to get recognition. You can't have it both ways.

BYU wants tougher opponents to prove something, yet these "tougher" opponents are moral cowards when it comes to scheduling us.

It is also a fact that if a Division II teams wants to upgrade to Division I they have to play more D1 schools. If no D1 school gives them a chance they are forever stuck in DII.

An awful lot of blathering going on many of these comments.

SEC Mormon | 4:25 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

Cougar Blue

You are absolutely right - BYU is a mid-tier conference that occasionally pulls off an upset; however, BYU doesn't consistently beat the Tulsas or UCLAs.

The problem is not the Big Schools, it is the BCS. If you are LSU and you have to play 5 to 6 ranked teams already - why schedule BYU?

You can pull off an upset, you don't consistently beat better competition.

I have enjoyed reading these posts today. By the way, I have a student at BYU and one at an SEC West school. I watch both teams. The only team in the SEC West that BYU even comes close to physically matching up against is Mississippi. BYU might win 3 or 4 on offensive chutzpah but they aren't going to win 8, at least not until coaching and recruiting are dramatically upgraded.

Btw, Cougar Blue - I will never send another child to an SEC school. There is a really good reason for that - do you want it to change? I love SEC football, but I love Brigham Young University.

Just try a little humility to go along with the greatness of the university.

Frustrated Coug Fan | 4:41 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

I just got back in town to a computer after the hollidays, and I am still frustrated by the cougars performance. I have never seen a team choke so horribly and still win a game. BYU has done well with the secondary it has, but let's get real, if Bronco felt comfortable putting his DB's one on one to send more pressure he would have, but he didnt, because the secondary is average at best. The whole second half BYU played prevent defense. On the play they finaly sent extras, the corner choked. Let's recruit some DB's and get more aggressive, then maybe we will be able to compete with the Big Boys, because UCLA definately isnt it. Lucky Block, horrible win.

To those who have issues, no I am not a Ute fan. We have had the same seats at Cougar, now LE stadium since it was built.

Poor Journalism | 4:54 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

My comment is to Call, Travis Bright was not released from the hospital Sunday. Instead he has spent his Christmas holiday in the hospital in Vegas. Check your facts before you report next time.
Get well soon Travis!

Enough... | 5:47 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

It's so premature to speculate who, if anyone, will make the BCS next year. Let's wait until the NFL Draft deadline comes, then we know who is staying, who is going, and we have an idea how the depth charts are shaking out. For BYU, injuries, missions, etc could change a lot between January and September. For the U, Johnson could get beat out for the starting QB job by Louks. Don't laugh - it's possible. For the time being, accept that the season's done, both teams won their bowl games to conclude fine seasons, and argue over recruiting, not the bowl games for 2009.

California Cougar | 9:42 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

Billy Bob: you are clueless. Two teams played us and Oklahoma when we won the 1984 national championship and both of their head coaches said BYU was better. Both Tulsa and Baylor said BYU was better than Oklahoma that year. Plus Oklahoma ended up with 2 losses and a tie. Washington smoked them in the Orange Bowl and we smoked Washington the next year 31-3. Plus Washington didn't even win the Pac 10 that year that was why they were in the Orange bowl. BYU was the best team in the nation that year.

agree with sec Mormon | 9:45 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

Dude you are the only y fan with a head on his shoulders.

I'm a Big10 Grad and the Y or U fans dream if they think they would be anything more than a .500 team in the SEC or Big10. There is the occasional BCS busting Ute team which would have done well in a big time conference but it wouldn't happen very often. I find U fans to be much more realistic than Y fans. U fans I think for the most part understand they are a good team in mid major but want to bet better. Y fans must be smoking something because they actually believe they can beat up the big boys on a day to day basis. Whats more they get pissed off when you call them on it. I thought you guys had a code that told you not to do drugs. One more thing. The BCS was created to prevent schools like the y from getting a mythical championship like the one they eeked out in 84. Nobody outside Utah or y fans give much credit to that team. Utards living in a fantasy world. Go Big10. Go Ohio State

LB | 11:03 p.m. Dec. 25, 2007

Why do none of you comment on the facts? The BCS wants the team that will fill the stadium. All they consider are two questions:
1. Bowl-ellgible?
2. Can the fill a stadium?

Utah Man | 2:26 a.m. Dec. 26, 2007

Utah will bust BYU and the BCS in 2008.

Brent Casteel will win the Heisman again (I'm pretty sure he won it, he said he was goin' to) and Johnson will finish second in the Heisman voting and will win the Davey O'Bryan award.

