The state of BYU football today

Football
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Larimer, Hawks, Black and all you guys chime in on this one, don’t just hash out my thoughts but add you own:

When Hill went down and Williams leaving early, this season could have got away from us real fast but because of a cooool customer in Tanner Mangum, BYU has the chance to win 10 games and a small chance to be ranked when the dust settles. This has been a special year by anyone’s standards. The emergence of Nacua, Warner and seeing Mathews take his game to another level has been a treat. Mathews in particular I thought had 0 chance of an NFL career but now I kinda see that he could play. I still want Blackmon to get his TD and think that Anae owes it to him to make it happen.

We lost two games, UCLA and Missouri, that I think we should have won but then we had two that we should have lost, BSU and Nebraska so karma evens things out.

What about Hill? rumor has it that he will transfer and play immediately for Michigan. He and Coach Harbaugh have been talking plenty since his injury. I hope he stays at BYU just because he knows our schemes and we sure could use him in 2016. But I just can’t see sitting Mangum for any reason.

For argument sake, as I look at 2016 and see that, as usual, BYU is on the road for most of our P5 matchups, lets just say that we win 50% of those 7 games (BSU included), BYU could end up with a 8-4 record with the San Diego Poinsettia bowl, I will assume we play SDSU, 9-4. No bad but nationally, it does not get us any traction. Now if we could scratch out an early win or two against a ranked team, on the road, that would turn some heads.

What BYU needs in a worst way is to join a P5 conference. MY choice would be the P12 along with BSU. I am praying for the Big 12 to not be included on New Years by virtue of lacking a championship game but that seems mute at this point as I think the 4 teams that get an invite as of today are:

Clemson
Bama
Oklahoma
IOWA or MSU

Now here is where thing get deicy… IF IOWA loses, IF Clemson loses, If Bama loses. Does Stanford get in? Stanford beat ND, the team everyone had penciled in for the 4th spot.

The Big 12 were to be left out (an impossibility at this time) they would have to come looking for 2 more teams and have a playoff. BYU has to be looked at over all those other Eastern teams.

Lastly, I think that the honor code is just too harsh. Losing Davies cost BYU a chance at the title in the Jimmer years. The cost to the entire team is just too high…Suspension for a game or two makes cents to me but an entire year and the toll it takes on the kid lasts for years especially when it is of a sexual nature. There has got to be a way to let these kids repent without doing permanent damage to the kid and the team.

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OK can’t lose before the playoff. They have no conference championship game. They already played their last game. If Iowa loses MSU will be in. If Clemson loses, it may open a spot for Stanford. If Alabama loses, it may also make a spot open for Stanford, although, I think they will take a 2 loss SEC team before a 2 loss PAC12 team.
I think that the only way that the Big 12 gets left out is for North Carolina to beat Clemson on a last second play and have both North Carolina and Clemson go. I feel that is unrealistic because I don’t think that North Carolina should jump Oklahoma with a win. Their loss to a 3-9 team to start the year is huge. Another outside possibility would be Stanford blowing out USC and jumping Oklahoma. I think if the Big 12 gets left out this year, it will intended as a statement by the committee. I think most realistic scenarios have the Big 12 as part of the playoff.
I would like to see Hill back, however, I think it’s unrealistic. The only way would be for Mangum to redshirt and I don’t see that happening since he is an RM and already older than most players entering the NFL.
I think that the real hope/danger with this coming year would be Mangum outperforming expectations and having a special season. While it would be incredible to have a great year, I think he jumps early if he has a great year, so it’s a double edged sword.

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Where are you getting the idea that Hill has been talking to Michigan? That’s an old, old rumor.

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I’m not sure what I can add to the “state of BYU football today”. but I know I can comment on what you said at the end of the first paragraph… about Anae doing what needs to be done to get Blackmon a touchdown. I believe that ship sailed awhile ago and nobody really cares. Scott mentioned that I might think BYU is racist because of it… my answer to that would be no and yes. No, I don’t think BYU is racist in an intentional way. I think it is too easy to blanket an entity or organization as something when in reality it is always about individual people. When too many people associated with an entity buy into a philosophy or idea, then yes, there are problems.

In this specific situation I do think there are some racist tendencies and because they aren’t kept in check or addressed (for whatever reason) I think it is a problem. When you write articles and talk about a particular player and what he has done for the team and how it might be nice if he were rewarded for it by getting a TD and you do nothing to make it happen even though there are ample opportunities, yet you “promise” to provide the same opportunities to another player for a potential touchdown on a “tight end reverse pass option” then yeah, that is at best a very poor decision and at worst potentially racist. There is no other explanation for it.

Of course that would lead me to something I can add here and everyone knows I have been a relatively harsh critic of the OC. I really believe that his philosophy and approach limit the potential of the team and the “state of BYU football”. I have seen flashes of brilliance on his part and I think to myself - yes, he is getting it - only to end up frustrated and disappointed when he gets stubborn and shows a lack of creativity or the ability to adjust a gameplan. Those are essential parts of a teams overall success and never seem to change.

