BYU Football 2007 Predictions
Ok, I can tell that fans are itching to make their predictions about the upcoming season — they started putting them up prematurely in the 2007 Season Preview thread. So here is the place to make your predictions for the upcoming football season. Here are mine:
Sat, Sep 1 Arizona ……………………W — 16-9
Sat, Sep 8 at UCLA …………………..L — 17-24
Sat, Sep 15 at Tulsa …………………W — 31-10
Sat, Sep 22 Air Force ……………….W — 35-17
Sat, Sep 29 at New Mexico ……….W — 24-14
Sat, Oct 13 at UNLV …………………..W — 45-13
Sat, Oct 20 Eastern Washington W — 52-10
Sat, Oct 27 at San Diego State…. W — 38-17
Sat, Nov 3 Colorado State …………W — 27-24
Thu, Nov 8 TCU ……………………………L — 35-31
Sat, Nov 17 at Wyoming …………… W — 34-21
Sat, Nov 24 Utah………………………. W — 35-28
So there you have it. I’m going with 10-2 in the regular season. I figure 10-2 will likely at least tie BYU for 1st the conference and send them to another bowl game which I predict they will win to go 11-2 overall on the year just like last year. I optimistically predicted a 9-3 regular season in 2006 and the Cougs outdid me. I hope they do it again this year.
What are your predictions?
Wow. There’s no way I’d even attempt to guess the score of the Wyoming game!
I think we’ll loose Az and UCLA. TCU is harder to gauge. I’ve heard good things, but the game’s towards the end of the season. Injuries become key as it was with TCU last year.
I’m predicting, at this stage, 8-4. But if we win Az then I’ll go optimistic and say 10-2.
Comment by Clark — August 23, 2007 @ 1:56 pm
So which four games do you have the team losing, Clark? AZ, UCLA, TCU, and ??
Comment by Geoff J — August 23, 2007 @ 1:57 pm
Usually there’s one that we should win but don’t, for some weird reason. Actually given Az, UCLA, and TCU I think we’ll win at least one. I don’t know which one. (I’m hoping Az because it’d build confidence, although frankly a UCLA win would be fantastic)
I’d say Utah because that’s always a crap shoot. Look at last year when they sucked and we were frankly pretty good but it was way closer than it should have been. This year Utah has a horrible RB situation but reportedly a very good QB. (We’ll see) So they might be even harder to beat.
Despite making fun of you for your Wy pick, I have to admit that playing in Wyoming is always difficult. Especially late in the year. The fans there are more anti-BYU than pro-Cowboy and are typically a hoard of drunk thugs. (Sorry any Wy fans – I calls them as I sees them) The grass in Wy is always hard to play on as well. I’ve listened to friends gripe about playing on that grass. So if I were going to pick just one game we would lose when we shouldn’t it’d be Wy.
Comment by Clark — August 23, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
This really makes me sad. I guess it just goes to show that some people will submit to the conventional wisdom. The only game on this cream-puff schedule that is close to a challenge is UCLA, but that game is very winnable. Saying that Wyoming will win is unforgivable.
Let the haters hate and the doubters doubt.
Comment by California Condor — August 23, 2007 @ 2:08 pm
Hehe. Well I figured I would throw in a big upset. Playing in Laramie in late November seemed like the most likely upset. I couldn’t bring myself to predicting a loss to Utah…
Comment by Geoff J — August 23, 2007 @ 2:12 pm
I’m not saying Wyoming will win. I think predicting specific games in August is pointless. I’m just saying that if I had to pick I’d pick Wyoming. But I don’t think we should lose in Wyoming. I do think there will be at least one game we ought win but where the special teams and an inexperienced Max Hall will lead us to lose.
Comment by Clark — August 23, 2007 @ 2:21 pm
Dude, Clark, games start next week. It’s not called predicting after the game has already been played (grin).
Anyway, California Condor – are you on record for predicting a 12-0 regular season still? I have Clark picking 4 losses.
Comment by Geoff J — August 23, 2007 @ 2:32 pm
Put me down for 12 plus a BCS game victory.
