on the rest of the season
 

There is a very good chance BYU will lose to Air Force.

I think BYU loses to Utah.

That astounding thing about the TCU/Utah game was not the final score--it was the number of people in the stands. I've been to two BYU/TCU games in Fort Worth, and the stadium was not even close to full either time. In the first game, I don't think there was a single person in the upper deck.

It's good to see what Patterson is doing at TCU. It would be a real shame if he left TCU for a bigger payday at a more prestigious school. You would think those offers are going to come.

Good teams/coaches at TCU and Utah force BYU to try and improve. So I favor it.

Back to BYU, one gets the feeling that the wheels are just about to fall off. And Bronco is losing the team. And Bronco increasingly feels like the emperor with no clothes. The no-practice no-film no-gameplan all-business all-execution coach. Getting beyond tiring.

Hey, maybe BYU will play in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. Do they still have that? I'll bet tickets could be had for $10 for that one.

I thought there is a very distinct possibility that BYU loses out. A loss to Utah is almost certain, the physical talent discrepancy is so great, i can't see how BYU could defeat Utah, except for a bevy of Utah miscues and penalties.

Are you optimistic about ANYTHING in life? Good grief.

BYU won't lose to AFA. BYU is built to defend the option attack. Even last year, with a defense significantly worse than this defense, BYU held AFA to 24 points (which won't get it done against BYU's offense).

As for Utah, what is it that you and Arch see in the Utes? They aren't very good this year. They are vastly overrated and undertalented at key positions. Their defense is ok, but certainly not what it was last year, and there is a reason they just changed QBs 4/5 of the way through the season. This may be the year BYU beats Utah without having to hold our breath at the end of the game.

BYU isn't a top 10 team, but they are good and appear to me to be heading in the right direction. Bronco is recruiting tremendous talent to BYU and is near the end of plugging gaping holes in the team with average JUCO talent. He has a two year recruiting delay that nobody else in the nation has to deal with, including Whit. The talent and speed is increasing year to year. Next year will be bumpy with a new QB (although 10 wins wouldn't shock me, I would expect 8 as a decent bar to hope for), but 2011 and beyond could be stellar.

For this year, a win over the Utes plus continued TCU domination will make me very happy. TCU has a decent chance at the national title game and few people are noticing. Florida and Alabama aren't clearly superior to TCU, and neither is Texas. Based on resume alone, TCU should be in the title game before Texas (tell me- who has Texas played? Including in conference?). TCU's wins over Clemson (road), BYU (road) AFA (road) and Utah (home) are better than anything Texas has accomplished. Alabama's schedule is awful and will only look decent at the end because they will play Florida. Florida's schedule is also nothing to brag about.

One of Alabama and Florida must lose. That leaves Texas and one SEC school TCU must beat out for a spot. Texas shouldn't lose in the regular season, but they may lose to Nebraska in the Big 12 championship (Nebraska is starting to play better on offense, and their defense is spectacular at times). Florida could lose to Florida State who is exceptional when they want to be, which appears to happen in really big games for them and not otherwise. Bama could lose to Auburn as well. If so, TCU would be in the title game, and there is a strong argument they are the best team in college football this year.

Utah is not perfect by a long shot, I'll agree.

But Utah has more talent on defense, right now, during a bad year for them, than BYU has ever had. Robert Johnson is talented, and some of the linemen are as well.

This team for BYU is the least talented team BYU has had in a long time. Our defensive linemen do not penetrate or get a good push, our linebackers are subpar for BYU, they're slow, don't cover and rarely lay a hit. The dbs are okay, below our best but better than our worst.

The offense hiccups against UNM, a team that is 0 and 10. Yes that's no typo.

Where is Bronco improving the gaps in our talent?

I saw TCU play several times and TCU's speed is otherworldly. I am so jealous.

I sadly think that you're right about utah -- byu will probably lose. I think we'll beat Air Force though. Not beat them like we beat Wyoming, more like New Mexico.

What worries me is how far ahead TCU is above the rest of the conference. It isn't even close.

Bump.

BYU was extremely lucky to win. All the bounces went BYU's way. And a horrible performance from a senior QB. Utah unable to connect with wide-open receivers.

So the prediction of a loss was not unfounded, nor unwise.

Predicting a Utah win was not unreasonable, no. But your histrionics about AF, Utah, and Bronco are all looking a little silly today.

All the bounces went BYU's way? BYU was absolutely in control of that game deep into the 4th quarter. They let a big lead slip away. It isn't as if they came from behind and pulled off a miracle win. Odd playcalling helped Utah, to be sure, as did a few breaks (like a loose helmet that preserved possession). Hall had a bad day, and even with that bad day BYU was in total control until late in the game. For some reason, you note that Utah was "unable to connect with wide-open receivers," and think that suggests Utah is superior, but Hall's inability to connect with wide-open receivers is evidence that Utah was better. Really?

BYU is better than you gave them credit for by a long shot, and so is Bronco. You won't admit it, and we won't wait for you to do so, but we all know that is the underlying fact here.

Mikey is a pussy about Bronco and BYU football. Saying that, Patterson and TCU currently own BYU in a real big way still. I am not sure I think BYU overachieved this year, but they had a good year. Losing to FSU was a bad loss, and looking worse given the hindsight view of today but beating OU was great as was beating Utah. Utah had a great defense and BYU was able to win that game with a qb whose completion percentage was worse than Mattingly's career BA, I think that reflects some other good trends going on in the program. I still don't get the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth that inspired the prediction of a loss to AF but Archie and Mikey are habitual string pullers about BYU. It is the perfect team for them because they know the institutional limitations will keep BYU's ceiling about where it is, which is pretty damn good, but at a level that the occassional TCU and Utah team can elevate above. If one wants to be a pussy, being a BYU fan is a match made in heaven!