On one hand, you have head coach Bronco Mendenhall saying the way to the BCS is "scheduling down." On the other hand, you have AD Tom Holmoe saying BYU will play anybody, but wants to balance the schedule.
Is BYU talking out of both sides of their mouth?
Not really. Bronco has said all along that balance is the key to any schedule. His comments about scheduling down have offended some BYU fans, who apparently want to play USC and LSU in the preseason. And does it send a message to the players that they aren't good enough to play a more difficult schedule? Holmoe and Mendenhall think UCLA, Washington, Utah State and Northern Iowa is a "good" schedule. To be honest, UCLA, Washington, Utah State and Nevada wasn't much better.
UCLA has a new head coach and lost most of its best defensive players. Washington wasn't good last year but has an exciting sophomore quarterback in Jake Locker. Still, they both look like middle-of-the-road Pac 10 teams. Utah State isn't very good and Northern Iowa, while a good FCS team, should be a win.
Something to think about: BYU must play TCU, Air Force and Utah on the road in 2008. Going undefeated in the MWC again is far from a given. |