Pre-Season Thoughts on BYU Football

More interesting than the win/loss record this season will be the attitude of the BYU fan base: seeing what attendance is, gauging the growing dissatisfaction with Bronco, the reaction to watching their rival have a solid year again in a power conference.

• It is highly likely BYU will be 1-3 after the first 4 games of the season
  • Nebraska is the most winnable game but you don’t just waltz into Lincoln and beat a storied program. BYU will also be missing players due to suspension from the Miami Beach Brawl. BYU gets Nebraska in their first game with a new coach so that may help.
  • I think Boise State is a flat-out better team and program than BYU. This is essentially BYU’s only real home game of note. If the Cougs do win at Nebraska, Lavell Edwards Stadium will be a mad house for that Boise game and perhaps they’ll have a chance.
  • Though they are getting too much hype, UCLA will be more talented than BYU
  • Michigan is a winnable game…..if you’re playing them week one like Utah is. However, I think Harbaugh may have that ship turned around by the 4th game. Could spell trouble for BYU
• Because of what will likely be a lackluster start and because the middle of the season is not that great, the most important game of year will be Missouri – SEC East champs the past two years. Hopes of a New Year’s 6 Bowl will be gone by then and of course there will be no conference championship to play for. Only thing left will be to go on the road (essentially) and beat a high quality SEC team to regain some cred in the eyes of the Power 5 conferences.
• This is a no-brainer but BYU’s season will go as Taysom Hill goes. The one caveat is that we don’t know if he can still work his magic in full speed game action, coming off the injury. If he is the Taysom of old, we all know he can single handedly win games they otherwise would not.
• Is the defense gonna be any better? Injuries are inevitable. Will the second teamers fill the gap or get torched. And will the fast paced offense gas the D too much.
• Who will be this year’s Jordan Leslie? They really need an offensive play-maker to emerge. Mitch Mathews is nice and tall and will catch a lot of passes. However, he is not explosive and won’t really scare anyone. With no Jamaal Williams and everyone keying on Taysom, BYU needs another explosive athlete to keep defenses honest. Can it be Devon Blackmon??
• Many are calling this BYU’s toughest schedule ever. That might be. However, the home schedule is terrible. Again, they have one home game of real significance – Boise State. Cincinnati, East Carolina and Fresno State do nothing for me as a fan.
• It’s hard to foresee anything other than another 8-4 season, maybe 9-3. Not terrible but not really lighting the world on fire. Worse yet, it will be just good enough for the program not to make significant changes.

So at the end the year, will BYU’s program still be sliding or will they have re-captured some magic? If the Big-12 doesn’t come’ a ‘callin I’m afraid it’s just gonna be more of the same – cool games on the road or neutral sites, terrible home schedules, 8-4 teams without top tier talent or depth and routine trips to crappy bowl games no one cares about. While at the same time, Utah is only getting better and better. BYU fans better hope Taysom stays healthy all year!!!