The Official Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Thread

[Coach McGuirk]

For future reference, what constitutes a "great season"?

Put some numbers in your calculator, you'll figure it out.

[Indy Coug]

Put some numbers in your calculator, you'll figure it out.

When fans call a top 25 season "mediocre", I'm pretty sure a calculator won't provide enough irrational numbers to arrive at the correct answer.

[Surfah]

For future reference, what constitutes a "great season"?

How about beating your mediocre rival at home and two barely top 25 teams?

Really, a great season IMO is a BCS bowl game. Or at least being eligible as an at-large for one. This is what has changed since the Lavell era. Everyone goes to a bowl game today. It's not special. And to be honest, independence has relegated us to BCS or bust. We drop our first game in September next year and we can book tickets in Frisco for our bowl game.

What is your great season?

[Coach McGuirk]

How about beating your mediocre rival at home and two barely top 25 teams?

Really, a great season IMO is a BCS bowl game. Or at least being eligible as an at-large for one. This is what has changed since the Lavell era. Everyone goes to a bowl game today. It's not special. And to be honest, independence has relegated us to BCS or bust. We drop our first game in September next year and we can book tickets in Frisco for our bowl game.

What is your great season?

Win 10 games against the WAC and CUSAs basement dwellers.

[woot]

Win against the best? I'd settle for winning against what we're facing and have faced.

ERcougar nailed it for me. I am sick of good seasons. I want a great season. We have better resources and facilities than any of the other BCS crashers. As you already noted above we have better talent most years. Yet we have not done what Utah has done twice against the same shit schedules. And look where that got them. Without those two seasons they're not in the Pac. That is what I want. And that is what this team should be able to accomplish but continually comes up short in an effort to do so.

You and every other sports fan in the world. Look, I too want a great season. The fact is that a "great" season with BYU's talent would be smoke and mirrors at best, just as Houston's was this season, just as BYU's 1984 season was, just as just about any BCS-crashing season was. I'd still love to see it, but I don't think it's possible with the schedule. There are a few games next year that we BYU shouldn't win. If they get lucky and win a couple of them, great. They'll still lose a couple others at least. A "great" season requires a lot of bounces to go your way even against a cupcake schedule, and BYU doesn't have a cupcake schedule next year.

Independence should be fun, and I'm looking forward to it. The way I see it, though, they're trying to upgrade the schedule, which serves to eliminate the possibility of crashing the BCS, while offering none of the benefits of BCS conference affiliation. The absolute best case scenario is that BYU becomes something like Notre Dame's baby brother. I don't see that status being enough to win recruits.

[Coach McGuirk]

You and every other sports fan in the world. Look, I too want a great season. The fact is that a "great" season with BYU's talent would be smoke and mirrors at best, just as Houston's was this season, just as BYU's 1984 season was, just as just about any BCS-crashing season was. I'd still love to see it, but I don't think it's possible with the schedule. There are a few games next year that we BYU shouldn't win. If they get lucky and win a couple of them, great. They'll still lose a couple others at least. A "great" season requires a lot of bounces to go your way even against a cupcake schedule, and BYU doesn't have a cupcake schedule next year.

Independence should be fun, and I'm looking forward to it. The way I see it, though, they're trying to upgrade the schedule, which serves to eliminate the possibility of crashing the BCS, while offering none of the benefits of BCS conference affiliation. The absolute best case scenario is that BYU becomes something like Notre Dame's baby brother. I don't see that status being enough to win recruits.

11-1 10-2 with next years schedule would be fun and borderline great as long as we aren't boatraced in the losing games.

[Surfah]

You and every other sports fan in the world. Look, I too want a great season. The fact is that a "great" season with BYU's talent would be smoke and mirrors at best, just as Houston's was this season, just as BYU's 1984 season was, just as just about any BCS-crashing season was. I'd still love to see it, but I don't think it's possible with the schedule. There are a few games next year that we BYU shouldn't win. If they get lucky and win a couple of them, great. They'll still lose a couple others at least. A "great" season requires a lot of bounces to go your way even against a cupcake schedule, and BYU doesn't have a cupcake schedule next year.

Independence should be fun, and I'm looking forward to it. The way I see it, though, they're trying to upgrade the schedule, which serves to eliminate the possibility of crashing the BCS, while offering none of the benefits of BCS conference affiliation. The absolute best case scenario is that BYU becomes something like Notre Dame's baby brother. I don't see that status being enough to win recruits.

I agree going forward. I was mostly speaking retrospectively.

Next year a 10 win season would likely be a great a season if the competition plays as expected.

[ERCougar]

Ok, Coach, Surfah, et al:
Would you guys be happier in Utah's shoes right now?
I'm not trolling here--I'm honestly curious. Utah's ranked lower, is facing a lower ranked bowl opponent, and has a similar QB issue next year. We have a comparable schedule. Why the big difference? Is it long-term prospects?

[Surfah]

Ok, Coach, Surfah, et al:
Would you guys be happier in Utah's shoes right now?
I'm not trolling here--I'm honestly curious. Utah's ranked lower, is facing a lower ranked bowl opponent, and has a similar QB issue next year. We have a comparable schedule. Why the big difference? Is it long-term prospects?

Of course. Is that a serious question?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Ok, Coach, Surfah, et al:
Would you guys be happier in Utah's shoes right now?
I'm not trolling here--I'm honestly curious. Utah's ranked lower, is facing a lower ranked bowl opponent, and has a similar QB issue next year. We have a comparable schedule. Why the big difference? Is it long-term prospects?

I would be. Of course.

[Coach McGuirk]

Ok, Coach, Surfah, et al:
Would you guys be happier in Utah's shoes right now?
I'm not trolling here--I'm honestly curious. Utah's ranked lower, is facing a lower ranked bowl opponent, and has a similar QB issue next year. We have a comparable schedule. Why the big difference? Is it long-term prospects?

Yes. Would you not?

[Surfah]

I would be. Of course.

Shoganai said there were fans that wouldn't trade places. I refused to believe him. Until now.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I would rather be hated for what I am than loved for what I am not!

Dang it. I don't get it.

But if what you are saying has anything to do with striving for excellence, then I am with you brother!

[ERCougar]

Ok...I guess I need to add a follow up...Why?

I can think of one decent reason: PAC12. But that has nothing to do with performance this year nor is it anything new to complain about.

Any other reasons?

[LiveCoug]

Ok, Coach, Surfah, et al:
Would you guys be happier in Utah's shoes right now?
I'm not trolling here--I'm honestly curious. Utah's ranked lower, is facing a lower ranked bowl opponent, and has a similar QB issue next year. We have a comparable schedule. Why the big difference? Is it long-term prospects?

Absofreakinglutely.

This, I think, is the true reason most Cougar fans are disappointed with year one of independence. It kills us that little brother made the big time and we are still with the have nots. Kills us.

Had Utah stayed in the MWC and BYU gone independent, I can guarantee you that most of us would be much more excited about year 1 of indy.