BYU is running away with a probable win tonight on the road at Utah State (leading 31-7 early in the fourth quarter). Without Chuckie Keeton (injured in the first quarter), Utah State has been unable to slow down BYU. With the performance on display tonight, some BYU fans may spend some time allowing their imaginations run a little wild. On nights like this, that is perfectly acceptable.
Can BYU, already with two losses, put together a BCS resume in the final year of the BCS system?
BYU’s chances to play in their first BCS game are still slim. Without a conference affiliation, BYU must attempt to climb up in the BCS rankings and make it practically impossible to be left out of the mix. And it is generally tougher for BYU to climb the polls and rankings the way Notre Dame can get away with. With losses to Virginia and Utah, this does not seem likely to happen. While it may be quite the uphill battle to even start considering BCS Busting possibilities for the Cougars, getting to ten wins in the regular season is not as impossible to cook up. And the schedule is somewhat respectable.
Take a look at BYU’s remaining schedule. Next week BYU hosts Georgia Tech, then travels to Houston before returning home to host Boise State. Georgia Tech enters this weekend’s road game at Miami with a 3-1 record. Houston is undefeated. Boise State has two losses but still carries a little bit of respect when their name pops up on the schedule. All three could be in the mix for their respective conference championships at the end of the regular season, although Georgia Tech and Houston may be longer shots to do that.
Then things get interesting. BYU visits Wisconsin in November. The Badgers may be the Big Ten’s second best team in the conference. After that week BYU gets an FCS patsy with Idaho State paying a visit to Provo. To end the season BYU travels to Notre Dame and wraps up the regular season at Nevada.
Hypothetically speaking, BYU could run the table with a schedule that could theoretically include champions from the ACC, Big Ten, American and the Mountain West Conference. And I have not even gotten to the idea that Texas could surprise everyone and win the Big 12, and we all remember how BYU’s game against the Longhorns turned out. And for good measure, Middle Tennessee could win Conference USA. Hey, it could happen! If a 10-2 BYU team has that on their resume, why would they not be considered for a BCS at-large? Certainly that would amount to the best overall profile among BCS game candidates, no?
It’s an extreme best-case scenario for BYU, and it involves a lot of catching up. Fresno State, ranked in the AP top 25 this week, has a head start with a perfect record including wins over Rutgers and Boise State. Last year’s BCS Buster, Northern Illinois, is also in the running with a pair of wins on the road against Big Ten schools, the first MAC team to accomplish that feat. If Jordan Lynch and the Huskies continue to string together wins, it will not be long before they start stumping for another crack at a BCS bid.