2014 Will Not Be A Special Season

[Cougarbib]

The offense will improve slightly to significantly depending on OL
The defense will change strengths and weaknesses, will not improve over-all, may dip slightly, but look slightly better due to a more forgiving schedule.

The more forgiving schedule will make both O and D look better.

Special Teams is a big ?

Punt Returner and Kicker gone. Punter still looking shaky at times. We should be able to find a punt returner. The punter should improve. I forget whether we need to replace our long-snapper.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[rblack]

You could say this at the end of every year and be right 90+% of the time. No one could have predicted that BYU would have a "special" year in 1984. They had just lost one of the best QBs that had ever played college football, they opened against the #3 team in the nation with an untested quarterback to start the season. Yet, it was a very special year. Likewise, the next time BYU has a special season, it will probably be a surprise for most of us. Will it be next year? I don't know (and you don't either).

[byufan4ever]

I agree it won't be special unless BM learns to beat top competition. We have not beaten a top team in years, we can't beat the Utes......no the Texas win does not count as they will not even end the year ranked. I think we will continue to do what we have done, beat the majority of the lesser teams we play nad beat a quality opponent every 3-5 years.

I posted this before and will again:

http://www.loyalcougars.com/2013/09/11/ ... l-edwards/

Lavell is a prophet amongst us. Untouchable. Legend. Has done more for us save Jesus and Joseph Smith. Yet, look at how Bronco compares. Look at how he has done against teams that finished in Top 25. Right on par with Mr. Untouchable. Not too far behind Whittingham. Look at how how ALL teams have EVER faced against top 25:

https://sites.google.com/site/collegefo ... inal-polls

I get the feeling that fans expect Bronco to go .750 against Top 25. No team (that means none as in ZERO or 0) has a .500 record against teams that finished in Top 25. Bronco's record would put him at about #30 (we're comparing one coach's record to an entire program's record so not apples to apples).

We're not Alabama where you fire a coach for winning 10 games. I also posted this in another thread:

http://www.vanquishthefoe.com/byu-footb ... laced-fire

I definitely want to see improvements, but I'm nowhere near the fire Bronco camp.

[NDCougar]

BYUfan4ever, I am not saying to fire him....but he needs to win big games.

Regarding Lavell, when you finish in the top 10 multiple times, win a national championship, produce a Heisman winner, have coaching tree that goes to the top of NFL and college ranks you are a legend. Not sure BM has done any of those and may not. I am not throwing in the towel on BM but he needs to win some big games vs top teams.

Regarding bowl games, tough to compare the bowl system of the Lavell's era vs today. We have played much easier teams vs Lavell's era.

[byufan4ever]

Bronco wins big games just as often as Lavell did.

[NDCougar]

Bronco wins big games just as often as Lavell did.

Like who? I can't think of many teams who finished in the top 10/15 that BM has beaten. BM beat OU in a unique year for OU and I don't believe they finished in the top 10, other than that who have they beaten......TCU years ago?

Lavell took over BYU with no history or football success EVER and built them from nothing and became an inovator and built a program. BM had a huge job to fixt the program from the Crowton years, but they were well known and inherited very good offensive weapons and was rebuilding (this means the program was built...by Lavell, it had a name and brand). BM has struggled with coaching staff issues, Lavell had success in picking the right people (look at the coaching tree) and putting players he recruited in the NFL. Different decades and different times, but still there is no comparison in the two.

Lavell is known nation wide by top coaches of his time and was known as a top coach when he coached. BM is known as a decent coach who struggles in big games (look at Utah)....he is John Cooper of Ohio State, runs a good program and won but had a hard time getting over the hump.

We may have to disagree, but you are comparing apples to oranges....different decades, different points in a program (Lavell took over a dumpster program that not many people followed), coaching tree success (this is part of coaching success), players developed/recruited in the NFL and different results (Lavell has more big wins, how is BM vs the top 10?).