So I believe we will continue to see talent and quality lds (and some non-lds who like the educational environment) players at BYU and generally continue to be a good, non P-5 team who can compete with P-5 teams on a regular basis. Unless BYU gets into a P-5 conference that is what we will see. If BYU makes it into a P-5 conference I think we see a team on par with Utah in the P12. A team that has some good seasons and good wins but usually finishes in the middle of the pac… no pun intended. :smile:

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If there really is racism in the FB program, then I imagine JWill would have gained 3,000 yards a season. And there are other examples of non-Caucasians excelling at the Y. If I really thought there was racism, I would turn completely away from BYU, the university. As for the FB program itself, I think all the talk from the administrators / coaching staff about achieving the playoffs or a NY6 fame is nothing more than marketing. If the Cougars cannot get into a P5 conference within the next 5 years, I think there will be a big push from several of the BOT to eliminate FB or all intercollegiate sports at BYU. If the Y does get into a P5 conference, they will need other coaches if they want to get into the upper reaches of the P5 conference they join. Again, if you think differently, that is well and good.

I had not intended to write so much today. Be seeing you down the road a bit. Happy trails y’all.

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So long as BYU has its relationship with ESPN, I think BYU can keep this indy thing going but that is all it will do, keep it going.

As for Racism…I see none but then I am not looking for it.

I could say that Bronco’s bad D schemes cost us both the UCLA game as well as the Missouri game but I do think we have an exceptional coach in Bronco with as little as he gets paid at BYU.

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Any racism is isolated to a few individuals. I think I can state that with a fair degree of accuracy because I have seen it first hand. The sad thing is I don’t believe the participants even realize that is what they are doing. Likewise I believe it is not as bad as other places in the country.

Regardless… is there nobody who agrees with me that Devon Blackmon is not getting the recognition he is deserving of this season? He had a few struggles early in his career but I think this season has been a breakout for him. Some of the catches he has made have been highlight reel stuff.

Anyhow, that’s probably enough on this subject… I just wish he was getting more opportunities near the end zone, particularly in blow outs… and there have been a few.

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FISH, I FIND NO FAULT WITH ANYTHING IN YOU POSTING, HOWEVER, I particularly agree with your last paragraph.

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Jim,
I think that there are a lot of (otherwise) really good people that are racist and have no idea that they are because they have had no experience being around minorities and therefore does not know what they do or say, or don’t do or say, that is soooo offensive.

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My comment wasn’t made in seriousness. It was just an opportunity to stir the pot :smile:
It’s silly to think Blackmon’s race has anything to do with this. Blackmon has gotten opportunities and dropped some catches in past games. See what happens in the bowl game.

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Are you serious? How many opportunities did he get in the 52-10 win over Fresno State? You know, the one where the media was talking up the fact that he deserved the opportunity to score a touchdown. The same game where Peck got the opportunity to throw a touchdown pass on an end around because Anae told him he would… the same Anae that said he wouldn’t run any special plays designed to give Blackmon an opportunity to score a td?

Is that the one you are talking about?

You are in denial of reality…

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Didn’t follow a thing you wrote. Racists are good people? The justification is ignorance?

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My post just above yours has been up for more than a day now… and nobody has responded to it.

When the crickets come out it can only mean one of two things, either I am completely right and nobody can refute it or people think I may be right and they are hesitant to admit it.

How do you resolve the scenario I presented above… it’s a tough one.

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Or maybe it is because we are just tired of the whole racism thing. That kind of narrative works in Ferguson but I really don’t see anything going on here at BYU

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The third reason is there is nothing to it. I haven’t heard Blackmon say anything. Fresno was watching Blackmon the most because of the manufactured scenario. Pecks play was creative and caught Fresno off guard. I think this is all manufactured.

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Fish, I agree with you on all counts. I especially hear what you are saying and agree with your last paragraph,

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Grasshopper,
Read the (otherwise) in my posting.

My point, with the (otherwise) is that many people are ignorant with what they say or don’t say,
and do, or don’t do, regarding minorities because they have spent their lives in a cocoon and have had
almost no experience living with, eating with, partying with, or otherwise really knowing minorities well
enough to know their culture including their likes and dislikes.

Example:
We always show a Black person in every publication to show the world that we do have a few blacks on campus, which in itself is---- (you tell me).

I am not excusing bigotry. I am suggesting that the reason for bigotry is largely due to ignorance.

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Jim,

This is my take on racism.

If you give a player extra advantage because he is black, you are a racist.
If you keep opportunity away from a person because he is black, you are a racist.
If you can’t help yourself from being a racist, it is better to give extra opportunity than prevent opportunity.

When you speak of a player as being that black player, you are being a racist.
The fact is that he is just a player and member of the team.

To say we have a great black running back in Jaamal Williams, you are being a racist.
The fact is that we have a great running back and his name is Jaamal Williams.

When you stick a #1 on a black player that should be a back up or less, you are being a racist.
A player does not want that #1 because he is black. He wants it because he is a starter that is great.

It is racist to say that we have 7 black players on our roster of 99 players.
It is better to say that we have 99 players on our Roster.

We don’t say that we have a white tight end. Why should we say that we have a black right tackle. etc.

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My tight end is white. And thanks Ron for teaching us all about racism We never knew!!!

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I had two or three blacks in all of my classes back in the late 70’s. It’s also time for Blacks to give up their bigotry towards us too. The many black friends and associates at work that are black get along with me and other Mormons here in our area.
Before I was baptized, I was working at a plant in my town back in the mid-70’s. The plant had just moved from Compton. There was a supervisor who was black that we became good friends. He was a happy-go-lucky guy. Tall too. But, he knew I was Jewish and really believed I had a lot of money stashed away somewhere. I’d tell him know for about 2 years. Then, one day while sitting in our living room in our one bedroom apartment, he said to me, “you really don’t have any money, do you!” He had been taught growing up and into his adult life that all Jews were penny pinchers and had lots of money. It shocked him!
White Republicans aren’t the only bigots, racists and homophobes.