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BYU football: Preparation is the same for Cougars

We actually should take our whole schedule lightly. I mean look at it, who will beat us? UCLA? Washington? Well given that they should BOTH be at the bottom half of the PAC-10 it looks like we have conjured up a pretty big cakewalk. While I do know that some of this is unavoidable it just hurts to have such a weak schedule when we could actually prove something this year, instead we are left to beat up on the likes of USU and Northern Iowa-LAME!

1. The big teams have nothing to gain from playing BYU going into this year. A loss is BCS death; a win is an okay-quality win. Those teams (and BYU) need either a guaranteed win or a possibility of one loss that will be guaranteed to be a quality loss. OSU's schedule is a perfect example. They open with Youngstown State then head to Southern Cal.

2. Let this BYU program build up a bit, then it will become feasible for these other teams to play them.

3. You can't take the schedule lightly and play down to the level of your competition. That is a recipe for getting smashed in the big bowl game.

4. That said, Utah, TCU, and New Mexico should all be tough this year. BYU may not have any "statement" non-conference games but these conference foes all do. And if those teams notch wins against Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Tulsa, they raise the profile of the conference.

I can't believe how many local BYU fans believe that Washington and UCLA are essentially creampuffs! Are you kidding? The weakling UCLA split games with BYU last year--how can one think that is an easy game? And Washington? Sure, they had a down year, but they played plenty of games to the wire--their QB is as good as any in the nation! Jake Locker might be better than Chase Daniel of Missouri as Locker did wonders without a solid offensive line.

As for Northern Iowa, I would have preferred to another Division 1 foe because UNI is a no-win situation for BYU. The Cougars are supposed to win due to their Div. 1 status. But N. Iowa was 12-1 last year and knows how to win games. They will not be like playing Idaho St. They'll be much tougher than everyone thinks.

The Mtn West as a whole has a great chance to make a national statement early in the season. Let's just say this years Rose Bowl with Mich va Washington both with one loss. Mich loss to Utah, and Washinton to BYU. Could it come down to TWO MWC BCS crashers?

The MWC will never be the next Big XII, or PAC-10. Just love the MWC for what it is. A mid-level talent and low profile conference. Yes, teams from the MWC will get to a BCS bowl once in awhile but it will never break through to be what all you MWC lovers think it will become.

With that said, Go BYU!

Whether Washington and UCLA finish near the top, middle of the pack, or near the bottom of the PAC 10 is unimportant. Nobody knows for sure how good teams are going to be early in the season. The only thing pollsters will be looking at is that BYU is playing a couple of PAC 10 teams early in the season.

Beat them, and BYU will continue to climb in the polls. Lose to either of them, and BYU will be starting over, rebuilding their resume.

The schedule is set. The only thing the Cougars need to worry about now is beating their next opponent. That's the ONLY thing they have control over. How good their opponents turn out to be by season's end is not a concern.

Bottom line, with all of the preseason hype they've already received, BYU is on the radar screen of all of the pollsters and an undefeated season will guarantee the Cougars a spot in a BCS game.

Yes, teams will have to play differently with Collie at QB. THEY WON'T HAVE TO DEFEND THE PASS. I know many of you will bow down and accept anything that comes out of Mendenhall's mouth. But this seems absolutely idiotic. Collie is a potenial all-american QB. He has been out all fall camp so he needs reps at WR not QB. If something does happen to Hall his backup will need Collie out there as a dependable target at WR more than ever. Our backup QBs may not be the quality of those kids on missions right now but they still have been playing QB since they were 10. Collie last played it when he was 10 and by his own admission didn't have to throw the ball. For some reason, Mendenhall has been very blunt this camp when he does not feel certain positions have quality depth. So much for building that "Army" behind the starters when you are constantly putting them down. Listen to the quotes - this ploy is discussed in terms of our poor QB backups. We may end up needing one of these kids. How about a little faith and encouragement in the meantime!

Obviously I meant to say Collie is potentially an all-american WR not QB. Which is my very point.

