Reader comments
Dick Harmon: Jacobson preps for new mission at BYU
102 comments | Read story
First, even if BYU went undefeated it would not be in the National Championship game. The big conferences are not going to allow that to happen, period. And anyone that things different needs to get a reality check.
Second, the PAC10 is not expanding and the Sunday play issue makes BYU a non-starter. Couple that with the Prop 8 issue and there is no way BYU will be playing in that conference.
The only way for BYU, and Utah, to ever get into a NC game is either a playoff system or the MWC to get an auto bid to the BCS. That is reality and no amount of wishful thinking will change it.
Outside of that, no chance at all.
And while BYU may have some great offensive skill players for next year they are going to be breaking in 4 new offensive linemen. This means that they will struggle to perform. Sadly, if we do play Oklahoma the first game they will get broke in real fast. I hope it is a great learning experience for them.
Next year should be another decent year for BYU. Both Utah and TCU come to Provo, giving us the advantage. And from there we have the rest of the MWC schedule, so looks to be another 10 win season. If we schedule Oklahoma lets not get too excited, as there is little chance we will win. Who knows though, that's why we play the games.
In any case, I hope Collie and Pita stay and we make a decent season out of it. And we get some speed on defense.
Go BYU!
I seem to remember Beck not checking off too much his Junior year either. He came back his Senior year with his head on a swivel.
No one thinks the cougars are headed for a NC.
Whatever his decision, I will always be an Austin Collie fan.
Sure there is hope we could beat Oklahoma and/or Florida State. I remember watching the National Champs Miami being beat by BYU at the beginning of the season in 1990. So there is always hope but keep your feet on the turf.
Next year will be an interesting one that is for certain.
Isn't Braden Hansen, the lineman from Alta, coming back from a mission this year too ?
However, the cougars should be great next year and will have a much better road schedule. Utah had a much easier road schedule (so did TCU) and JUST MANAGED to avoid losing any games. When your kicker is scoring more than half your points, you have a lot of problems with your offense. That happened in two games.
I will be in New Orleans and will be cheering for the Utes. However, I think they're going to have an extremely difficult time beating Alabama. The Utes just aren't as good as their record indicates.
GO COUGARS IN 2009.
If Collie stays, will he be okay with a 700-800 yard season? Hall should (must) take that step John Beck did his seanior season and be able to spray the entire talented cast with passes. In addition to Collie, Pitta, George, and Unga - the talent of Chambers and Jacobson will demand some passes be thrown their way too. And perhaps the real added bonus for 2009 - Tonga returns and IMO is every bit as good as Unga. Are you listening Hall? You will have probably the best overall cast of skilled players at your disposal - learn to use them all!
a third place finish and no BCS bowl.
With Bronco at the helm, 10-win season and LV bowl is the best BYU fans can hope for.
that's why BYU is the SLOWEST team in AMERICA!
Next, BYU's biggest problem this season was a soft schedule that we thought was better than it was. BYU needs to lose in order to improve. IF they had not lost two games in 2006 and 2007, they would not have won all those conference games. The coaches are not good enough to keep BYU players from getting carried away.
An offseason where they are not expected to go to the BCS, coupled with games against Oklahoma and Florida State could be a huge difference in 2009.
The big problem that I see next year is that with a new offensive line, Hall will get hit a lot more and in 2007 and 2008, Hall turned the ball over way too much . . but it would have been worse if he had been hit more.
While I agree with you that BYU needs to add speed on defense (I think 99.9% of all people feel that), your statement that BYU is almost always THE top of the conference is a little off base:
Football champs over the past 10 years:
'08 Utah
'07 BYU
'06 BYU
'05 TCU
'04 Utah
'03 Utah
'02 CSU
'01 BYU
'00 CSU
'99 CSU/BYU/Utah
Hardly almost always. Most people forget how good CSU was in the mid 90's to early 00's. This is no longer the WAC of the '80s there are very good footballs throughout the conference. Utah, BYU, and TCU look to always battle for the top spot, but the days of one team consistently being head and shoulders above the rest are gone I think.
Collie better not go to the NFL, he would just embarass the TDS even more. He is slow to begin with and would get worked against an average corner in the NFL. The only reason he had a decent season this year is because the kitties played horrible teams 10 of the 13 times (well, 9 of 13, Northern Iowa was an impressive display of prowess...rofl) and BYWho has no other offensive weapons at wideout so who else are they going to jam it to?
Oh and the entire Ute 'D' is still open...
"When BYU won the National Championship in 1984, the BCS was formed as a response to that. Their mission--to make sure that didn't EVER happen again."
You are exactly right, because BYU's National Championship in 1984 was such a TRAVESTY and a JOKE, and EVERYBODY KNEW IT! When you have such a pathetic team as BYU go undefeated and are ranked so high in the polls even though they played NOBODY OF SUBSTANCE, then you KNOW the ranking system is SERIOUSLY BROKEN!
