Hypothetical BYU scheduling as an independent

[cougjunkie]

Ok this begs the question. How much is it to purchase a HDTV truck?

50 million per Dick Harmon.

[beefytee]

What are Army and Navy's agreements with the BCS?

Is it the same as the rest of the Non-BCS conferences?

[jay santos]

Ok this begs the question. How much is it to purchase a HDTV truck?

I'm kinda wondering the same thing. Is an HDTV truck really a game changer? Why am I not buying all this stuff related to the importance of BYU's truck?

[Mormon Red Death]

ESPN wants BYU's TV truck - especially in September and October before MLB finishes and HD resources are freed up. ESPN will make a lot of concessions to get the use of that truck, especially from a location as 'centrally' located as Provo. Centrally sounds funny, but they're within a days drive to any Big-10, Big-12 or PAC-12 school. If a game suddenly looks like it's the game-to-watch, but they hadn't planned on it being a big game, another western hdtv truck would be invaluable to them...

Ok this begs the question. How much is it to purchase a HDTV truck?

[BoylenOver]

Did you mean "does"? I don't know if you can say either way. Hawaii got in in 2007 with about the worst schedule possible, but that was a pretty freaky year.

Hawaii had the non-BCS auto-bid rules in their favor. And they were still only ranked 10th in the standings.

[ERCougar]

If the schedule is

Maryland / Wake / Notre Dame / AFA / SMU / Fresno State / Duke/ Army / Hawaii / La Tech / Utah / Utah State

that's four teams that went bowling in 2009. Going undefeated with that schedule in 2010 doesn't get you into a BCS game; and one loss gets you a pre-Christmas bowl game against a non-BCS team.

Guess what? I can't believe I have to roll out this smack for you, but recruits aren't coming to BYU with plans of going to a BCS bowl game.

On the one hand, you're saying that the MWC has no chance at an autobid, but on the other hand, you're saying that BYU shouldn't leave the MWC because of the chance at a BCS bowl. What gives?

[Moliere]

If the schedule is

Maryland / Wake / Notre Dame / AFA / SMU / Fresno State / Duke/ Army / Hawaii / La Tech / Utah / Utah State

that's four teams that went bowling in 2009. Going undefeated with that schedule in 2010 doesn't get you into a BCS game; and one loss gets you a pre-Christmas bowl game against a non-BCS team.

BYU going undefeated with that schedule will result in a BCS game. Heck, Hawaii got into one with one of the worst schedules ever. BYU has a brand in college football. It is known as a team that can at least compete with big teams which is the same as Utah, BSU and TCU. It's true we haven't been to a BCS game but we have qualified for one (at least I think we qualified last year but TCU/BSU obviously took the slots).

The biggest issue is the lack of big teams in the west. On the east coast you have the ACC, Big East, SEC and Big 10 that are all within reasonable travel distance. Out west we have the PAC 10 and some Big 12 teams (north division) so the option are limited unless BYU travels a lot to the east coast. That isn't very desirable but I'd take it over the current schedule.

[beefytee]

If the schedule is

Maryland / Wake / Notre Dame / AFA / SMU / Fresno State / Duke/ Army / Hawaii / La Tech / Utah / Utah State

that's four teams that went bowling in 2009. Going undefeated with that schedule in 2010 doesn't get you into a BCS game; and one loss gets you a pre-Christmas bowl game against a non-BCS team.

Did you mean "does"? I don't know if you can say either way. Hawaii got in in 2007 with about the worst schedule possible, but that was a pretty freaky year.

[BoylenOver]

Exactly.

I'm not even sure what BO's point was. I'd almost trade for Navy's current schedule, with a game with ND every year. It's not like we're playing PAC 12 teams every week.

If the schedule is

Maryland / Wake / Notre Dame / AFA / SMU / Fresno State / Duke/ Army / Hawaii / La Tech / Utah / Utah State

that's four teams that went bowling in 2009. Going undefeated with that schedule in 2010 doesn't get you into a BCS game; and one loss gets you a pre-Christmas bowl game against a non-BCS team.

[ERCougar]

Maryland, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Air Force, SMU, Duke, Central Michigan, Army, Arkansas State, La Tech, Georgia Southern. Georgia Southern, CM and Ark State are unacceptable - but the rest are as good/better than a standard BYU sched including four BCS teams.

And BYU would NEVER have to schedule the Georgia Southern types because (again allegedly) we will have scheduling rights with the WAC that will allow us to fill our open schedule spots with WAC teams at least.

So take Navy's sched for next year and replace those teams with three WAC teams and you'd get:

Maryland / Wake / Notre Dame / AFA / SMU / Fresno State / Duke/ Army / Hawaii / La Tech / Utah / Utah State

that's not a bad schedule AT ALL.

Exactly.

I'm not even sure what BO's point was. I'd almost trade for Navy's current schedule, with a game with ND every year. It's not like we're playing PAC 12 teams every week.