Comment by California Condor — August 23, 2007 @ 2:38 pm
I mean we’ve not seen the team so predicting specific games is almost impossible because there’s no data to go off. Practice is just that. After the Az game I think I’d have more confidence making predictions.
The reason for my hesitancy is Max Hall moreso than anything else. He may actually tear things up. Or he may collapse. It’s just hard to tell at this point – but so much depends upon him.
Comment by Clark — August 23, 2007 @ 2:49 pm
Alright — I’ve had a change of heart. I changed my predictions in the post to 10-2 in the regular season and another bowl win. I just couldn’t bring myself to predicting a loss to Wyoming either.
Comment by Geoff J — August 23, 2007 @ 3:45 pm
10-2. Losses at UCLA and a cold, ugly Wyoming game. But we’ll beat UCLA in the rematch at the Las Vegas bowl.
Comment by Eric Russell — August 23, 2007 @ 7:16 pm
This is a pretty easy schedule. I would go along with a 9-3, but that is not a real 9-3.
Comment by Eric Nielson — August 24, 2007 @ 5:37 am
My prediction is that I wish BT was still around to serve as a receptacle for this kind of post.
Comment by a random John — August 24, 2007 @ 8:28 am
What do you mean Eric N? Doesn’t seem like all that easy of a schedule to me… My guess is the Cougs will have a solid strength of schedule this year.
Comment by Geoff J — August 24, 2007 @ 8:28 am
The schedule has only two teams in the current top 25. They can’t currently help the conference they are in. But there is no USC this year, no Notre Dame. Teams like BYU need to have a killer non conference schedule to hope to get anywhere. So what is their non-conference schedule?
Eastern Washington? Tulsa?
Sure, it could be easier. They could play my school (Idaho). I just think their non-conference schedule is a bit weak.
Even Idaho (who will probably end up 4-8 or something) plays USC, Washington St., and Northern Illinois. And they play 3 teams in the top 25.
Comment by Eric Nielson — August 24, 2007 @ 8:53 am
For what it is worth here are the conference schedule strength stats:
1. SEC 13.25
2. Big East 23.63
3. Pac-10 25.50
4. Big Ten 43.04
5. Big 12 49.75
6. ACC 63.79
7. Mountain West 67.55
8. WAC 74.66
9. Conference USA 91.91
10. MAC 106.23
11. Sun Belt 107.50
So the experts think the mountain west is well below all the big conferences. So your guess probably wont hold up.
Comment by Eric Nielson — August 24, 2007 @ 9:01 am
Eric,
The overall conference strength of schedule is pretty useless in this discussion. BYU has two top 25 teams on the schedule (UCLA and TCU) and three others that could legitimately be in the top 25 some time during the season (Arizona, Tulsa and Utah). My guess is the BYU’s strength of schedule will end up at a respectable number, easily in the top half of college football.
Comment by Geoff J — August 24, 2007 @ 9:22 am
My guess is that it will end up very average.
Comment by Eric Nielson — August 24, 2007 @ 9:26 am
Well “average” and “in the top half of college football” are not contradictions so it looks like we are not disagreeing about the strength of schedule.
Comment by Geoff J — August 24, 2007 @ 9:41 am
8-4.
We lose two of Ariz., UCLA, and TCU, along with two other games that we probably shouldn’t from the rest of the schedule. Utah gets thumped.
Comment by Adam Greenwood — August 24, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
I’ve not really listened that closely to what’s been going on with Utah. I’ve heard that their much vaunted QB is good but I’ve also heard that they have no really good running backs and a so-so O-Line.
I kind of hope Utah does well until we can beat them. If we could have Utah, BYU, and TCU in the top 25 that would be awesome.
Comment by Clark — August 24, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
I agree Clark. Some BYU football zealots on the message boards seem more interested in hating Utah than in rooting for BYU. I don’t get that. As far as I’m concerned, I would love for the Mountain West conference to go undefeated out of conference. The more ranked teams we can get the better (especially if BYU can beat them all…)
Comment by Geoff J — August 24, 2007 @ 2:46 pm
Geoff, are you wearing a bright red Utah sweater as you type? For crying out loud.
