Big 12 Door Closing a Little Bit More

Football
21

I do agree with everything that you said in your post. There is nothing that I disagree with. The only possible suggestion that I would make, that may be a bit different is this:

We have the momentum on our side now with the acceptance of the ACC and The SEC. I want to keep the ball in our position and keep going for the next 10 yards without turning the ball over.

I want the next step to start now, and not gradual, but all at once, starting with next season 2016.

Starting now, I want us to schedule the same amount of P5 teams each season that all P5 teams must schedule.

Starting now, if the post 2014 season states that P5 teams can not have FCS teams on their schedule if they expect to compete for a playoff spot, than we must follow the same rules. Just say no!!!

If we start now, acting like a P5 team, with all the restrictions and conditions of a P5 team, and refuse to do anything that a P5 team, can not do, than we will indeed be a P5 team.

We got that position without permission. We were a self made P5 team and nobody could stop us or keep us out. We earned it.

22

Ron U: The only thing that could possibly stop BYU in a march to P-5 status is if some or all P-5’s reject scheduling us. I am very suspicious of the P-5 establishment. They are the same folks that came up with the BCS. Hopefully ESPN will stick with BYU and demand that we continue to get some good P-5 matchups.

23

While I am not opposed to us having a P5 schedule starting in 2016, I don’t think it’s going to happen. I don’t think we’ll be able to get enough P5 teams to schedule us for that to happen for a few years. As much as we may not want it, we’re going to get a gradual, not sudden, increase of P5 teams on our yearly schedule. Just because it is gradual though, doesn’t mean that we’re losing momentum. We can be aggressive in filling the holes in schedules for P5 teams, and it may not help us for 2016 but it could be helpful for 2019 or other years.

I think the biggest thing we can do for years like 2016 is to get any FCS teams off our schedule. Just because everyone else in the country seems to do it, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for us. Surely we can replace them with a FBS team somewhere.

24

Bearlock,

I agree with much of what you say.

Just as a reminder, the 2015 season starts in approximately 4 1/2 months from now, give or take a few days.
We already have scheduled for the 2016 season, a year + 4 1/2 months away, the following P5 teams:

Arizona
Utah,
Ucla,
West Va.
Mich. State
So. Miss.

That is 6 of our 9 teams. We still have openings for 3 more games. If we schedule those 3 vacancies with P5 teams, we have reached our goal.

The 3 non P5 games are very honorable vs. Boise State, Cincinnati, and I’m not sure who the other team is.

With a schedule like this, that gives us the experience of playing like a P5 team, as we program like a P5 team, and we would have the SOS of a P5 team, I will be very proud to win a 6-6 season. We would be on our way.

3 seasons of experience like this would make us a desirable addition to any P5 conference.

Until we earn it like this schedule would be doing, than anything we say about wanting to be a P5 conference is just talk.

Looking at our upcoming schedules, I truly believe that our AD and our HC is serious about preparing us to be P5. team. That does give me the true Audacity foe hope.

25

2019, yee gads, I will be 77 by then. I haven’t got that many years left. Maybe BYU is in a P-5 conference is the Spirit world.

26

Ron,

I certainly hope you are right. I’d love to see us be able to fill in our schedule with more P5 teams for 2016. I do agree that our AD and HC are serious about preparing to be a P5 team, and I believe that extends to the type of teams that they work to fill our schedule. My only concern for being able to get more P5’s on the 2016 schedule is whether there are any P5 teams with holes in their schedule that they would be willing to have BYU fill. I don’t doubt that our AD looks to P5 teams first to fill our schedule, I just don’t know if there are any willing and able to reciprocate.

27

Ron: sorry, but Southern Mississippi is NOT a P-5 team.

28

tx1492

We are not playing Southern Mississippi. We are playing the Mississippi Tigers which is in the Western Division of the SEC.

Awe, in looking Back at all of my posting to see where you came up with S. Miss, I see that in a reply to Bearlock, I did make the error and called Mississippi by the wrong name.

Thanks for reading all of my post. I like that. I do stand corrected. I know better. My mind was thinking one thing to Bearlock while my fingers was printing somenthing else. I will blame that onto a Senior Moment.

29

Bearlock, thank you for your reply. I share the same concerns that you do. I also agree with the positives that you mention.

I have been a major critic of our HC and AD in the past for programing to win 10-0 seasons and continuous meaningless bowl games with (give me) teams, (Idaho, Idaho State, Savanna State, Weber State , Wagner, etc.

