Sunday, September 06, 2009

Why Not BYU?

This is admittedly way early, but it is a question we all need to be asking.

If the Cougars run the table from here on out, why not them in the BCS title game?

There is no doubt that the absence of Bradford for the second half hurt Oklahoma’s chances, but as Dr. Saturday points out BYU was handling the Sooners pretty well up until the point Bradford went down.

In fact it was a flaw in the overall Oklahoma team dynamic – their inexperienced offensive line – that led proximately to Bradford’s absence. And when it most mattered the Oklahoma defense failed to keep the Cougars out of the end zone. While last year’s Heisman winner might be the story, BYU won this game.

With previously 3rd ranked Oklahoma out of the way, BYU has games remaining against 3 currently ranked teams, including Florida State, TCU and Utah.

Of the remaining ranked teams the Cougars face TCU and Utah are every bit as impressive as the “big name” in FSU. TCU is coming off an 11-2 season. Utah was of course undefeated last year, handling an impressive Alabama team in the Sugar Bowl.

Also consider the teams on our top-ranked Gators schedule. As of right now only 3 are ranked, including the same Florida State (and LSU, and now 1 loss Georgia).

Similarly second ranked Texas faces 3 currently ranked opponents, which include Oklahoma State, Kansas and the same Sooner team that just lost to BYU.

There are still a myriad of scenarios that have to play out, and I’m not saying an undefeated BYU team necessarily deserves a shot over two unbeaten BCS conference teams. But with Boise’s undefeated season in ’06, and Utah’s last year, the time for thinking about the top non-BCS teams as lesser talent is long past.

They have served notice, and continue to do so. Any blatant BCS exclusion at this point serves only to further devalue the entire system.

5 comments:

Tim said...

I said it before the season, if they are undefeated and there are not three undefeated teams, they need to go in. Now if there are three or more undefeated teams, those teams will need to be judged on merit.

But their schedule is every bit as impressive as a "big six" schedule. If they win out then that's awfully impressive.

Dan Hobby said...

Bah . . . an undefeated BYU should not go to the BCS Championship game over a SEC, Big 12 or PAC 10champion with one defeat.

I would, however, give them the nod over a Big 10 or ACC team with one loss.

Unknown said...

What if that Big 12 champion is, say, Oklahoma?

Anonymous said...

If BYU runs the table and we lose to the same FSU team that BYU beat then we do not deserve to go to Pasadena.

1974gator said...

I saw the BYU vs OK game. Not the same OK by a long shot, even with Bradford in. I would LOVE to see BYU across the line from us in the BCS championship. 3 out of 4 is 3 out of 4. What a cakewalk that would be.