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With the rumors of OU, I'm beginning to wonder if Bronco has had some sort of realization. I remember a few posters (or maybe it was just CB and their malcontent) that were completely unhappy with Bronco's proposed scheduling OOC philosophy of one patsy warmup, USU, and two BCS schools. This was the year when the stars lined up and we lucked out get bad BCS teams. With the non league opponents dispatched , BYU had the inside lane to the BCS, and they frittered away that chance.
So, if Bronco's scheduling philosophy appears sound, why are we scheduling OU?
A couple of theories:
1. Recruiting. If the matchup ends up being scheduled, Bronco will use this game as a way to legitimize BYU's program. He can point recruits to the fact that BYU is playing a top 10 team in a brand new NFL stadium. I don't know if this is Bronco's style though.
2. Program Barometer. Part of me thinks Bronco wants to see how well his program stacks up against the elite. If Sam Bradford leaves, he still gets the cachet of OU's run from the year before, without getting stomped into the ground 70-7. He also gets to coach against Stoops who I think has always been good at making in game adjustments (one of the areas BYU is a bit lacking in, imo).
3. Manning up (and I don't mean Peyton): This the theory I favor. I think we've all seen BYU trend towards playing soft (perhaps it has to do with the shorter practices). The defense just does not hit like a top caliber defense should. To me, there is a visible difference between UofU's defense and BYU's, and it's not just the talent I'm referring to. Example: Howard, bless his heart, will never be a good corner, but he sure can learn to hit. I'm thinking, hoping, that Bronco wants to use the game to teach the offense and defense how to play with testicular fortitude. We'll get smacked in the mouth, but it'll feel great.
To this point, although BYU did win the games it should have won, playing teams of a lower caliber made us ill-prepared for the higher quality opponents. When you stay in the dark most of the day, it takes a bit of time for your eyes to adjust when you go outside and play.
So, if Bronco's scheduling philosophy appears sound, why are we scheduling OU?
A couple of theories:
1. Recruiting. If the matchup ends up being scheduled, Bronco will use this game as a way to legitimize BYU's program. He can point recruits to the fact that BYU is playing a top 10 team in a brand new NFL stadium. I don't know if this is Bronco's style though.
2. Program Barometer. Part of me thinks Bronco wants to see how well his program stacks up against the elite. If Sam Bradford leaves, he still gets the cachet of OU's run from the year before, without getting stomped into the ground 70-7. He also gets to coach against Stoops who I think has always been good at making in game adjustments (one of the areas BYU is a bit lacking in, imo).
3. Manning up (and I don't mean Peyton): This the theory I favor. I think we've all seen BYU trend towards playing soft (perhaps it has to do with the shorter practices). The defense just does not hit like a top caliber defense should. To me, there is a visible difference between UofU's defense and BYU's, and it's not just the talent I'm referring to. Example: Howard, bless his heart, will never be a good corner, but he sure can learn to hit. I'm thinking, hoping, that Bronco wants to use the game to teach the offense and defense how to play with testicular fortitude. We'll get smacked in the mouth, but it'll feel great.
To this point, although BYU did win the games it should have won, playing teams of a lower caliber made us ill-prepared for the higher quality opponents. When you stay in the dark most of the day, it takes a bit of time for your eyes to adjust when you go outside and play.
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