What it took to pull off the Missouri-BYU game in 2015

[Fido]

So what is your ideal plan Cougs_Rule? Go back to the MWC and accept that BYU is a G5 team? Do you think BYU would have done better if they were in the MWC last year? They did drop most of their MWC games last year after all.
I guess you are entitled to your opinion--I just don't see the point to wallow in the wishes that things were better.
Personally I don't think BYU is going undefeated or anything--it would be a really special thing if they did. But I'm also not going to sell the team short and underestimate what they might do. If the team routinely turns in 3 win seasons or something then we have a problem. Until then, I'll look on the bright side.

[YNot]

I actually love what BYU is doing with its Independent schedules. The critics need to relax and realize that 5 years ago, BYU fans outside of Utah (and their are a lot of them) were lucky to see BYU play 2 or 3 times on television and the home schedules had a heavy dosage of UNLV, Wyoming, and New Mexico.

While Boise St., ECU, Cincinnati, and Fresno St. don't drop the jaw, they will provide a decent home schedule to enjoy. And games at Nebraska and Michigan, and Missouri in Arrowhead Stadium will move the needle. And, Wisconsin, Stanford, USC, and other notable P5 programs in LES start to appear on the home schedule soon.

The major difference in BYU's pre-independence schedules that has caused most of Cougar Nation's discontentment is the Holy War game to end the season. There wasn't much complaint, or emphasis, on BYU's home schedules pre-independence, because no matter how poor BYU's home schedule was, you always had the rivalry game to look forward to, whether it was in Provo or SLC. TCU added some flavor to the home schedule as well.

Moving forward, BYU is getting game day access and exposure to the fans nationwide by playing in all corners of the country. And, obviously, the ESPN deal and BYUtv give fans all over television access and exposure.

IMO, BYU should continue to get 3-4 games each year against Utah, Boise St., Utah, and/or Hawaii, 3-4 games against non-Utah P5 opponents, and 3-4 games against other MWC and American teams. Filling in the holes with an FCS opponent and UMass is fine. It's a good balance of regional matchups, quality opponents, and easy wins that should lead to annual bowl-eligibility but also a better-than-G5 schedule that will support the SOS column if BYU strings together a great season.

The missing ingredient is a path to some better and more variable bowl destinations.

[scott715]

I understand the complaint of the non Saturday afternoon home game. That is hard on the fans that travel to the game on a school day. Definite downside of indy. Not sure what it would take to get ESPN to want us in that time slot. But maybe we could get more Saturday evenings or drop it a network to get less money and ratings but a better attendance at LES.

[CAFB_04-12]

Have fun Cougar fans with your P5 schedule So many of you have been clamoring for. We'll see after end of 2015 how exhuberant you are for a shot at big time college football. Meanwhile, BSU keeps doing what THEY do well and ending up in a NY6 big bowl and maintaining their brand as a credible football program. I hate the Donks, but respect that they know who they are and Notwithsatnding that they were looking like they were fading with Chris Petersons departure and a few average years, have reasserted to recruits that they are a solid program. BYU? Not so much? Winning breeds all sorts of manic and even unrealistic generalizations about being good!
IF, big If, Thill recovers, and IF he stays healthy the whole season, and the biggest IF, Bronco can reasonably turn around BYUs as D (no expectations for a huge turnaround without NFL talent) BYU goes 8-4 at best. If THill goes down, BYU is lucky to go 5-6 and miss a a bowl, or likely 4-7 and Cougar nation turns on its side. All for what, a piece of the POS SEC worthiness garbage? I hope TH hasn't sold BYUs and Bronco's soul for a mess of pottage to a bunch of delusional fans and donors that think BYU can play anybody anywhere (also a Bronco promise) all season long--well except for Gag-ner) and I hope TH hasn't gone "all in" with BYUs chips to try and convince the Big Twelve Turds that they should let BYU in.
Just win, Uncle Tom. Just win Bronco--no wonder he doesn't seem excited about next year. Seriously, has anyone heard any excitement for this next year? For Spring football? I haven't.
But hey, BYU got that game with an SEC team!!! Whippee-Dippee-Do!

