Can BYU be a Big Game Team?

BYU vs. TCU Preview
When BYU returns to Dallas for the first time since they beat #3-ranked Oklahoma in September 2009, they will face an opportunity on national television to exorcise a couple of significant demons that have doomed Bronco Mendenhall, BYU, and BYU fans for the past 6 years: 1) The TCU Horned Frogs and 2) The Big Game.  Let me explain why this Friday's game is so important for Bronco and BYU.

Coach Gary Patterson and the TCU Horned Frogs have been a thorn in
Bronco Mendenhall's side during the past three years.

This is only the 11th time BYU and TCU have squared off on the football field, and through the first 10 games the series is tied 5-5.  Doesn't seem that bad, right?  Well, does 101-17 ring a bell for you BYU fans?  If not, I'm sure you're like me as you've tried to forget the combined scores of the last 3 TCU victories over BYU from 2008-10 - an average score of 34-6!  What's more, the most "competitive" game BYU has had since beating TCU at home in 2007 was last year when the young Cougar team was only trailing #4-ranked TCU 3-0 with only a couple of minutes left in the first half before eventually falling 31-3.

Despite his recent lack of success against TCU, Bronco Mendenhall is looking forward to this made-for-TV matchup (thanks, ESPN!).  "I like the matchup and I like the game. I think it is a good football game that should have a lot of intrigue. Two teams with similar records and we're anxious to see if we can improve against this opponent."  If BYU is going to improve against this opponent, they will no doubt have to move the ball on offense and keep TCU from breaking out big plays against BYU's defense.  BYU will rely on its mid-season revelation, QB Riley Nelson, to continue to carry the Cougar offense as he has since he took over during another Friday night game against Utah State.

BYU Quarterback Riley Nelson has carried to Cougars on the ground and through
the air to a five-game winning streak. Nelson's performance will be key to a BYU
victory against TCU on Friday night on ESPN.

Not only has BYU's offensive efficiency improved but BYU has yet to have a "3 and out" on offense since Riley took the reins.  In fact, BYU has only punted 3 times during the 3 1/2 games that Riley has quarterbacked.  Bronco continues, "Riley's ability to create and get us out of bad plays with covered receivers and scramble for first downs helps keep momentum. Against a team like TCU that scores so many points and a team like TCU that we haven't even averaged a touchdown against in three years, we need to hold onto the ball and score points."

Do Bronco and BYU have a "Big Game Phobia"?  Ever since Bronco took over in 2005 and returned the BYU program to national prominence, BYU has been prevented from competing for national championship due to slow starts (such as this year's 1-2 start) and inconsistent play in Big Game opportunities.  I classify a Big Game as either a game against a nationally-ranked opponent or against a prominent football program that would give BYU the opportunity to jump onto the national scene and jump up the voter and BCS rankings.  Since 2008, for example, I would classify the following regular season games as Big Games:

2011 - @ Texas, vs. Utah
2010 - @ Utah, @ TCU, @ FSU
2009 - @ OU (Cowboy Stadium), vs. FSU, vs. TCU, vs. Utah
2008 - @ Utah, @ TCU

BYU's record in those 11 games?  2 wins and 9 losses.  One can only wonder what BYU's conference affiliation may be had they they won 3 or 4 more of those games.  Would the Pac-12 or Big 12 have considered BYU even more seriously if they had won those games against Utah and/or TCU?  I absolutely think that is the case.

BYU Running Back Bryan Kariya was instrumental in leading the Cougars
past Oklahoma in 2009, and he will be again be leading the team to Dallas.

So there has to be at least one thing that BYU can do to reverse the trend, right?  Turnovers.  BYU simply has to protect the ball and keep TCU's offense off the field. Of the Big Games above, the only game where BYU had a worse turnover ratio and actually won the game was against OU in 2009 despite giving up 4 turnovers and only taking away 2 from the Sooners.

If BYU expects to win or even compete on Friday, BYU will need to move the ball on the ground (200+ yards) and through the air (200+ yards).  Assuming BYU can do both of those things while not turning the ball over, BYU will extend its winning streak to 6 games and a double-digit win season can be within reach.

