BYU, step up to the plate
BYU wants to make this season special, then they’ve gotta make the bold choice to schedule a Power Five program.
Imagine being an independent college football program, ranked in the top ten in most polls and in line to play a major bowl game. Then imagine that program saying they’ll play anybody, anywhere and at any time.
When someone takes you up on that offer, you decide to say no for a variety of reasons. What if I were to tell you this independent program playing college football’s version of Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble wasn’t the Notre Dame Fighting Irish…
As of this writing, 83 games have been cancelled due to sizable amounts of positive COVID-19 tests somewhere between schools who were scheduled to meet days and weeks beforehand.
Uneven schedules and conferences jumping back in the money pit known as college athletics has birthed a conundrum that brings more confusion to a sport that thrives off confusion. Take for example the Utah Utes out of the Pac-12, a team who played their very first game of the 2020 season on November 21.
Yes, a week before thanksgiving.
Yet, all of these teams playing in the FBS division are expected to hammer out some type of a “season” despite not knowing day to day if they’ll be playing on a Saturday coming up or a Saturday weeks from now.
So, there’s really no room to act like a diva or come off like you’re too good to play anybody given the circumstances yet someone has to be a Mariah Carey among the group.
May I present to you, the BYU Cougars.
Currently ranked in the top 10 of both the AP and Coaches polls, the BYU Cougars are an independent who has taken their season and turned it into a national barnstorming tour.
After Saturday’s 66–14 win over North Alabama, the Cougars have three weeks until their season finale vs. San Diego State on Dec. 12. A win puts them at 10–0 and safely in the clubhouse for a shot at a New Year’s Six bowl. But the Cougars want more, and obviously an undefeated BYU team NOT in the upcoming College Football Playoff would suck if you’re a BYU fan.
Their current resume has just one win over a ranked team (Boise State on 11/6), even they know it probably won’t be enough to make a case for a playoff spot.
Before their showdown with North Alabama, the Cougars twitter handle cranked out this not-so subtle message to the college football world.
I mean, it’s pretty evident that they want the smoke and since the Pac-12 said it’s teams are able to schedule out of conference a meeting almost feels inevitable.
After the 2020 Apple Cup showdown between Washington and Washington State was canceled due to Wazzu having covid issues for the second straight week. So now Washington is without an opponent for the upcoming week and their conference said they could go outside of the league for a game…BYU needs someone to play, see where I’m going?
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In a perfect world, BYU and Washington would be scheduled on late Sunday afternoon/evening and the Cougars would get the “Power 5” opponent they’ve been looking for.
Not so fast…
As multiple outlets have reported, Washington was all in pulling together a post-thanksgiving shotgun game of tackle football. Yet, the BYU Cougars have balked at the idea for a few reasons. Chief among them being, if a conference opponent comes open for Washington then a game vs. BYU is off the table. While I totally agree with BYU in that sense, can you take a chance on saying no? Especially if you probably won’t get another chance?
According to NCAA.com, BYU ranks 45th in strength of schedule. For a comparison, here’s where some of the other contenders and notable unbeaten teams sit:
- Northwestern (9)
- Clemson (19)
- Alabama (43)
- Florida (47)
- Miami (FL) (53)
- Cincinnati (55)
- Notre Dame (85)
- Ohio State (109)
With no P5 opponent yet to be scheduled and a game vs. Cincinnati off the books (for now) due to scheduling conflicts, the Cougars argument to reach the playoff looks really, really, REALLY bad if they miss out on a Pac-12 opponent.
BYU may be forced to hope one of the teams mentioned above loses a game before conference championship weekend.
Can BYU make a case they’re more deserving of a playoff spot than an undefeated Cincinnati, a one-loss Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame or Florida? They’re going to need help, simple as that. However, helping themselves with a P5 opponent on the schedule could go a long way.
The other reasoning behind some of BYU’s actions are where they will sit in the first College Football Playoff ranking due out on Tuesday. Cincinnati ranks ahead of BYU in the AP, Coaches, ESPN’s SP+, and FPI rankings. More than likely, this will also put Cincinnati ahead of BYU in the first CFP ranking on Tuesday.
If Cincinnati is indeed ahead of BYU in the first CFP ranking, BYU Athletic Director Tom Holmoe better get UW AD Jen Cohen on the line and set something up as soon as possible. So what if the game gets pushed aside in favor of a conference game, at least you went out and made an attempt to get something on the books.
Sitting back, trying to say you’ll play anybody anywhere and anytime…only to put on the coward’s cloak 24 hours later is not a good look. So if you want a shot at the playoff and not just a New Year’s Six bowl, saddle up and take the challenge.