Comment by California Condor — August 24, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
What are you talking about California Condor? You’re not one of those retards who is more anti-Utah than pro-BYU are you? (I personally don’t care about Utah much more than I care about UNM or UNLV. They are just another team in our conference as far as I’m concerned.)
Comment by Geoff J — August 24, 2007 @ 3:19 pm
Except it makes for a really, really long year if the Cougs don’t beat the Utes in November.
Comment by Guy Murray — August 24, 2007 @ 3:29 pm
Perhaps for some people living in the Wasatch front, Guy. As I said, some zealots on the message boards seem to get downright obsessive about Utah. For a lot of the rest of us, obsessing over Utah just isn’t our thang. We just like rooting for BYU.
Comment by Geoff J — August 24, 2007 @ 3:38 pm
Spoken like a true Molly Mormon.
Comment by California Condor — August 24, 2007 @ 3:44 pm
“They are just another team in our conference as far as I’m concernedâ€
Geoff, I certainly don’t hate U*** more than I root for BYU, nor do I recommend such. Nonetheless, I find this comment patently absurd.
Comment by Eric Russell — August 24, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
Geoff,
I used to live along the Wasatch front, but have been far removed from it for over two decades. Saying that Utah is just another team in the conference to BYU fans, is like saying USC is just another team in the conference to Bruin fans. While they (the evil Utes) are another team in the conference, they are the team we (the righteous Cougs) don’t ever want to lose to.
Comment by Guy Murray — August 24, 2007 @ 4:04 pm
Condor: Spoken like a true Molly Mormon
Ahhh… so you are a retard (or a troll). Well thanks for clearing that up for me.
Eric – I’m confused. What do you find absurd?
Guy – I recognize that there is a rivalry. But it just isn’t that big of a deal to me is all I’m saying. As long as BYU beats Utah every year I will be satisfied. If Utah wins all the rest of their games every year and BYU still beats them then that is good for BYU so why shouldn’t I be happy with that kind of scenario as a BYU supporter?
Comment by Geoff J — August 24, 2007 @ 4:13 pm
On this we agree. You are absolutely right. I just must have misread your earlier statement:
While I don’t hate Utah, they are certainly more than just another team in the conference. But, I agree with your latest clarification.
Comment by Guy Murray — August 24, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
Geoff,
This isn’t Sunday School. This is football. It’s okay to get a little rowdy and talk a little trash about Utah.
Let me tell you a little story. In 1999 I witnessed a horrible event. In Cougar Stadium (as it was then known), a male Utah cheerleader was obnoxiously waving a gigantic red flag in front of a section of BYU fans. A BYU fan good-naturedly ran down onto the grass and playfully tackled the male Utah cheerleader in a display of friendly rivalry. What did the male Utah cheerleader do? He got up on his knees, pinned the poor BYU student down, and started punching the poor kid in the face.
And you don’t care about Utah?
Comment by California Condor — August 24, 2007 @ 4:31 pm
LOL Geoff. No true blue fan is going to let you get away with such equanimity.
Comment by Eric Russell — August 24, 2007 @ 4:45 pm
Right Condor – I don’t much care about Utah.
I remember that cheerleader scuffle story. If some kid from the U of U decided to tackle a 6’3″ 240 lb. BYU cheerleader I would have expected him to get his butt beat too. That little incident is hardly a reason for me to obsess over Utah. I want BYU to beat Utah every year — just like I want BYU to beat the other teams they play every year. But I don’t really care what happens to the rest of them in conference when we aren’t playing them. As long as we beat them I’m satisfied. (But I’ll always root for MWC teams over non-MWC teams because any win by the MWC out of conference is good for BYU.)
Comment by Geoff J — August 24, 2007 @ 4:46 pm
Hehe. Good point Eric. I suppose it is all this detached logic I’m using that is causing the problem when it comes to this college rivalry…
Comment by Geoff J — August 24, 2007 @ 4:48 pm
You’ll have to cut Geoff a little slack here. He was raised by converts in the church. Therefore he wasn’t serenaded with the BYU fight song early on Saturday mornings, “Rise and shout the Cougars are out!”
