BYU, do you know the way to San Jose?

[Goatnapper'96]

I expect a minor bump of SJSU fans from 7,000 to 10,000 and then another 8,000 BYU fans. I bet it's 50/50

I am not sooo good at projecting turnout!

[TexTechCoug]

PS, this game didn't need it's own thread.

I know there is a lot of self-loathing going on, but an 8-2 San Jose St. whose losses were a 20-17 on the road to an 8-2 Stanford, and 49-27 at home to an 8-2 Utah State is actually a pretty good game.

I realize we aren't playing a traditional rival or working toward a conference championship, but this is a good opponent on the road.

I am excited for this game and think it will be closer than it needs to be due to the stellar combination of Brandon Doman and Riley Nelson, neither of whom deserves their current position.

[The_Douger]

you sure get a lot of feelings.

They're nothing more than feelings.

Eh, it is what it is.

I was pretty sure of this game a few weeks ago. I am more nervous about it now.

[The_Douger]

LOL! You try to hard to be the open minded fellow who isn't blinded by loyalty.

BYU did not play Nevada in 2003. You are thinking about 2002.

These are exactly the types of games designed for Mendenhall. BYU is clearly more talented and should be able to win this game by out-executing SJSU. I expect a decisive victory for BYU.

That is the one.

I didn't enjoy that game.

I think I am always hedging my bets because this team disappoints me a lot of the time. I just keep thinking we're going to have a really hard time with them and I don't think we should.

[FMCoug]

I know it's wrong, but there is a part of me that is hoping for a couple mor e losses so the blue glasses crowd will sit up and take notice that all is not well in zion.

NMSU is a gimme so if we lost SJSU and the bowl that would put us at 7-6. Winning record but just barely.

[LiveCoug]

I know it's wrong, but there is a part of me that is hoping for a couple mor e losses so the blue glasses crowd will sit up and take notice that all is not well in zion.

NMSU is a gimme so if we lost SJSU and the bowl that would put us at 7-6. Winning record but just barely.

I'm gonna go ahead and not hope for that.

[FMCoug]

I'm gonna go ahead and not hope for that.

I'm with you ... and I said I know it's wrong. But the problem is that a 9 win season will be viewed as another "success".

[LiveCoug]

I'm with you ... and I said I know it's wrong. But the problem is that a 9 win season will be viewed as another "success".

I don't think Tom Holmoe will view it that way. Who cares what a bunch on blue goggler fans think?

[Art Vandelay]

I know it's wrong, but there is a part of me that is hoping for a couple mor e losses so the blue glasses crowd will sit up and take notice that all is not well in zion.

NMSU is a gimme so if we lost SJSU and the bowl that would put us at 7-6. Winning record but just barely.

I may have rooted for BYU to lose when I was little, and didn't care about them one way or another. But I don't have any memories of ever wanting a loss. I'll go ahead and keep that streak going, this weekend.

[TexTechCoug]

I'm with you ... and I said I know it's wrong. But the problem is that a 9 win season will be viewed as another "success".

I don't think a season where every good team you play beats you is a good season. Not one donor or long-time fan is satisfied with the horrible offense put out on the field.

[The_Douger]

I don't think most fans think of it as a success.

That was the low number for me, as least.

I didn't anticipate OSU being as good as they are.

I was hoping for 2-2 between Boise, Utah, ND, and GaTech. Looking at how Utah and Boise turned out this year, it was disappointing to me not to beat them both.

[pelagius]

I'm with you ... and I said I know it's wrong. But the problem is that a 9 win season will be viewed as another "success".

We're doing this again? 9-4 would be a success (and it is not a matter of being blue goggled ... it's the data), and it wouldn't need to be qualified with scare quotes. Look, I certainly agree that there were some coaching decisions that were mistakes this year (Hill's injury and playing Riley hurt, for example). But if BYU ends up 9-4 then this season is a good season by BYU historical standards. If BYU ends up 9-4, by good model benchmarking BYU will be probably in the 15-25 range in terms of ranking relative to good benchmark (MOV computer model rating). Which means, in the last 25 years, there will be only two seasons that would be significantly better: 96 and 06 (and there would be plenty of seasons where which would be significantly worse). And even within the wide swath of seasons that aren't meaningfully different, this one would end up in the upper range.

People can certainly argue that with good quarterback development BYU had a chance for a top 10 team this year. And that's possible and I think a fair criticism. But that doesn't change that fact that very few BYU teams since 85 have produced anything better (somehow even one of the most legendary coaches wasn't able to put seasons together that recruited, developed enough talent, and minimized coaching mistakes enough to do really any better outside of one season during a 15 year period). Look, once you account for schedule strength this season looks like slightly above average BYU (since 1985). Good, BYU seasons are typically in the 20-40 range, and at 9-4 this season will be better or in the upper end of that range. We can assume BYU is better than this, but they haven't been (besides at a rate of about one out of 10-15 seasons) for a long time.

