Is BYU better off as a non-AQ?
The answer to this question, all things considered, is “no”. BYU could always do with mo’ money in the college football arms race, and I would enjoy seeing BYU parlay BCS-type money into a higher level of athletic achievement and prestige.
However, despite the drawbacks (less moola, BCS teams scared of playing BYU), being part of a non-AQ league isn’t all bad. There are ways in which BYU’s non-automatic-qualifier status is a plus for the program and for fans. Consider the following:
Perpetual chip on the shoulder
BYU is always out to prove they belong with the best of the best (they’re starting to prove it, too, now that the gaps in recruiting are starting to fill in). There is always motivation to put the hurt on a team bearing the shiny gold “BCS” stamp. Teams that already enjoy the entitlements of the BCS are getting more and more arrogant in approaching competition from non-AQ leagues (the athletic directors are another story, but I digress), and are losing those games more than ever. How long will BYU keep their competitive edge once they’ve finally caught the elusive BCS carrot? I’d like the chance to find out, but it’s nice to know that when a BCS school shows up on the schedule, the team will be mentally ready for the tussle.
Better non-conference slate
BCS leagues are getting lamer by the year when it comes to scheduling out-of-conference (OOC) games. This year alone, BCS schools scheduled 64 games with FCS opponents. Sixty-four! Only 14 BCS schools eschewed FCS cupcake games. Only the PAC-10 has fewer than ten FCS games among all BCS leagues (they have four). All by themselves, the ACC has an astounding 16 games versus FCS schools. Not a single Big East team has an FCS-free schedule.
BYU has played a few FCS patsies in recent years, but one of those was an emergency owing to Nevada backing out of their contract at the 11th hour. If BYU were to become an AQ school, either in a different league or as part of a promoted MWC, would they still be motivated to play compelling OOC games versus marquee opponents? I enjoy watching competitive games in September as well as November. I’d hate for BYU to make an about-face in this department.
Easiest road to a BCS game
For teams like BYU, a nationally-competitive non-AQ school, there is no easier road to the BCS than through a non-AQ league. Start the year in the vicinity of the Top 25, beat one or two BCS teams, beat the one or two other contenders in your conference and avoid laying an egg against the conference’s riff-raff and you’re golden. Granted, going undefeated is tough, but not as tough as going undefeated in a BCS league, except for the Big East.
Now, I’m not saying that BYU should adopt the Boise State formula (play middling PAC-10 teams and ride that inflated hype through a JV-level conference schedule). I’m elated that the Cougars are more concerned with earning respect against the biggest and baddest instead of trying to only schedule “beatable” big-name opponents just to chalk up BCS wins. But if you want to go with the former route, you’ve got a pretty good shot at a big-money game most years if you can stay at the top of the non-AQ heap. Even in the most competitive of years among non-AQ schools, there are only 4-5 candidates vying for the yearly title of BCS Crasher.
Even though BYU hasn’t broken through yet, they’ve been in the discussion the past few years and the team is only bringing in more talent and greater depth. If they keep it up, the Cougs could go on a run of BCS bowl appearances that all other non-AQ schools could only dream about.
I’m just sayin…
I’m not trying to say that I’m content with BYU’s current BCS-outsider status. There are programs with a small fraction of BYU’s history of success that get fat checks every year and happily take a beating for it. Some of these teams are even in smaller markets (Ames? Pullman?), so it doesn’t make financial sense for BYU to be on the outside looking in. It’s a frustrating predicament.
However, BYU football is on its way to restoring and building upon the luster of its football legacy. We’ll get our day in the sun soon enough. In the meantime, it behooves us as fans to enjoy the advantages that BYU football currently offers, including September games with Oklahoma and Florida State. Beats a date with Coastal Carolina.
Go Cougars!
Great contrarian post. Definitely agree on the FCS schedule junk.
My thought: anytime you play an FCS school you automatically drop in the polls by 2 positions. You just do. Florida has no right to be ranked #1 right now. Sure, you want to play cream puffs? That’s fine, but you’ll pay for it.
There may be a few pluses to remaining on the outside, but if we go undefeated and still end up out of the national championship game, we’ll be crying foul, along with millions of others.
Until being on the outside and winning a NC go hand-in-hand, its not a good thing. There are some pluses, but at the end of the day you are still in the negatives
We should not lose sight of the real objective – breaking up the BCS. I’m concerned that the focus has shifted to getting included rather than a solution that breaks up the elitist money grabbing cabal. Now that the season has begun, the talk is about BCS busting, not busting up the BCS. Big difference.