[Mars]

Have fun Cougar fans with your P5 schedule So many of you have been clamoring for. We'll see after end of 2015 how exhuberant you are for a shot at big time college football. Meanwhile, BSU keeps doing what THEY do well and ending up in a NY6 big bowl and maintaining their brand as a credible football program. I hate the Donks, but respect that they know who they are and Notwithsatnding that they were looking like they were fading with Chris Petersons departure and a few average years, have reasserted to recruits that they are a solid program. BYU? Not so much? Winning breeds all sorts of manic and even unrealistic generalizations about being good!
IF, big If, Thill recovers, and IF he stays healthy the whole season, and the biggest IF, Bronco can reasonably turn around BYUs as D (no expectations for a huge turnaround without NFL talent) BYU goes 8-4 at best. If THill goes down, BYU is lucky to go 5-6 and miss a a bowl, or likely 4-7 and Cougar nation turns on its side. All for what, a piece of the POS SEC worthiness garbage? I hope TH hasn't sold BYUs and Bronco's soul for a mess of pottage to a bunch of delusional fans and donors that think BYU can play anybody anywhere (also a Bronco promise) all season long--well except for Gag-ner) and I hope TH hasn't gone "all in" with BYUs chips to try and convince the Big Twelve Turds that they should let BYU in.
Just win, Uncle Tom. Just win Bronco--no wonder he doesn't seem excited about next year. Seriously, has anyone heard any excitement for this next year? For Spring football? I haven't.
But hey, BYU got that game with an SEC team!!! Whippee-Dippee-Do!

[BoiseBYU]

Have fun Cougar fans with your P5 schedule So many of you have been clamoring for. We'll see after end of 2015 how exhuberant you are for a shot at big time college football. Meanwhile, BSU keeps doing what THEY do well and ending up in a NY6 big bowl and maintaining their brand as a credible football program. I hate the Donks, but respect that they know who they are and Notwithsatnding that they were looking like they were fading with Chris Petersons departure and a few average years, have reasserted to recruits that they aren't. a solid program. BYU? Not so much? Winning breeds all sorts of manic and even unrealistic generalizations about being good!
IF, big If, Thill recovers, and IF he stays healthy the whole season, and the biggest IF, Bronco can reasonably turn around BYUs as D (no expectations for a huge turnaround without NFL talent) BYU goes 8-4 at best. If THill goes down, BYU is lucky to go 5-6 and miss a a bowl, or likely 4-7 and Cougar nation turns on its side. All for what, a piece of the POS SEC worthiness garbage? I hope TH hasn't sold BYUs and Bronco's soul for a mess of pottage to a bunch of delusional fans and donors that think BYU can play anybody anywhere (also a Bronco promise) all season long--well except for Gag-ner) and I hope TH hasn't gone "all in" with BYUs chips to try and convince the Big Twelve Turds that they should let BYU in.
Just win, Uncle Tom. Just win Bronco--no wonder he doesn't seem excited about next year. Seriously, has anyone heard any excitement for this next year? For Spring football? I haven't.
But hey, BYU got that game with an SEC team!!! Whippee-Dippee-Do!

Who licked the red off your candy? Somehow some way, I am more excited about playing Missouri than Savannah State

[Cougs_Rule]

That wasn't the trade off.
But you blokes go ahead and keep "upfriending" me with your heads in the sand.or would you prefer a unicorn reference?

[Fido]

That wasn't the trade off.
But you blokes go ahead and keep "upfriending" me with your heads in the sand.or would you prefer a unicorn reference?

You are right. The trade off was perennial cellar-dweller UNLV for Missouri.

[Cougarfan87]

While Boise State has done a good job of getting itself into the NY6 bowl, no one cares about that anymore. And when the playoffs expand to 6 or 8 teams, people will care even less because those will probably go away to host the increased playoff games. Boise's model is great for the old College system. It has not kept up with the times. BYU can get into the playoff by scheduling great (and it looks like the big boys have gotten the message and BYU helps their schedule cred) and then winning in impressive fashion. I'm not saying it is going to happen, and that BYU will win out. But if they did, they would have a legitimate argument to step into one of those slots. No other team besides Notre Dame that is not part of a P5 conference can say that. Like it or not, short of an invitation to a P5 conference, this is BYU's only way of staying relevant.

[scott715]

The goal is to join the Big12 not a NY6 game. Getting these big games advances us to the P5. It would help to play in a NY6 game but I think it is the 2nd goal.