Of course, BYU could easily lose to San Jose St; it is only a 3 point spread. Use our best ex ante measure, there is a 40% chance BYU loses (and based on the lines we've seen recently I think Vegas has BYU in the 25-35 range in terms of quality).

[TripletDaddy]

Has anyone here ever really sported blue glasses or blue goggles? My freshman year I had a pair of blue Bolle ski goggles. I have about 4 pairs of goggles now, none of which are blue. My faves are the white ones.

[TexTechCoug]

We're doing this again? 9-4 would be a success (and it is not a matter of being blue goggled ... it's the data), and it wouldn't need to be qualified with scare quotes. Look, I certainly agree that there were some coaching decisions that were mistakes this year (Hill's injury and playing Riley hurt, for example). But if BYU ends up 9-4 then this season is a good season by BYU historical standards. If BYU ends up 9-4, by good model benchmarking BYU will be in the 15-25 range in terms of ranking relative to good benchmark (MOV computer model rating). Which means, in the last 25 years, there will be only two seasons that would be significantly better: 96 and 06 (and there would be plenty of seasons where which would be significantly worse). And even within the wide swath of seasons that aren't meaningfully different, this one would end up in the upper range.

People can certainly argue that with good quarterback development BYU had a chance for a top 10 team this year. And that's possible and I think a fair criticism. But that doesn't change that fact that very few BYU teams since 85 have produced anything better (somehow even one of the most legendary coaches wasn't able to put seasons together that recruited, developed enough talent, and minimized coaching mistakes enough to do really any better outside of one season during a 15 year period). Look, once you account for schedule strength this season looks like slightly above average BYU (since 1985). Good, BYU seasons are typically in the 20-40 range, and at 9-4 this season will be better or in the upper end of that range. We can assume BYU is better than this, but they haven't been (besides at a rate of about one out of 10-15 seasons) for a long time.

Of course, BYU could easily lose to San Jose St; it is only a 3 point spread. Use our best ex ante measure, there is a 40% chance BYU loses.

Maybe the perception of failure is due to both expectation and potential(which is really just the perception of ability.) BYU had a very good chance to tie and possibly beat BSU and Utah, and had a gimmie TD to beat ND. The only loss that wasn't close was OSU. Additionally, Riley Nelson has been inaccurate, a turnover machine, and his poor play directly led to points for the opponent in all four losses, but most painfully, to more than enough points to cost us the 3 close games.

The offense actually has taken a step back from last year, which is difficult, and there is a lot of frustration.

I certainly wouldn't argue the statistical performance, but the program has raised expectations and failed to deliver, again.

[Goatnapper'96]

We're doing this again? 9-4 would be a success (and it is not a matter of being blue goggled ... it's the data), and it wouldn't need to be qualified with scare quotes. Look, I certainly agree that there were some coaching decisions that were mistakes this year (Hill's injury and playing Riley hurt, for example). But if BYU ends up 9-4 then this season is a good season by BYU historical standards. If BYU ends up 9-4, by good model benchmarking BYU will be probably in the 15-25 range in terms of ranking relative to good benchmark (MOV computer model rating). Which means, in the last 25 years, there will be only two seasons that would be significantly better: 96 and 06 (and there would be plenty of seasons where which would be significantly worse). And even within the wide swath of seasons that aren't meaningfully different, this one would end up in the upper range.

People can certainly argue that with good quarterback development BYU had a chance for a top 10 team this year. And that's possible and I think a fair criticism. But that doesn't change that fact that very few BYU teams since 85 have produced anything better (somehow even one of the most legendary coaches wasn't able to put seasons together that recruited, developed enough talent, and minimized coaching mistakes enough to do really any better outside of one season during a 15 year period). Look, once you account for schedule strength this season looks like slightly above average BYU (since 1985). Good, BYU seasons are typically in the 20-40 range, and at 9-4 this season will be better or in the upper end of that range. We can assume BYU is better than this, but they haven't been (besides at a rate of about one out of 10-15 seasons) for a long time.

Of course, BYU could easily lose to San Jose St; it is only a 3 point spread. Use our best ex ante measure, there is a 40% chance BYU loses (and based on the lines we've seen recently I think Vegas has BYU in the 25-35 range in terms of quality).

How does it look when comparing years BYU had a senior qb? It seems to me that this year is worse than 2009, 2006, 2001, 1996, 1994 and 1991 and likely similar to 1999.

I think what gets so many fans irate is so many predicted this exact scenario.