Lets shake up the top 25…
I am sitting here asking myself, where could the Cougars end up in the rankings? In looking at the teams in front of us in the AP poll and the coaches poll, things should get interesting as the conference battle begin.
Lets start with the Big 12.
Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Texas Tech. Two of these team will have to end up behind BYU if we go undefeated. Texas Tech plays both Texas and Oklahoma this year, so the best bet would be for the Red Raiders to run out of the top 15. Missouri should stay where they are due to the Big 12 North’s inability to win games. That leaves Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma to battle it out for the remaining top spot in the top 15. All three of these team will have tough games against each other and Kansas. I think Oklahoma is in the driver’s seat to stay in the top 10, with Texas and Texas Tech fading towards the end of the year. The jury is out on Kansas, they are talented but with one loss on their record, another could send their BCS hopes to the bottom of Mangino’s bucket of hot wings.
The SEC also has 5 teams in the top 10, so how many of those teams will last? Personally, I think Georgia is on the way out, as well as Auburn. With the competition in the SEC, I don’t think any one of the five will escape undefeated, but the conference is still the best in the country so two of these teams will remain in the top 10 with one or two losses.
The Big Ten has Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois and Penn State. I am predicting Penn State to shake up the standings, sending Wisconsin out of the top ten with Ohio State finding it hard to beat both Penn State, Illinois, and Wisconsin. After watching Ohio State play on Saturday I think they are overrated and will definitely lose a conference game or two.
If it happens the way I want it to, then I think the Cougars will end up in the top 10 by the beginning of October and could climb as high as 6 depending on how those crappy Pac-10 schools do against their conference opponents. If Utah continues to win I could see them being in the top 15, and the final Holy War would be on. I don’t think anyone will put a BYU undefeated team in-front of a one loss SEC/Big 12 team. However, if USC loses a game I don’t know if they would remain ahead of an undefeated Cougar squad. That’s a bold prediction, but I am willing to go out on a limb.
What say you? I want to know how deep your blue commitment runs, so tell me how high can the Cougars climb?
I could see them going as high as 5, but a lot of breaks would have to go their way. Like you, I’m pretty sure that even a stellar BYU would have a couple of 1-loss schools from the SEC/Big 12 ahead of them. Not that I think that’s fair, but its reality.
I think 5 is as high as we go. If USC loses, I think they’ll still be ahead of us. Of course, that’s a moot point since I don’t think USC would lose to half of the NFL this year.
Depending on the quality of our wins, and depending on if TCU takes it to OU or not, I think we could climb as high as 4, but already being number 10, if there are no undefeated teams besides us, I think we could even push three or two. Just like in 1984, we need to win big and have a little bit of luck to push us higher.
On Cougarfan.com I’ve put BYU as high as #3 in the national BCS final rankings. Now that would take lots of teams having 2 losses (USC, Georgia, Oklahoma) which is not very likely considering how good these teams are this year. Unfortunately I believe there is a glass ceiling keeping BYU (or any non-BCS team) from #2 or #1 in the final BCS rankings.
BYU will be at 5 if they win @ TCU, and after whipping up on the the boys from SLC will be ranked #3.
Will it be disappointing if BYU plays Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl? Can you imagine going to the Vegas Bowl again and playing Oregon State or ASU? Or Ucla, again? If the Cougars go undefeated they’ll finish at #6.
One important factor will be if TCU can stay undefeated until they play BYU. The nation can respect a loss to OU but a TCU upset would guarantee TCU a good spot in the top 25, making them ripe for the picking for BYU – finishing off what OU couldn’t get done. That would win over some more voters. I don’t think it’ll happen, but I can dream right?
I don’t think USC would lose to half of the NFL this year.
Yeah, I had exactly the same thought after watching portions of USC’s first two games. All their remaining games are Pac-10 conferences games — and I have a hard time seeing any of those teams beating USC unless USC gets really fat-headed. ..bruce..
As evident in the pregame hype before Saturday, everything and everyone is routing against us. Any one loss team from the SEC/Big 12/PAC 10 will be playing in big BCS bowls before an undefeated BYU team. If we’re undefeated, we’re certainly playing in a BCS game, but no championship this year.
It gets interesting if we lose one game, esp if it’s the Utah game. Will the one loss game keep us ahead of Utah based on our BCS standings. The article in USA today on cougarfan puts us already in the 8th spot. Firstdibz.com is already selling face value tickets for a all-access BYU game at $29 a seat, guaranteed face value ticket. Utah’s are at $15 a seat. I’m usually not a gambler, but I think even a one loss BYU team at the end of the season, being optimistic that we won’t lose before then, may still get us a BCS bid. Being 11-2 the last two years has really given us an advantage coming into this year. It’s going to be fun to see it all play out.
If they run the table, BYU will finish no higher than 5th. If they run the table, they will go to a BCS bowl this year. This year and could shape up to be the perfect storm. I’ve always felt that it would take 2 undefeated seasons before BYU could make it to the NC. So, running the table, and having the Utes and Frogs stay in the top 20 this year and next will catapult BYU to their ultimate goal. 3 down, 22 to go…
Excerpt from, “Pac-10? It’s more like the Pac-1′
by Billy Witz, Special to FOXSports.com
Sept 18, 2008
As much as I’m getting tired of Bruin bashing, this is just too funny to ignore:
“UCLA: The phones you heard ringing in the UCLA athletic department this week? That was Utah State calling to see if the Bruins could visit next year. On its trips to the state the last two seasons, UCLA has been outscored 103-6 by BYU and Utah.”
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