The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[Goatnapper'96]

I disagree with nap on the football ceiling a lil' bit. Getting in the PAC will make it easier for BYU to get some more of the LDS blue chippers with an eye for the big time. But the schedule will be more difficult to manage and great years will be 10-2 as they have been in the past. It will be interesting to see if the Big12 goes to 12 (they should) and how the divisions look.

The LDS base might be changing enough that BYU can find more top notch LDS skill players. That is an aspect I am watching. However, the top notch LDS kids BYU usually misses are usually replaced with high quality players. If BYU only recruited OL, QBs, TEs, DL and LBs, I think that their star ratings would put them in the top 25-33% of BCS conferences. However, one cannot win football games with only 7 players on each side of the field. While BYU might be more likely to land the Haloti Ngatas, the kid that took Haloti's place was not that much worse and landing the Haloti's does not compensate for poor CB play or receivers unable to create seperation. The real way BYU can improve recruiting is if it is willing to take more chances on non-LDS kids, DBs or offensive skill players, who might screw up . Good teams are going to be playing BYU year in and year out and just like Utah they will become familiar with BYU's limitations and will have the athletes neccesary to exploit that. Playing OU or Texas a couple times every 10 years allows BYU to hide that shortcoming to some extent. Familiarity does not strike me as to BYU's advantage against more athletic teams.

[Pheidippides]

Today's latest is a press conference on Wed. The same person that said the press conference would be last friday at 6:15 or Saturday at 12:15.

So to answer your two questions above...."nobody" and "everybody."

I'm just posting the random retweet. So I'm with you. Who the heck knows. But stay tuned!

[SteelBlue]

I'm just posting the random retweet. So I'm with you. Who the heck knows. But stay tuned!

I'm circling my wagons.

[Jennerstein]

Any of the Vegas Bowls that BYU won were good matchups.

The Vegas Bowl vs Arizona was an uninteresting matchup.

Ok, I agree that those games were good matchups and I enjoyed watching BYU play Oregon or Oregon State. But, it also was frustrating for a John Beck team to have to face a fifth place Oregon team.

Another reason why I didn't find the Vegas Bowl particularly interesting was because BYU was predestined to play in the Vegas Bowl every year, assuming they had greater than 8 wins.

At least with the Big 12 (assuming BYU gets in...crossing fingers) the Bowl situation is varied from year to year.

Hmm, if BYU joins the Big 12, I wonder what happens to all of those bowl tie-ins we signed. I doubt BYU wants to keep them, but perhaps there is a provision for them to be able to go the Poinsettia bowl if the normal Big 12 tie-in is not to their liking.

[Hsaru]

The LDS base might be changing enough that BYU can find more top notch LDS skill players. That is an aspect I am watching. However, the top notch LDS kids BYU usually misses are usually replaced with high quality players. If BYU only recruited OL, QBs, TEs, DL and LBs, I think that their star ratings would put them in the top 25-33% of BCS conferences. However, one cannot win football games with only 7 players on each side of the field. While BYU might be more likely to land the Haloti Ngatas, the kid that took Haloti's place was not that much worse and landing the Haloti's does not compensate for poor CB play or receivers unable to create seperation. The real way BYU can improve recruiting is if it is willing to take more chances on non-LDS kids, DBs or offensive skill players, who might screw up . Good teams are going to be playing BYU year in and year out and just like Utah they will become familiar with BYU's limitations and will have the athletes neccesary to exploit that. Playing OU or Texas a couple times every 10 years allows BYU to hide that shortcoming to some extent. Familiarity does not strike me as to BYU's advantage against more athletic teams.

I think one other side effect is that BYU will be able to get a better quality of JC kids for the CB spot, we might start getting a few guys who have other offers besides from WAC schools and bottom of the MWC schools. We won't get the best JC'ers by any stretch, but we could see a jump there.

[Goatnapper'96]

They could go 12-0 3 years in a row and one of those years win the national championship and I would not be at a fireside.

I will be somewhere having folks patting me on the back and offering to by me a drink. I will tell them I don't drink and ask them, what do you know about the mormon church.

Please only reference yourself a mormon, when referencing the official religious entity please use THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS. Since "Come and Listen to a Prophet's Voice" has no influence in your life, allow me to keep you updated on the requests of the Lord's annointed!

