Why Are BYU Fans Afraid of Success?

As I and the majority of Cougar Nation have been enjoying the success the BYU football team is achieving on the gridiron with its 5-0 start, many of BYU's die-hard fans are still mired in skepticism about the potential of this team.

Don't get me wrong—these doubters are also enjoying the 5-0 start. However, they feel that BYU is somehow overrated and over-ranked, and soon the dream of busting the BCS will come crashing down. 

The Cougars are led by fourth-year head coach Bronco Mendenhall.  BYU currently owns the nation's longest win streak at 15 games.  Moreover, the Cougars have posted two consecutive 11-win seasons, highlighted by Las Vegas Bowl victories over Pac-10 teams Oregon and UCLA.

In the last two-and-a-half years, the Cougs are 4-1 versus the Pac-10 (victories over UCLA, Washington, Arizona, and Oregon, sole loss to UCLA in the Rose Bowl), and they are undefeated in the Mountain West Conference (17 straight wins).  

Even though the Cougars' accomplishments are incredible, many fans are waiting for BYU to stub its toe and fall short of a BCS bowl, or even, dare I say, a shot at a national championship. 

You see, BYU has the best non-BCS tradition in the country without a doubt.  No other non-BCS team can even come close to BYU's accomplishments.  In fact, most BCS schools do not have BYU's resume.  Brigham Young is the only "non-BCS" (the BCS did not exist when BYU was crowned) team to win a national title.

In addition, the "Y" has produced a Heisman Trophy winner (Ty Detmer), two Outland Trophy winners (Jason Buck and Mo Elowonibi), four Davey O'Brien winners (Gifford Nelson, Jim McMahon, Steve Young, and Ty Detmer twice, the most of any school in the country), and a Doak Walker winner (Luke Staheli).

Herein lies the problem for all BYU fans.

Cougar Nation is a passionate bunch.  It holds the accomplishments of its football team near and dear to its heart.  Nevertheless, all these accomplishments have been met by mocking and scorn from the national media.

For example, during BYU's national championship campaign, Bryant Gumbel, on the Today Show, asked on national TV, "Who has BYU played, Bo Diddley Tech?"  (Needless to say, Bryant is still unwelcome in the state of Utah).

In 1996, when the Cougars were 13-1, they were not invited to participate in the Bowl Alliance Coalition.  In 2001, when BYU was 12-0, it was dropped from consideration from the BCS way before it eventually lost to Hawaii in its regular season finale.   

As a result, many BYU fans are scared of success because they have had their hearts broken so many times.  Cougar fans are afraid if BYU makes it to a BCS bowl, the Cougars might suffer the same fate as Hawaii by getting walloped on national television.

In reality, some fans would rather not get invited to a BCS Bowl so they can scream about the injustices of the BCS system (well-founded arguments) than make it to a BCS bowl and lay an egg.

BYU's current success is taking its fans out of their comfort zone.  Admittedly, 5-0 and vying for a shot at a BCS bowl is where all of the fans want this team to be.  It's just a little scary.