Northern Iowa.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by woot

Now that's a schedule.

And they've got the hosses to handle it.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by FMCoug

Exactly. Everyone is making the assumption a better team was available.

That scenario would be a lot easier to swallow if it hadn't been said that we want to schedule a 1AA team and something to the effect on Friday saying this opponent is just what we needed.

[MikeWaters]

The mtn debacle is becoming easier and easier to swallow. I feel like a crab in a warm pot. Let me know when it's boiling. I'll be nice and red and juicy.

[SoCalCoug]

I don't understand why everyone's got their panties in a wad over this. Does anyone really believe we're in contention for the national championship next year? That's really the only scenario where we could use more of a boost in strength of schedule.

We're going to have a nice warm-up game to start the season. Considering how we've had trouble at the beginning of the last few seasons against BCS conference teams, it will be nice to get the kinks out and get a little momentum and confidence going into Washington.

And for the chicken littles out there, yes, it's a huge downer if we lose to Northern Iowa. But if we lose to them, what makes you think we would have won had we played Florida State that week? And if we lose, what makes you think we deserve a BCS bid, anyway?

We're going to start out ranked in the top 25 (if not top 20). We've got a huge jump over last year. If we go undefeated, we will be in a BCS bowl. If we lose 1 game, we still have a good chance of being in a BCS bowl. Consider that with 2 losses, and with not starting out in the top 25, last season, we still weren't that far out of BCS bowl contention. In fact, we weren't mathematically eliminated until after the last regular season game. WITH TWO LOSSES!!

Baby steps, people!! Playing Northern Iowa removes a potential stumbling block from the start of what can be a really good season.

I'm happy and relieved with the game.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by SoCalCoug

I don't understand why everyone's got their panties in a wad over this. Does anyone really believe we're in contention for the national championship next year? That's really the only scenario where we could use more of a boost in strength of schedule.

We're going to have a nice warm-up game to start the season. Considering how we've had trouble at the beginning of the last few seasons against BCS conference teams, it will be nice to get the kinks out and get a little momentum and confidence going into Washington.

And for the chicken littles out there, yes, it's a huge downer if we lose to Northern Iowa. But if we lose to them, what makes you think we would have won had we played Florida State that week? And if we lose, what makes you think we deserve a BCS bid, anyway?

We're going to start out ranked in the top 25 (if not top 20). We've got a huge jump over last year. If we go undefeated, we will be in a BCS bowl. If we lose 1 game, we still have a good chance of being in a BCS bowl. Consider that with 2 losses, and with not starting out in the top 25, last season, we still weren't that far out of BCS bowl contention. In fact, we weren't mathematically eliminated until after the last regular season game. WITH TWO LOSSES!!

Baby steps, people!! Playing Northern Iowa removes a potential stumbling block from the start of what can be a really good season.

I'm happy and relieved with the game.

I am looking at it from my perspective. I buy season tickets and would like to look forward to going to the games. Maybe there are 90,000 fans who want to go and see BYU play a 1AA team. Fine, I still should be able to state I don't want to.

If there were 3 exciting games to look forward to in LES, that lessens the blow. Right now there are two. This is not a knock, but if you were a season ticket holder do you fall into that group who want to go no matter who we play or do you see my point.

[MikeWaters]

I am really looking forward to BYU playing in a BCS game. Hearing week after week, pundits telling me how BYU doesn't deserve to be in the game, how they barely beats teams x, y, and z. Comparing the team to Hawaii. Quoting Bronco saying he wanted the schedule easier.

Yeah, that will be great fun.

[OrangeUte]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

2008
Date Opponent
Aug. 30 at Virginia
Sept. 13 Ohio State
Sept. 25 at Oregon State
Oct. 4 Oregon
Oct. 11 Arizona State
Oct. 18 at Washington State
Oct. 25 at Arizona
Nov. 1 Washington (Homecoming)
Nov. 8 California
Nov. 15 at Stanford
Nov. 29 Notre Dame
Dec. 6 at UCLA

SC's patsy homecoming game is against our marquee opponent. Yikes.

you have to give it to pete carroll - he is not afraid to play a brutal schedule.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by SoCalCoug

I don't understand why everyone's got their panties in a wad over this. Does anyone really believe we're in contention for the national championship next year? That's really the only scenario where we could use more of a boost in strength of schedule.

We're going to have a nice warm-up game to start the season. Considering how we've had trouble at the beginning of the last few seasons against BCS conference teams, it will be nice to get the kinks out and get a little momentum and confidence going into Washington.

And for the chicken littles out there, yes, it's a huge downer if we lose to Northern Iowa. But if we lose to them, what makes you think we would have won had we played Florida State that week? And if we lose, what makes you think we deserve a BCS bid, anyway?

We're going to start out ranked in the top 25 (if not top 20). We've got a huge jump over last year. If we go undefeated, we will be in a BCS bowl. If we lose 1 game, we still have a good chance of being in a BCS bowl. Consider that with 2 losses, and with not starting out in the top 25, last season, we still weren't that far out of BCS bowl contention. In fact, we weren't mathematically eliminated until after the last regular season game. WITH TWO LOSSES!!

Baby steps, people!! Playing Northern Iowa removes a potential stumbling block from the start of what can be a really good season.

I'm happy and relieved with the game.

It's a fallacy that tough schedule is only necessary for chance to become national champion. Tough schedule is important for

1. Ticket sales
2. Fan enthusiasm
3. Recruiting--"you're going to play a schedule just as tough as you would if you go to ASU or pretty close at least"
4. chance to make BCS with one even two losses
5. integrity, i.e. we're a top 40 program but we purposefully schedule a #90 SOS in order to ensure wins?
6. ESPN and other national exposure
7. prepare for conference play, i.e. get better playing good teams or expose weaknesses early on to fix them rather than wait till you're in conference play to find out
8. future TV money for conference and self

I think you could go on and on.

[OrangeUte]

Originally Posted by SoCalCoug

If we lose 1 game, we still have a good chance of being in a BCS bowl. Consider that with 2 losses, and with not starting out in the top 25, last season, we still weren't that far out of BCS bowl contention. In fact, we weren't mathematically eliminated until after the last regular season game.

I agree, except that the 1 loss better come to a ranked or a very good opponent.

[OrangeUte]

Originally Posted by jay santos

It's a fallacy that tough schedule is only necessary for chance to become national champion.

it is a fallacy only if you are in a bcs conference. hate to break it to you, but there is no way that a non-bcs team will be playing for the national championship under the current system (i.e. a system that is not a playoff) unless they have a strong schedule.