[Uncle Ted]

I will be happy with 8 wins in the Big 12. It ain't me babe, it ain't me yer looking for babe!

Mendenhall is a very good head coach and I think has made BYU about as good as it can be. I would like to be better, but I can live with where he has taken 'em.

+1

A big 12 team with 8 or 9 win seasons will get them into a decent bowl...

Last season:

9 win aTm played in the Cotton Bowl
7 win KSU played in the Pinstripe Bowl
7 win Baylor played in the Meineke Car Care Bowl

All of which have better payouts that what a 10+ win team from the MWC will get at playing in the Las Vegas (dust) bowl.

[Goatnapper'96]

I think one other side effect is that BYU will be able to get a better quality of JC kids for the CB spot, we might start getting a few guys who have other offers besides from WAC schools and bottom of the MWC schools. We won't get the best JC'ers by any stretch, but we could see a jump there.

That really will be the key. If BYU can upgrade its historical positions of weakness through improved recruiting made possible by BCS inclusion, I can see BYU taking a step forward.

[byu71]

Please only reference yourself a mormon, when referencing the official religious entity please use THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS. Since "Come and Listen to a Prophet's Voice" has no influence in your life, allow me to keep you updated on the requests of the Lord's annointed!

Thanks, are the golden questions no longer, "what do you know about the mormon church? Would you like to know more."

[TripletDaddy]

Ok, I agree that those games were good matchups and I enjoyed watching BYU play Oregon or Oregon State. But, it also was frustrating for a John Beck team to have to face a fifth place Oregon team.

Another reason why I didn't find the Vegas Bowl particularly interesting was because BYU was predestined to play in the Vegas Bowl every year, assuming they had greater than 8 wins.

At least with the Big 12 (assuming BYU gets in...crossing fingers) the Bowl situation is varied from year to year.

Hmm, if BYU joins the Big 12, I wonder what happens to all of those bowl tie-ins we signed. I doubt BYU wants to keep them, but perhaps there is a provision for them to be able to go the Poinsettia bowl if the normal Big 12 tie-in is not to their liking.

I'm definitely excited for the possibility of new bowls. Vegas, Liberty, Motor City, Freedom....ugh.

The one thing I loved about the Vegas Bowl was proximity, though. BYU fans could show up in droves and it was really easy to get there, be it from SoCal or Utah.

I also agree that BYU likely negotiated an out clause of some sort if they were to jump to a BCS conference. Sorry, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl!

[Coach McGuirk]

Your jealousy is showing

It's always been showing and I have stated as much.

[Coach McGuirk]

The LDS base might be changing enough that BYU can find more top notch LDS skill players. That is an aspect I am watching. However, the top notch LDS kids BYU usually misses are usually replaced with high quality players. If BYU only recruited OL, QBs, TEs, DL and LBs, I think that their star ratings would put them in the top 25-33% of BCS conferences. However, one cannot win football games with only 7 players on each side of the field. While BYU might be more likely to land the Haloti Ngatas, the kid that took Haloti's place was not that much worse and landing the Haloti's does not compensate for poor CB play or receivers unable to create seperation. The real way BYU can improve recruiting is if it is willing to take more chances on non-LDS kids, DBs or offensive skill players, who might screw up . Good teams are going to be playing BYU year in and year out and just like Utah they will become familiar with BYU's limitations and will have the athletes neccesary to exploit that. Playing OU or Texas a couple times every 10 years allows BYU to hide that shortcoming to some extent. Familiarity does not strike me as to BYU's advantage against more athletic teams.

you do realize that you remember Halotis name and not the almost as good kid that replaced him and isn't in the NFL?

[Goatnapper'96]

Thanks, are the golden questions no longer, "what do you know about the mormon church? Would you like to know more."

You are good except for the Mormon needs to be replaced with the official corporate name.

[Goatnapper'96]

you do realize that you remember Halotis name and not the almost as good kid that replaced him and isn't in the NFL?

I do. I have seen plenty of good BYU DL's play on not so good BYU defenses. My point is that I don't think the upgrade at DL is going to elevate BYU very much if BYU is unable to upgrade at CB.

[creekster]

you do realize that you remember Halotis name and not the almost as good kid that replaced him and isn't in the NFL?

That's only because of the dance.