BYU Football: Breaking Down the Cougars' Killer Schedule
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There's sure to be plenty of opportunity for debate on the strength/weakness and win-ability of the BYU Cougars' 2011 football schedule.
The one hand is decrying the subpar teams on the schedule which are sure to invite the stink eye from the BCS elite (who coincidentally love to pad the first four weeks with automatic W's that don't even require travel outside the immediate region).
Others claim the schedule is brutal, leaving the Cougars no shot at national prominence this year.
Some say too tough. Others say too easy.
The fact is, they're both right.
The 2011 campaign will be a Tale of Two Seasons. The Cougars run a gauntlet on the road that would make Hannibal tremble.
That brutal trail is married with a home lineup with more cupcakes than a Little Debbie's box.
But what will that translate to in terms of wins and losses? Let's discuss, shall we?
September 3: At Ole Miss
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The Cougars kick off the regular season with a rare trip to SEC country to square off against the Rebels of Mississippi.
We're not sure if Ole Miss pays its players as well as its SEC brethren, but either way the Cougars face a tough test against a plethora of size and speed.
However, they are coming off a very disappointing 4-8 season in which the Rebs started slow, losing to an FCS team after leading at the half 31-10, and couldn't get it done at the end (or "LeBron-ed it" ), losing six of seven to close the season against a brutal schedule.
Should we expect much more this season? Maybe. Mississippi returns a couple QBs with experience, but little winning in Jeremiah Masoli and Nathan Stanley.
The running game returns almost-1000 yard rusher Brandon Bolden and should anchor a pretty good stable of backs which ranked 18th in rushing offense last season.
The game should come down to how much success BYU has passing against the Ole Miss secondary, and how much success the Rebels have against BYU's D-line and linebacking corps.
My wild guess? BYU 33, Mississippi 35.
September 10: At Texas
2 of 9The Longhorns are coming off a historic season. Unfortunately for the fans in Austin, it was dubiously historical, as the Horns finished with a 2-6 Big 12 record and rare losses to Iowa State, Baylor and K-State.
So how much better will Texas be this year? They return senior RB Cody Johnson and junior QB Garret Gilbert. But the entire offensive and defensive units will lack confidence and a winning attitude.
And six of the Longhorns' seven losses were in the Lone Star State last season, so the Cougars shouldn't worry about being overwhelmed in Austin.
My wild guess: BYU 33, Texas 28.
September 17: Utah
3 of 9The Cougs start the season with three straight opponents who ended the season on a slide. The Utes beat BYU on Rivalry Weekend, but sandwiched that with losses to Notre Dame, TCU and Boise State.
This year's battle comes a week after the Cougs visit Austin and the Utes visit USC. So both teams are likely to have been in a battle (or massacre) the prior week.
Is Ute QB Jordan Wynn a headcase? Can Utah find a running back or two to replace departing seniors? Can BYU get hosed on a phantom fumble call?
If the answer to these questions is yes, then Utah should find itself on the right side of bragging rights in 2012. However, if Jake Heaps and Co. can convert on a couple more possessions than last season and avoid the fumble bug, they'll have plenty to hold over their middling Pac-12 foe.
My guess: BYU 31, Utah 21.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
September 23: Central Florida
4 of 9This is an oft-overlooked obstacle in the 2011 Cougar campaign. The Knights of Central Florida return a ton of talent from a team which lost just three games last season.
Sure, none of the wins were overly impressive, but the Knights have a winning attitude and experience on both sides of the ball.
Give the nod to the Cougars, 41-33, adjusting for altitude.
September 30 and October 8: Utah State and San Jose State
5 of 9It's rare we talk of revenge against Utah State. After all, the Aggies usually suffer perennial football mediocrity in the frigidity of Logan. But last year, little brother got the best of the Cougs.
So expect a ton of chipped shoulders and a ton of yards piled up on the Aggies in Provo the last week of September.
The Cougs have a scrimmage against WAC doormat San Jose State the following week.
Best guesses: BYU 55, Utah State 21 and BYU 55, San Jose State 21.
October 15: At Oregon State
6 of 9It's rare to find a Pac-12 team rank 71st and 97th in passing and rushing offense, respectively (Washington State excluded).
But that's what Oregon State did last season en route to a mediocre 5-7 record. The Beavers do get James Rodgers back after injury ended a promising 2011 campaign.
But one back isn't going to pull this team out of last year's funk and there are still plenty of question marks on both sides of the ball.
Corvallis may be an unglamorous venue, but it's not necessarily a hostile environment, and after playing in Oxford and Austin, the Cougs shouldn't be intimidated.
My guess: BYU 41, Oregon State 35.
October 22, November 12 and November 19: Mediocre U's
7 of 9That's U's, as in the letter U, plural. This stretch (with TCU wedged in between; see next slide) features, well, nothing.
While there's no feature, there are games against JV programs Idaho, Idaho State and New Mexico State, all in Provo, mercifully for the Cougars.
My predictions: BYU 55, Idaho State 21; BYU 55, Idaho 21; and BYU 55, New Mexico State 21.
October 28: TCU in Arlington
8 of 9The Cougars haven't beaten the Horned Frogs since 2007. And they haven't scored more than a single touchdown in any of the losses since.
Andy Dalton is gone, but TCU churns out great defenses with more regularity than anyone in the country.
This game won't be a home game for the Frogs by any stretch, and it wouldn't be shocking to see more blue in the stands than purple.
But in a defensive battle, TCU gets BYU 21-17.
December 3: At Hawai'i
9 of 9The islands are good to BYU for recruiting, but not so much for recent road games against the formerly Rainbow Warriors.
OK, so there's only been one this millennium, but the last time the Cougs played in Honolulu, they took a long flight home with their first loss of the season, 72-45.
This year will be another tough test. To add to the distraction the islands can be to players is the fact that Hawai'i returns 5,000-yard passer Bryant Moniz, who led his team to 10 wins last season, including a W over Boise State Slayer Nevada.
My guess: BYU 70, Hawaii 72.
That leaves the Cougars with a 9-3 record heading into (yay) the Armed Forces Bowl, where they should pick up another double-digit win season, setting 2012 up as the year BYU makes national waves.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
