Wah-hoo-wah! BYU @ Virginia

[woot]

I have been thinking more about recruiting and independence. The long term view bothers me quite a bit. I think the biggest risk with respect to recruiting as an independent long term is that that the longer we are independent the more we get lumped in with Army, Navy, Idaho, NMSU and the less we will get compared to ND. Yikes. Just like Utah is enjoying a bump in perception due to affiliation I think that BYU is teetering on the edge of slipping below the perception of the MWC due to the company that we keep. ND can have any conference they want. Other independents can't find a conference to take them...I think we are more like the latter than the former and this is not lost on recruits.

Agreed. It's also good for a team to be relevant outside of its own fan base. Who cares about BYU these days? Who has any reason to? At least ND has several established rivalries (one of which they're chickening out of, but still) even in years when they are not in the national title hunt. In lieu of conference affiliation, BYU should be trying to establish long-term rivalries at least. Losing Utah hurts in that regard.

[Flystripper]

I like you dude, but you are totally nuts with this one.

I know I am in the minority here with respect to independence versus the MWC. That is fine. I don't mind standing as the lone prophet crying in the wilderness.

It will come to pass that many people will say, "Flystripper was right all along!" When that day comes, I will be here for you bro.

What makes me sad is that I am not even sure that the MWC would take us back.

[lambdacoug]

I'm not really missing my intimate knowledge of New Mexico's coaching staff.

Glad to see you be so open about it.

[woot]

I know I am in the minority here with respect to independence versus the MWC. That is fine. I don't mind standing as the lone prophet crying in the wilderness.

It will come to pass that many people will say, "Flystripper was right all along!" When that day comes, I will be here for you bro.

What makes me sad is that I am not even sure that the MWC would take us back.

The MWC isn't as bad of a conference as it used to be either. I'd love to see BYU back in it. Basketball is just the cherry on top.

[Jarid in Cedar]

The comparisons of BYU's recruiting to Boise's seal the deal. Only a Boise fan would know or care.

This

[dabrockster]

Amen to that. People who want to go back to the MWC in football are nuts. Basketball and other sports you have a solid argument. But independence is so much better than the MWC for football I can't even comprehend arguments against it.

2nd... I LOVE the fact I can watch every single game. Although, the rain-delay screwed me last week..

[wapiti]

The MWC isn't as bad of a conference as it used to be either. I'd love to see BYU back in it. Basketball is just the cherry on top.

Did you see the results in the MWC last week?

http://scores.espn.go.com/college-fo...2&weekNumber=1

[pelagius]

I also don't buy the scheduling sucks argument. They sucked most years in the MWC especially since the only two good teams we played in Utah and TCU were always home or away in the same year. Even AF was lumped in with Utah and TCU. So every other year in the MWC the home schedule was pretty lame and the best MWC school we'd see was SDSU and maybe a mid tier BCS team in a non-con at the beginning of the year. I think the scheduling now is so much better. At least we have interesting road games when the home schedule is lacking. We never had that in the MWC.

Interesting, of course, is in the eye of the beholder. In terms of overall strength of schedule, here is a reasonable benchmark. The first two years of independence were both basically within normal variation for BYU (with 2011 below average and 2012 above average):



Generally, BYU's schedules are best classified as average (for a division 1A team) with below average schedules being more likely than above average.

[Surfah]

The MWC isn't as bad of a conference as it used to be either. I'd love to see BYU back in it. Basketball is just the cherry on top.

Isn't as bad? SJSU has had one good year. Utah State had a good year last year. Boise isn't the same since Moore graduated. And Hawaii sucks. So tell me how they're not as bad. Last year without the WAC additions the MWC finished 13th in Sagarin's conference ratings. You're telling me those teams they added are better than those they lost? Not a chance.

[Surfah]

Interesting, of course, is in the eye of the beholder. In terms of overall strength of schedule, here is a reasonable benchmark. The first two years of independence were both basically within normal variation for BYU (with 2011 below average and 2012 above average):



Generally, BYU's schedules are best classified as average with below average schedules being more likely than above average.

I wasn't arguing SOS.

[pelagius]

I wasn't arguing SOS.

I know; you were arguing interesting. But SOS is a reasonably objective benchmark about whether BYU is playing a worse schedule. They're not; very little has changed.

[Surfah]

I know; you were arguing interesting. But SOS is a reasonably objective benchmark about whether BYU is playing a worse schedule. They're not; very little has changed.

To take your SOS data though to those who aren't renewing season tickets because of a crappy schedule, it was always a crappy schedule, we're just playing different crappy teams now.

[The_Douger]

To take your SOS data though to those who aren't renewing season tickets because of a crappy schedule, it was always a crappy schedule, we're just playing different crappy teams now.

Everyone interesting is on the road. This year is the exception.

[Joe Public]

Don't be such a baby.

You forgot to LOL first.

[Surfah]

Everyone interesting is on the road. This year is the exception.

How many interesting teams did we get to Provo in the MWC? A mid tier BCS team and then TCU and Utah every other year? It hasn't really changed.

Lots of people are bitching about next season but Virginia, Houston, Utah State, Nevada, Southern Miss and UNLV is essentially what we had in the MWC. In fact I'd argue that it is no different (maybe even better) than our last home schedule in the MWC of Washington, Nevada, SDSU, Wyoming, UNLV and New Mexico.