I was, so when I see Utah, I see red! He had a hard time understanding why he had to hold me back when a guy at church wore a red shirt and white tie the Sunday after a Utah win. Or the time I got into a small verbal altercation with a Utah-loving sister during an enrichment meeting when she made some derogatory remarks about BYU…
Comment by Kristen J — August 24, 2007 @ 7:02 pm
You’ll never raise your stength of schedule by playing Eastern Washington. GO EAGLES!
Comment by Jared — August 24, 2007 @ 7:18 pm
I think that’s right Jared, although it really isn’t that uncommon to put at least one easy team on schedule so as to give your team a rest. There’s nothing wrong with that since arguably that’s how BYU was able to play teams like Miami or USC in the past.
Comment by Clark — August 25, 2007 @ 10:12 am
Correction: I think the BYU fan who tackled the male Utah cheerleader was actually not a BYU student.
Comment by California Condor — August 25, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
BYU is going undefeated baby! 12-0! Heck ya! I really think they can. As long as they win against Arizona (which i have no doubt in my mind that they will), I think that’ll be enough of a confidence booster to defeat UCLA, and once we beat them, we will be unstopable!
Comment by Spencer — August 27, 2007 @ 8:51 am
All those who think we can beat UCLA. Could you explain why you think we can? UCLA is a very, very tough team which we’ll be playing in their crib. We’ll have a new QB, a questionable special teams, and I’m still a tad nervous about our RBs. I would love it if we won – I mean we unexpectedly beat Miami in the past and nearly took USC. But it’s pretty unlikely.
Arizona is doable simply because it’s the first game of the season, it’s at home, and Arizona is moving to our kind of offensive which benefits our defense tremendously. But even Arizona, in my opinion, will be difficult.
Comment by Clark — August 27, 2007 @ 10:42 am
I think you are right that betting on a win in Pasadena is a real long shot Clark. They are ranked in the top 15 and did thump USC last year with their smothering defense after all. It did dawn on me though that the other three hard games (on paper) this year are in Provo. If BYU can protect their home field and win the road games they are supposed to win (or at least expected to win by the fans) that would translate into an 11-1 season. So if they can bust out an 11-1 season I guess some die-hard fans are willings to go for the whole enchilada and predict an upset in Pasadena as well…
(Maybe this sort of reckless optimism is why the prophets counsel the saints to avoid gambling…)
Comment by Geoff J — August 27, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
Top 10 reasons BYU will beat UCLA
10. Karl Dorrell. The only reason he’s still the UCLA coach is because he barely beat USC last year. He followed that lucky win up by laying an egg with a humiliating loss against Florida State in the Emerald Nuts Bowl in a baseball stadium in San Fransisco. Remember the 2004 Las Vegas Bowl? UCLA lost to Wyoming. His mediocre record is embarrassing for a once-storied program.
9. Ben Olson. It’s payback time for Big Ben. Blessed with awe-inspiring talent, his career has been marred by a torturous path through BYU, then a Mormon mission to Canada, then a season on the bench at UCLA, then 5 games in 2006 before getting injured. Now he’s pretty much damaged goods. He basically has only a little bit more experience than Max Hall. Psychologically, it’s going to be hard for him to face the program that he betrayed, and the BYU fans in the Rose Bowl will let him have it. He will be rattled, and look for him to throw interceptions, get sacked, and fumble the ball while getting sacked.
8. UCLA Hype. The top-25 pre-season ranking is just too much for UCLA to handle. After years of languishing in mediocrity, both UCLA fans and sportswriters are hungry for a big season for UCLA, and they are drinking their own Kool-Aid. It’s a given that this team will disappoint big time, starting with a loss to BYU. With UCLA fans, players, coaches, staff members, and medical trainers looking forward to a Rose Bowl berth, they will all overlook BYU.
7. Apathetic UCLA fans. Bruin boosters will have this game marked as a “one of those games where you can give the season tickets away.” Those that do show up will be those who have nothing better to do. These two teams haven’t met since 1995, and there is no bad blood between the teams. Look for a lackadaisical UCLA crowd that will be heading for the exits early as BYU is ahead.
6. Beautiful Southern California weather. Ever been to Provo in August? It’s like a dry oven. It’s absolute misery. After practicing in that weather all summer, the BYU squad will be invigorated by the cool, balmy Southern California champagne weather.