AND EVERYBODY KNEW IT!
This year was further confirmation of the fact that BYU is NEVER as good as their statistics show! NEVER! The HIGHLY OVERRATED Cougars revealed themselves in the bowl game this year against a weak Pac10 opponent. What a friggin' joke to be beaten by Arizona!
So you can play the deceitful game of spinning the BCS system as an "anti-Mormon" thing all you want, but those of us with a BRAIN know better!
It is people like you that I love about these comment pages-always cruising various stories looking for an article-any article-in order to make a disparaging remark about the LDS church.
Thanks Dick. Great article about a great young LDS athlete. Look forward to see him paired with Collie in various formations next fall.
My parents saw him give his "homecoming" talk today... they said he looked crazy thin... hopefully he can get fully conditioned and ready to go vs. the Sooners!
I don't think Utah will get by Alabama, but don't see them getting "rolled" either. They might be down slightly in 2009, but will be back strong in 2010. Whittingham also understands that well coached speed trumps position play. BYU looked awfully slow against TCU, Utah, and Arizona.
You can argue Collie all you want, wins are what matter and BYU went 1-3 against "quality" opponents this season. BYU's win percentage against ranked teams since 1996 is still astoundingly bad, with Utah doubling BYU's wins over that time just this year.
It takes some real luck to go undefeated, but you don't get there way solely on luck either. Utah hasn't proved it is a Top-Tier national program yet, but no one should take anything from their achievements this season. They just might get there.
Umm, Cats never said anything about "anti-Mormon". That was all your invention.
In 1984, BYU beat a team that beat a team that had beaten every other team contending for the title. Every one.
#2 Washington had a chance to play BYU in the 1984 Holiday Bowl, but turned it down to play in the Orange vs. Oklahoma who was bound to that Bowl. BYU spanked Washington the next season, 31-3.
It is well known that the Bowl Coalition, as it was known back then, was created as a reaction to the 1984 season (google it on line).
2008 has nothing to do with 1984.
Who is being deceitful?
Tom Sorensen had to give up football due to chronic injuries. I wish him well.
Matt Reynolds was stellar at left tackle, giving up just one sack in his very first game and keeping all others, including Utah's Kruger, off of Hall the rest of the year. Matt has an NFL future.
R.J. Willing saw a lot of action pre and post mission and will be solid.
Terence Brown was a part time starter as a frosh and redshirted this year after the mission. He will be in the mix. Garrett Reden has also see a lot of action the past two years. Ryan Freeman saw a lot of time as a Frosh and returns from his mission, but I wouldn't count on him next year.
Hopefully Taufi can fill one of the OL slots.
I am not as optimistic as you are. We will need some of the underclassmen and RMs to step up.
Add your comment
Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.
E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.
- 'Grandfamilies' a growing trend 12:31 a.m.
- 'Cyber Monday' sales top records 12:29 a.m.
- 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game 12:26 a.m.
- No drugs in driver of Am.F. band bus 12:15 a.m.
- Governor Mansion to begin free tours 12:14 a.m.
- Head of Mexico Consulate dies 12:14 a.m.
- Gas pipeline gets preliminary OK 12:13 a.m.
- 10-year-old's 911 call saves mom 12:12 a.m.
- Jazz photo gallery 12:07 a.m.
- Scholars defend 'Messiah' 12:04 a.m.
- Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
- Y. student vanished in China
- Max Hall issues apology
- Utes won't respond to Hall
- Hall reprimanded by MWC
- Cougs begin bowl preparations
- Boy shot following traffic stop
- Mitchell called intelligent, controlling
- Matthews passes new Jazz tests
- U. eyes bowl for redemption
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
898 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
481 - Max Hall issues apology
379 - Hall reprimanded by MWC
370 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
316 - Utes won't respond to Hall
257 - BYU is champion of the state
140 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
121 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
120 - Religion in politics is tiresome
110
There's a chance the BYU Cougars could be without the services of...
There are some games I love not on your list. Arkham Asylum for one.
Our parents made my brothers help kill and clean our rabbits before we ate...
Why would you keep it open? I would understand if there was a lot of amazing...
The government will run our health care well? Read Reader's Digest, November...
TCU stomped on the MWC so they are naturally ready to crush Florida, Alabama...
could you understand Dave Locke any more than my mom does and she is not even...
Attending the ND/BYU game 3 years ago in south bend, a couple of things stuck...
I missed the game, actually i heard a little bit of Locke on the radio (man...
quotes were good: Article was dumb and unnecessary.
I believe the art depicting Joseph looking at the plates may possibly be...



BYU will roll through the MWC next year, 8-0 in conference play, including a whooping of Utah, who loses all their key offensive starters from this year. Utah will be in rebuild mode, and BYU will by in Overdrive mode, all the way to another MWC Championship!
Go Cougars!