BYU and Oregon State Schedule Home-and-Home Series for 2011-2012 Seasons

Months after a humiliating, uncompetitive blowout 44-20 loss to BYU in the Las Vegas bowl, Oregon State has agreed to a home-and-home series with the Cougars over the 2011-2012 seasons.

Apparently Oregon State wants a second chance, and the Cougars are more than willing to give it to them.

This sets up 2011 as a unique opportunity for the Cougars. Playing games at Texas and at Oregon State early in the year gives BYU a chance to grab the national spotlight if they can come away with some wins.

The key here is that it is a home-and-home series. Unlike Texas, Oregon State will come to Provo in 2012.

BYU has gotten to the point in their program where this should be the norm—they should not have to accept schedules stacked to favor BCS schools. Kudos to Oregon State for giving BYU the respect they deserve. BYU needs to schedule as many home-and-home series with solid BCS programs as possible.

The other key is that it gives BYU a championship-quality schedule for the 2012 season. If they go undefeated, they would have an excellent shot to make the title game. Even a one-loss season could easily lead to a BCS bowl appearance.

Some might say that BYU has been guilty of over-scheduling. They should be more "strategic," especially considering they play in such a tough, underrated conference. They say that BYU should look to Boise State as an example, playing one tough game and then three much easier games in their non-conference.

But if you look at Boise State's schedule this year, they are starting to follow more of a BYU philosophy, as they are set to play Oregon State and Virginia Tech.

I say that the only way to become a program that is national championship-caliber is to see how you measure up against the best. Running the table against an easier schedule is still impressive and will usually get your team a BCS bid, but it doesn't give you a chance at a national championship, which is still the ultimate goal for BYU.

By the 2011 season, whoever wins the starting quarterback job for BYU will have a year of experience under his belt. BYU will be up to the challenge of competing and perhaps defeating the Texas Longhorns and Oregon State Beavers on the road.

More than anything, having a tough schedule gives BYU an opportunity to prove that they are national championship-caliber team. I would not have it any other way.