[statman]

Because setting up a small office and buying a truck is a whole heckuvalot more expensive than leasing one only when you need it. They are entering into a partnership with BYU and as long as schedules don't conflict it's a win-win for everyone.

This relationship reminds me of a boat that my family used when I was growing up. Instead of plopping $20K on a new boat, several families bought a boat and shared it among the families. Schedules were worked out each year so everyone knew who had the boat and when. It was a lot cheaper than buying a boat and we still got to use it almost as much as if we owned the boat outright. The only drawback was you couldn't always do a spur of the moment trip to the lake.

ESPN wants the flexibility of BYU's truck exactly because of its ability to grant spur of the moment scheduling. The Truck means ESPN gets a couple more big games televised every year - those games that end up being important but that n one expected to be important.

Complete hypothetical - Washington and Oregon State are both complete sleepers in 2011. Both start unranked, but play well throughout the season. By late October, both teams are undefeated, and Washington-Oregon State lines up to be one of the bioggest games of the year. But ESPN didn't anticipate this, and has scheduled it's trucks to be elsewhere. BYU to the rescue. ESPN gets to make a last minute scheduling change and puts one of the biggest games of the year on HD in prime time. They make a killing on the game. And don't even have to produce the game. BYU provides the technology, the crews, and even the uplink. All ESPN has to do is fly the play-by-play and color guys to Seattle for the game...

THAT is why they want access to BYU's truck.

And BYU really is in a central location for football. Most of the resources are in the east. Provo is a days drive away from any school in the PAC-12, Big-12, and most of the Big-10. Tell BYU you need the truck on Sunday, and they'll have it on site and set up in any school in half the BCS conferences by Tuesday.

[Surfah]

Disney has been tightening the purse strings at ESPN and they're having to start thinking more economically - buying a $50M truck for the state of Utah is a complete non starter for them at present.

Also, HD is the latest greatest technology. It's becoming the standard, but who knows beyond that. Why would they invest that much money in a technology even if it is the standard if it may be obsolete in a few years time? ESPN is doing the same thing with 3D. They invited several companies up to Connecticut when they were exploring this and had a semi-pro football team scrimmage for them to capture footage for demo. It's far cheaper for them to contract this work out to others than develop this on their own.

[oxcoug]

I understand the value of ESPN having a truck in Utah when they need/want it. But why make a deal with BYU just to get access to it? Why not just set up a small office in Utah and buy their own truck?

Disney has been tightening the purse strings at ESPN and they're having to start thinking more economically - buying a $50M truck for the state of Utah is a complete non starter for them at present.

[pellegrino]

Because setting up a small office and buying a truck is a whole heckuvalot more expensive than leasing one only when you need it. They are entering into a partnership with BYU and as long as schedules don't conflict it's a win-win for everyone.

This relationship reminds me of a boat that my family used when I was growing up. Instead of plopping $20K on a new boat, several families bought a boat and shared it among the families. Schedules were worked out each year so everyone knew who had the boat and when. It was a lot cheaper than buying a boat and we still got to use it almost as much as if we owned the boat outright. The only drawback was you couldn't always do a spur of the moment trip to the lake.

spur of the moment HD, hmmm. keep it clean elder!

[oxcoug]

If you want to see what BYU's schedule will look like as an independent, just take a look at Army and Navy's schedule and you will have a pretty good idea of what to expect. It really isn't an improvement from what they currently have.

I really don't understand the assumption that ESPN will help BYU schedule 4 games a year.

This all depends on the terms of the deal that BYU strikes with ESPN. It is rumored to have an emphasis on helping BYU find BCS matchups not just any Non-AQ schlubs who happen to be available. It starts, allegedly, with an understanding that ESPN will facilitate a BYU-Notre Dame pairing in 2011.

But this line of thought also ignores the fact that Navy and Army don't have the caliber of football program that BYU does. Army flatout sucks and needs to play a week schedule in order to win occasionally and Navy has been edging into bowl eligibility for the past few years in part by playing a fair number of patsies.

That said - Navy is improving and their schedule is improving. Have you looked at their 2010 schedule?

Maryland, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Air Force, SMU, Duke, Central Michigan, Army, Arkansas State, La Tech, Georgia Southern. Georgia Southern, CM and Ark State are unacceptable - but the rest are as good/better than a standard BYU sched including four BCS teams.

And BYU would NEVER have to schedule the Georgia Southern types because (again allegedly) we will have scheduling rights with the WAC that will allow us to fill our open schedule spots with WAC teams at least.

So take Navy's sched for next year and replace those teams with three WAC teams and you'd get:

Maryland / Wake / Notre Dame / AFA / SMU / Fresno State / Duke/ Army / Hawaii / La Tech / Utah / Utah State

that's not a bad schedule AT ALL.