I got sick of bragging about how many years in the past decade we had such great winning seasons etc.
(Weak mid major teams and FCS team)

Now, there seems to be a complete turn around and both the HC and the AD have my full support until such time they go back to their old ways. I do believe that they now have the message.

Message: If indeed we want the respect of being an Independent P5 team for programing purposes, we must act like a P5 team and not like a group of 5 team.

What ever amount of P5 teams must be played by each P5 conference team, during a single season, we MUST program the same amount.

If post 2014 season says that a P5 team must not have any FCS team on their schedule, than we must also have no FCS team on our schedule. Just say no, Stop blaming others for those teams being on our schedule. If it means not playing a P5 team, than schedule a different P5 team. Accept responsibility for our own actions. In the meantime, remember, JUST SAY NO.

If this tougher requirement of ours means that at least for a few years, the false pride we use to have by winning those 10-2 seasons with a group of 5 schedule, we must now be lucky and grateful to have a 7-5 season playing a P5 schedule.

We as fans can’t have it both ways. If we want to be a P5 team, during the years of our growing pains, getting use to playing the tougher schedule, we much cut our coaches a bit of slack by being happy for winning at least half of those P5 teams on our schedule, as we reserve the right to scream and holler
our heads off with criticism, if we lose to a group of 5 team.

In the past, we would work hard, research hard, coach hard to win that first good P5 team of the season, only to lose to lesser teams that followed that we were favored to win. Those days must be over.
We must work just as hard to win all 12 games on our schedule plus the bowl game to follow.

30

Ron U. Tom Holmoe actually said that we got the Wagner game as a part of the ESPN brokering on behalf of BYU to get the Missiouri and perhaps the Nebraska game. So we can’t always refuse to play an FCS with our partnership with ESPN. I just hope that we can win a decent percentage of the P-5 games on our football schedule. I am not sure if Bronco and Anae are up to the required coaching to beat P-5 teams fairly regularly. 2015 will be the first big test with our schedule. Winning one P-5 game on the schedule will not do it. If we win one or less P-5 games in 2015, without some extenuating circumstance like big injuries to key players, then Anae and maybe Bronco might be gone after 2015. If we can win at least two P-5 games on our schedule and win over all 8 to 9 games, then Anae and Bronco might still be with BYU. Both coaches have to get the BYU players to win at least two P-5 games and at least eight games to stay IMHO. BB

31

txcoug,

Thank you for your reply. I find nothing in your post that I can disagree with.
What bothers me, is that I read a few days ago, that Holmo is looking for another FCS team to fill open spots for the 2016 season.

There are tons of low functioning G% and even P5 teams that we can beat without scheduling FCS teams.
How about #110 Vanderbilt, #109 Colorado, #105 Kansas, #102 Wake Forest, #98 Syracuse, #95 Washington State, #92 Indiana, #84 Ohiol, #81 Michigan, #80 North Western, #79 Cal, #75 zptrhpm Dy/ #75 Va, #72 Illinois, #70 North Carolina, # 69 Miami, Florida, #67 Texas, #60 Iowa, or # 59 Va. Tech?

With our high low rankings between 45-50, we should be able to beat each of those P5 teams listed above.
Why must we shoot ourselves in the foot by searching for a FCS team to play" Instead, why not search for a seller dweller P5 team to beat up on and still get a little respect?

32

Because they won’t play us. They need a win.

33

To Ron U. - I was reviewing your post below and I am going to say this.

1.Stay the course as an Independent, playing at least 4 P5 teams as possible each season. YES and possible more than 4 P5 IF we have to play them on the road. Nice to see Tom H. was able push date up with Wisc. to our LES mid Sept 2017. That was a progress

2.Go back to a Mid Major Conference. NEVER! We would lose our P5 consideration.

3.Stay an Independent, but play as many P5 teams as P5 conference teams play each season. YES AGAIN! Just like I said on #1.

4.Stay an Independent, but schedule enough FCS teams and lower level mid major teams to insure a
10-2 season or better and a bowl game each season. YOU CRAZY! And I won’t answer the rest you asked below.

1.I don’t … just win baby. ???

2.Go through … ND has as an independent. YAWN!

I can’t believe Tom H. schedule 4 game series to play UVU BB with one road game at their little GYM!

And lastly, I am not holding my breath but I am wondering if any of the P5 conferences are still talking about future expansion or shakeup at this time (August) of the year.

18 more days till kick off game BYU vs Nebraska