[jacksonman]

Lavell is a legend and was before my time for the most part but I by no means think he was absolutely incredible, especially towards the end. Is it too much to ask for slightly better performance from Bronco than what Lavell provided, especially in this new era of BCS and playoffs?

In addition, I think judging Bronco by the past 4 years is more fair since the first 6 years he was mostly coaching Crowton's recruits.

It is sad going into 2014 with a very winnable schedule with this attitude that the year won't be special. The fun of football is the HOPE that the year COULD be special, yet Bronco has removed that confidence in the program over these past 4 years. That is why I say one more year to bring back hope in the program or it will be time to start looking for a replacement.

And to pre-emptively prepare against attacks, yes I am disappointed in the Bball teams performance this year, including the coaching, but also realize Coach Rose had another cancer scare, and realize that he won't reap his recruiting efforts until 2016. So I still have hope things will turn around.

[NDCougar]

Lavell is a legend and was before my time for the most part but I by no means think he was absolutely incredible, especially towards the end. Is it too much to ask for slightly better performance from Bronco than what Lavell provided, especially in this new era of BCS and playoffs?

In addition, I think judging Bronco by the past 4 years is more fair since the first 6 years he was mostly coaching Crowton's recruits.

It is sad going into 2014 with a very winnable schedule with this attitude that the year won't be special. The fun of football is the HOPE that the year COULD be special, yet Bronco has removed that confidence in the program over these past 4 years. That is why I say one more year to bring back hope in the program or it will be time to start looking for a replacement.

And to pre-emptively prepare against attacks, yes I am disappointed in the Bball teams performance this year, including the coaching, but also realize Coach Rose had another cancer scare, and realize that he won't reap his recruiting efforts until 2016. So I still have hope things will turn around.

All fair points. I agree about Lavells last years (1997 - 2000, potentially a bit before) and the decline. I was not alive pre-Lavell, but I can tell you that those who were can attest he built BYU from nothing. BM is John Cooper.....I hope he proves me wrong.

[byufan4ever]

Bronco wins big games just as often as Lavell did.

Like who? I can't think of many teams who finished in the top 10/15 that BM has beaten. BM beat OU in a unique year for OU and I don't believe they finished in the top 10, other than that who have they beaten......TCU years ago?

Lavell took over BYU with no history or football success EVER and built them from nothing and became an inovator and built a program. BM had a huge job to fixt the program from the Crowton years, but they were well known and inherited very good offensive weapons and was rebuilding (this means the program was built...by Lavell, it had a name and brand). BM has struggled with coaching staff issues, Lavell had success in picking the right people (look at the coaching tree) and putting players he recruited in the NFL. Different decades and different times, but still there is no comparison in the two.

Lavell is known nation wide by top coaches of his time and was known as a top coach when he coached. BM is known as a decent coach who struggles in big games (look at Utah)....he is John Cooper of Ohio State, runs a good program and won but had a hard time getting over the hump.

We may have to disagree, but you are comparing apples to oranges....different decades, different points in a program (Lavell took over a dumpster program that not many people followed), coaching tree success (this is part of coaching success), players developed/recruited in the NFL and different results (Lavell has more big wins, how is BM vs the top 10?).

We were arguing BM's record vs teams that finished Top 25. I belive the graphic and stats from the article do NOT include this season. BM is 4-15 (.211) vs LE's 10-34-1(.227). That is not a huge difference in my eyes. Lavell coached for 29 years and only won 10 games against teams that finished in Top 25?? In 8 years Bronco has 4. I will look up which 4 teams those are, but I am trusting the article to be accurate.

Forget all the other stats, just look at Top 25 record.

[jonnylingo]

cougs rule. i am not sure i agree with you but the one thing I do agree about is that Spring will likely be lackluster. i think gfgh took its toll on the team. they kicked their own butts all through spring and summer and by Wisconsin were done.

i am not a gfgh fan.