BYU 30, TCU 21.

Go Cougs!

All the Effects of Realignment

Pick Your "Big" Conference, TCU
In the latest twist of college football realignment TCU has accepted an invitation from the Big 12 Conference to become the 10th team in the Big 12 after the recent departure of Texas A&M to the SEC.  So TCU has left the Mountain West Conference, accepted an invitation to the Big East, won the Rose Bowl, left the Big East, and accepted an invitation to the Big 12 all within the last year.  So the Big 12 now has 10 teams, the Big 10 now has 12 teams, the Big East appears to be crumbling, and conference commissioners and university trustees everywhere continue looking for the best way to maximize their revenue potential.
 

TCU has celebrated an undefeated season, a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin
(above) and 2 invitations to two different BCS conferences all within the last year.

As part of joining the Big 12, TCU will begin competing next year and will have to pay the Big East a $5 Million exit fee despite never actually playing a conference game.  Once it joins the Big 12 next year, TCU will begin to reap the financial rewards that come with joining a BCS conference and will easily pay back the Big East exit fee and pay for its ongoing football stadium reconstruction project.  But as TCU counts its dollars it should also count on saying goodbye to the undefeated seasons and the combined 25-1 record TCU compiled during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.  TCU has to know that it will be a little more difficult to win in the Big 12 when they're going to be replacing UNLV, Wyoming, and New Mexico on their schedules with Oklahoma, Texas, and Oklahoma State.  And if they don't believe me, then they should go and ask the Utah Utes.

No Matter What
Speaking of Utah, they returned to their home field after demolishing BYU 54-10 in one of most lopsided games of the college football season only to get steamrolled by Washington and Arizona State in consecutive weeks.  Welcome to the Pac-12!  Apparently Utah didn't learn anything from watching BYU turn the ball over to them seemingly possession after possession in Provo on September 17 because turnovers have been the Utes' demise in their first two Pac-12 home games.  Three interceptions and two fumbles contributed to the latest debacle against the Sun Devils, dropped the Utes to 0-3 in the Pac-12, and dashed any opportunity for a BCS Bowl game this year.  Where is UNLV when you need them?!  Utah coach Kyle Whittingham expressed his frustrations Saturday night by promising that "We'll start winning games when we stop turning the ball over.  That's the bottom line."

Cody Hoffman and the Cougars have recovered from the Utah blowout
by winning their next 3 games.  The Utes, however, have not had the same fate.

But before all you BYU fans start piling on the "Have fun going 2-7 in the Pac-12 bandwagon!", remember this, BYU lost to Utah 54-10.  At home.  On national television.  Utah could lose the rest of its games and BYU could win the rest of its games, but no matter what, no BYU fan should be heard talking about their superiority over the Utes until next September when the teams square off again.  Utah beat BYU.  Bad.  Let the Utes enjoy that 54-10 score and start counting the days until the BYU-Utah basketball game in December.

You Say Manure, I Say Fish Bait
Before the team TCU has to thank for its invitation to the Big 12 (SEC-bound Texas A&M Aggies) visited Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas on Saturday, Texas A&M Athletic Director, Bill Byrne tweeted that the Texas A&M buses had been spray-painted and doused with manure by Texas Tech fans who apparently were eager to give the Aggies a farewell present or two as they were on their way to the SEC.  However, in a statement released today, Texas Tech officials "strongly condemned" vandalism, and said that fish bait, not manure, was used in the incident.  Oh, ok...thanks for the clarification.  Texas Tech went on further to say that the fish bait was dropped on the floor of one of the buses and that the "spray paint" was, in fact, washable shoe polish, and that the buses were cleaned before Byrne even saw them.  No one has admitted to the vandalism (although Texas Tech seems to know quite a bit of the details, don't they?).  Texas Tech indicated that they were relying on the information it received from the hotel management and the bus company.  Wow, all BYU got when they left the Mountain West last year was a few extra students dressed up as missionaries at a BYU-San Diego State basketball game, so I suppose it's true that everything is bigger in Texas - including the goodbye.