Really? That is a wild thought. I wonder what it was that Bronco saw that led him to Austin at QB? Maybe it is like Utah in the past as they would put different people at QB once in a while. Can't wait to see what happens!

That post was from a ute fan. He just trying to stir the pot. No Y fan thinks UCLA or Washington or even UNI is a cakewalk. We don't even think the MWC conf. will be a cakewalk...of course until we play Utah.

Ute fan...please stop posting as Y fans and stop dressing up as Y fans when you come to our house and then acting like third graders.

Interesting insights. When was the last time you were a head coach, at any level?

I'm sure Bronco knows exactly what he's doing with Collie. Whether he's just throwing a monkeywrench into the defensive plans of their opponents, or motivation for his backup QBs to step up their preparation, or simply a wise backup plan in case Hall gets injured, having Collie spending a little time in practice at QB will not have any impact on his play at WR.

Collie has spent the offseason working with Hall. They're a well-oiled tandem. Collie's sitting out during fall camp was a benefit, because it gave other receivers valuable practice time. Collie was healthy enough that he could have played.

Bottom line, if their starters stay healthy, Collie's ability to play QB will be just one more tool in the already formidable arsenal of BYU's offense.

"Ute fan...please stop posting as Y fans and stop dressing up as Y fans when you come to our house and then acting like third graders."

Thats just it, those supposed Ute fans dressing up as Y fans and acting like third graders. They actually are BYU fans. Embarrassing isn't it?

Can we all just stop doing two things on these posts - asking whether a fellow poster has ever been a coach or player - or dismissing someone's comment because of a grammatical error. Sharing our opinions as fans is what this site is for - even if we criticize something for heaven's sake. If only former players or coaches or english professors could post here it would make for some pretty boring comments. I appreciated your insight about my Collie post but beginning it by asking if I have ever been a coach completely took away from your argument.

Having said "with that said" ten (10) too many times, let's just say it's all just sportsbabble. With that said ten (10) too many times, the winning is not in the saying but in the doing which is done by the players not the sayers. Soooo, with that said eleven (11) times too many, sportsbabble is nothing more than serious GG (guy gossip).

I don't think Austin is being groomed as Hall's backup. I think it is just for some trick plays. The backup QBs will still be the backup QBs. Collie may come in once in a while to shake things up. They might risk it against Northern Iowa. If it doesn't work, they will abandon it early.

Why is Utah's stadium so much smaller than BYU's?

Sorry, when you start your analysis with a slap at the rest of us armchair quarterbacks, "I know many of you will bow down and accept anything that comes out of Mendenhall's mouth," I have to question your credentials for why you think your opinion is more valid than Coach Mendenhall's.

Bronco is infinitely more in touch with the talents and needs of the BYU football program. He's made VERY FEW blunders in his 3-plus years as head coach, so I have to give him the benefit of the doubt that what he's doing with Collie at QB is in the best interests of the BYU football program as a whole.

Putting your best 11 available players on the field is more important than worrying about whether a player is playing out of position.

Steve Young's final play as a college player was CATCHING the winning touchdown pass against Missouri. Jim McMahon spent most of his sophomore season PUNTING.

If Max goes down, Mendenhall's decision to play Collie at QB could be the most important decision Bronco makes this season.

Shouldn't he have at least scouted Northern Iowa enough to know that they're not a division II school? They're a Division I FCS.

From someone who is not a fan of BYU, I still don't get why so many people are saying that BYU has such an easy schedule. Sure, their out of conference is fairly easy, but they probably have the toughest conference schedule of any team in the MWC. If they go undefeated in conference again, it will be impressive.
I also don't understand why so many people claim that a game against Northern Iowa or Weber is a "no win situation". You win because it is almost a guaranteed W on your schedule and at the end of the season you have that on your record. Nobody would schedule these games if they were "no win". A more appropriate thing to say is that it is a can't lose situation.

Who cares what the fans think about how well BYU or Utah will do? It's the players that play the game and the coaches that help prepare them. It doesn't matter what we think. Fans have no influence on the game or it's outcome...we can just watch and enjoy. Live with it.