5. Max Hall. A decorated high school superstar gets a chance to start out with a bang. Look for some big numbers from this pedigreed (nephew of Danny White) student of the game.
4. The Friday Night Fireside. This fireside will continue the dignified tradition started by Bronco Mendenhall. It will take place in a dedicated LDS Chapel in Glendale, CA the night before the game. Instead of getting drunk, playing video games, and fraternizing with lewd women like the UCLA players will probably be doing, the BYU players will be dressed in Sunday best to discuss uplifting and edifying gospel topics in a civilized and refined manner. What could be more appropriate for attaining a Zen-like focus right before a big game?
3. A seasoned offensive line. A lot of light-minded football fans don’t realize how important an offensive line is. It’s lot glamorous but then again not all things in life are.
2. The BYU fans who will invade the Rose Bowl. A lof ot people might not realize this, but there is a fair number of Latter-day Saints who reside in Southern California. Many of these Latter-day Saints support BYU football, and they will attend the game in the hundreds, possibly thousands, maybe even tens of thousands. Their spirit will drown out the apathy of the UCLA fans, and will give the BYU players a shot of adrenaline that will push them over the top.
1. Setting the record straight. BYU actually went undefeated last season. They just barely lost to Arizona and Boston College. They should have been a BCS team. Now is the time to set the record straight.
Comment by California Condor — August 27, 2007 @ 3:04 pm
I’d have more faith in your comments Condor if you could address how we overcome UCLA’s strengths in their program and deal with our limitations (i.e. kicking)
Comment by Clark — August 27, 2007 @ 3:42 pm
BYU goes 7-5 this year with a beautiful season-ending loss to Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium South. Go Utes! :)
Comment by Jon in Austin — August 27, 2007 @ 7:02 pm
Is that supposed to be funny?
Comment by California Condor — August 28, 2007 @ 8:35 am
Wow — a little smack talk from Jon in Austin! (Who knew you were a Ute??)
Comment by Geoff J — August 28, 2007 @ 8:58 am
I went to the Stanford v. UCLA game this afternoon, and then came home and watched the BYU v. Arizona game that I’d recorded. BYU is going to have a hard time against UCLA, mostly because UCLA has an amazing defense on the receivers! The defenders would run along in stride with the Stanford receivers, practically touching them, and then reach up and bat away the ball. The Arizona defenders would stand a yard or two away from the receiver and watch BYU catch the ball! UCLA is big and tall. BYU will be lucky to hold their own. Stanford isn’t very strong, and UCLA walked all over them. The 45-17 score doesn’t even tell how bad it was. UCLA had 2 field-goal attempts go wide, too.
Comment by Sue A — September 1, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
I agree. I think BYU stand no chance against UCLA. I think the speed of UCLA will just kill BYU. There is a big difference between Arizona and UCLA.
Comment by Buckeyefan — September 2, 2007 @ 9:06 pm
If BYU beats UCLA, they will run the tables and get a BCS Bowl. They play 2 pac 10 teams and 2 ranked teams. Not anywhere near tough enough for a championship game, but sufficient for an undefeated team to get a big money bowl. TCU will be the tough, but since it is at BYU, the Cougars will have little trouble.
Can BYU beat UCLA? Yes. Will they? We’ll have to wait and see. How? If the same defense plays at the same level, UCLA will get 2 or 3 touchdowns. If BYU’s offence can settle down and convert on the oppertunities provided them, BYU will score enough points to win.
PS: Sue A, IS this the same amazing pass defence that gave up over 330 passing yards to one of the wort teams in college football(Stanford)???
Comment by Goram The Old — September 5, 2007 @ 10:37 am
Good observations Goram. I am thinking this game will be similar in difficulty to the BC game last year. BYU coulda/shoulda won that one.
Comment by Geoff J — September 5, 2007 @ 11:30 am
TCU just lost to Air Force. Looks like they have no offense early in the season. I suspect that a loss in Laramie is more likely than a home loss to TCU at this point…
Comment by Geoff J — September 14, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
cougars had had a great season so far….i think they could have beat UCLA if they’d have ran it more..
Comment by bill — October 29, 2007 @ 9:10 am