BYU players, coaches and fans ended the season on a sour note. They had high expectations for this season. Especially after they started the season defeating UCLA 59-0 after the Bruins came off a victory against the then-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, won a nail-biter in Washington, and then blew out their next opponent to prove the Washington win wasn’t a fluke.
Unfortunately everything fell apart at TCU on a Thursday night(warning to all ranked teams—don’t play on Thursday night) and then a meltdown by quarterback Max Hall—throwing five interceptions—against rival Utah. The Las Vegas Bowl was a sloppy performance by both BYU and Arizona. The Cougars were playing there for the fourth year in a row and showed their lack of excitement on the field.The Cougars hoped to reach their first BCS bowl game this season but instead saw Utah get invited to their second BCS bowl.
The Cougars should be delighted if they represent the Mountain West next year for the fifth straight time. It will be very difficult for the Cougars to contend for a BCS bid with rumors they will face Oklahoma in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, hosting the Florida State Seminoles at home and perhaps hitting the road to Arizona State.
The Cougars have the advantage in the Mountain West Conference next season because they will host TCU and Utah at home.
The Cougars have three big questions going into next season:
- Will wide receiver Austin Collie enter the NFL draft?
- Will quarterback Max Hall return to form and limit mistakes on the field?
- Will the Cougars improve on the defensive side of the field in order to compete against their out of conference schedule?
CollegeBowlProjections.com is leaning towards another Las Vegas Bowl appearance or Poinsettia Bowl invitation for the Cougars next season.
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