BYU fans will stop saying how fortunate they are that Kyle turned them down and BYU will win that lame ice cream contest.

Bank on it.

Anonymous | 2:27 a.m. Dec. 26, 2007

FIRST OF ALL LETS TALK ABOUT THE PATHETIC GAME! PLAYING A 6-6 TEAM WHO YOU HAVE ALREADY PLAYED. UCLA WAS 9TH IN THE CONFERENCE IN SCORING, PLAYING A 4TH STRING QUARTERBACK, AND EXCEPT FOR COLLIES CATCH AND THE BLOCKED FIELD GOAL THE Y WAS NON EXISTENT IN THE ZND HALF. ACTUALLY THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEIE PERFORMANCE. WHAT WOULD THEY POSSIBLY GAIN BY THIS PATHETIC VICTORY.

Indy Coug | 8:10 a.m. Dec. 26, 2007

Big 10 fan your assessment of the Big 10 is highly inaccurate. The big ten is a 2 team conference at best with occasional representation from the rest of the conference. The SEC has more depth, but is still not as good as most SEC fans pretend it to be. Ohio State , Michigan, and SEC fans have an overinflated view of themselves because they rarely play more than one non-conference road game a year. Some, like LSU, OSU, and Michigan play a road conference game every other year. They never travel very far to a hostile site and thus never know what it's like to gets their backsides handed to them by the likes of Wyoming in War Memorial Stadium. This tilting of the field makes them believe they are head and shoulders above teams like Virginia, Boston College, BYU, Utah, or TCU.

NY | 8:11 a.m. Dec. 26, 2007

BYU did not look good at all in the UCLA game. UCLA really lost it rather than BYU winning it. Same against Utah. I think talk of BCS and an undefeated season is a little on the dreamy extreme.

BCS dreamin | 8:49 a.m. Dec. 26, 2007

It's ok to dream of going to the BCS. Is it likely? Probably not. Washington at Washington next year will be tough. UCLA at home won't be easy. The Utes and Air Force should be good again. New Mexico will put up a fight. This years Cougar defense was a lot better than most people realized. The key to a BCS game may be in how well new defensive players fill in for many that are leaving. The offense, barring injuries, should dominate next year. PS Anonymous- This is just for you. 2007 COUGARS- MTN. WEST CHAMPS AND UNDEFEATED IN CONFERENCE PLAY. WINNERS OF THE LAS VEGAS BOWL.

Tarheel Ute | 9:05 a.m. Dec. 26, 2007

All good teams want to improve on their current performace. And BYU, and Utah for that matter, are good teams and I would hope both are looking for better years in 2008, considering both are not 'rebuilding'.

Utah will have the MWC is thier primay goal. BYU will have a BSC birth as goal? BYU has won the MWC two in a row, sounds reasonable. Is it likely? They don't have an overly difficult preseason schedule but their away schedule is more difficult. Utah has Michigan to start the year who with a new coach and a talented team will not overlook Utah in their first game. Utah has their work cut out for them.

BYU's defense (rebuilding?) will probably lose at least twice. TCU, Utah, AFA and New Mexico will be waiting in ambush. BYU was not so dominating that they can pen those games as wins, just not that dominating this year - period. Utah will have a difficult year as well - too offensively flawed; I'm hoping they have a good a year as 2007 - they exceeded my expectations as it was.

Go Utes

Chuck Farley | 9:34 a.m. Dec. 26, 2007

Big-10? Is that still a 1-A conference? The only reason Ohio State is in the chnampionship game is a pathetic nonconference schedule in a pathetic conference. The next time the Acorn Boys beat an SEC team in a bowl game will be the first. Ohio State - what a joke!!! LSU will work them just like Florida.

snibb | 10:20 a.m. Dec. 26, 2007

In byu terms, "you have to be freakin' kidding me?" Since when does a team who beats an opponent because a guys misses a field goal(after making a 50 and 52 yarder)start talking about BCS? I'll tell you when-if you go to byu! Anybody watching that game new byu was nothing but lucky. Of course, there will be the "Heavenly Father wanted byu to win, so they did" crowd. The team they beat didn't even have a head coach! Nice going byu fans-this is the type of thing that makes people hate byu. Nice work, zoobies!

BEEN THERE | 10:41 a.m. Dec. 26, 2007

Just to remind all of you BYU fans....Utah has alreay been where your goals are for next season.

Another note...based on the Vegas Bowl, BYU does NOT have the team to compete with the best in the nation. They barely beat a team that had to beat them in the regular season to even qualify for a bowl. 6-6 team, 4th string QB, starting RB out....BYU should have represented the MWC and their BCS hopes better than surviving by a blocked FG in the end.

There was talk about BYU in the BCS this year....imagine BYU vs. Georgia....given what we know about BYU now after the almost loss in the Vegas bowl....they would have gotten absolutely hammered!!

BYU, you will always dream of being the '04 Utes....just admit it

Mike B. | 10:55 a.m. Dec. 26, 2007

I have been reading alot of the posts from BYU haters,namely jeolous ute fans. I am not really sure what Kyles record is the last 3 years because I don't pay much attention to the utes. I do know that Bronco's record is better than Kyle's. You have to go back to the fiftys to make Utahs overall series record with us better. Byu is heading in the right direction as far as getting to the BCS. We struggle with BCS talent when we play the UCLA'S and Boston College's of the world. We have some good talent, but not BCS talent yet. If you look at scout.com, or rivals.com in recruiting we are the best in the mountain west, but not comparible to the UCLA'S or the USC'S. UCLA and USC are right close to the top in recruiting talent. We play Washington on the road next year. Ask Hawaii about Washington? They beat us in 1996 in Husky stadium 32 to 16. A late touchdown by us made it respectable. By the way that was the 14 and 1 season. UW will be loaded next year with talent. Face it we must beat talent to go Bcs.

Vernal Coug | 12:02 p.m. Dec. 26, 2007

Get off the BCS thing. How about we just concentrate on winning the games we have scheduled. BCS is not the national championship folks. Those who suggest that BYU consider downgrading their non conference schedule have no vision of sometime playing for the national championship. Things have changed since 1984. If the ultimate goal is to get into any BCS bowl for the additional revenue, go for the easy games but if it's to have a chance to play for all the marbles then don't follow the Hawaii model. Try to schedule the very best and then figure out how to beat 'em. Being in the Mountain West is already coming to bat with an 0 and 2 count.

Be Nice Be Real | 12:10 p.m. Dec. 26, 2007

History is history. BYU won in Las Vegas. Fans need to realize: Every missed pass is not an interference, every penalty against your team is not a "wrong call", every win is a win, every loss is a loss, there is no NCAA Football supreme court where a fan's belief of injustice will be heard, an undefeated season in the MWC will not add up to an undefeated season in the PAC 10, BIG XII, Big 10, ACC, SEC until the MWC earns a lot more respect and media coverage, all football fans think they are right and if their team has a winning season then they are #1, a three yard run doesn't deserve celebration by the player, bragging rights are manipulative and only good for bragging to your own team's fans because the other team's fans think they are bogus and they can find something else to brag about. SOOOO be nice and enjoy your team and their football and enjoy the game. Get off the blog and computer and out away from the TV and do something meaningful or enjoyable outside. Next year will take care of next year. Who knows who will be the best 2008

RE: UCLA injuries | 12:39 p.m. Dec. 26, 2007

I love people forget that BYU was playing with just as many injuries as UCLA except that BYU did it the entire season. Who knows, if it wasn't for BYU's injuries they might have won the game the first time around.

SEC Mormon | 12:49 p.m. Dec. 26, 2007

Indy Coug:

Does BYU have anyone that could stop Jonathan Luigs, McFadden, or Jones? Arkansas would chew you up and it is mid-tier in the SEC.

Did you check your facts before writing that LSU played only one conference road game annually? LSU plays half of their conference games on the road. Have you gone to live games in both the SEC and Mountain West? Football is religion in the South, you can't believe the attendance and the intensity.

Have you checked Rivals to see about relative recruiting strength? 11 of the 12 SEC teams have higher rated recruiting classes than BYU, including 3 of the top 10 and 5 of the top 20. There is a lot of speed there. Try playing eight games against that - especially after the first 4 or 5 and half your skill players are injured from the pounding.

I love BYU - my money and my kids go there. But it has always bothered me that the fans just don't have a grip on reality. You can get away with a great upset - but try week over week pounding. BYU would be 3-5 at best in the conference.

Ute fan embarrassed | 1:00 p.m. Dec. 26, 2007

I root for Utah, and after reading the comments after this article, I understand why BYU fans dislike Ute fans.

Just so BYU fans know, most Ute fans are not haters. We root for our team, we root against our rival, but we also have enough intellectual honesty to tip our hats to a good team and a good program. BYU has enjoyed two great seasons. Next year? I don't know what will happen, but in my book, it is okay to set high goals. I wouldn't mind if the Utes had similar goals.

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