After missing out on a golden opportunity to defeat a top-10 opponent for the first time since 1990, BYU will get another crack as it travels to fellow independent Notre Dame this weekend to face the Fighting Irish.
Back to back games against top ten opponents is a blessing and a curse for the Cougars. When entering football independence last season, the goal was to have more games against the caliber of opponents they face these two weeks.
In addition to these teams, BYU will face Georgia Tech next weekend. These games boost the national profile of the school, but at what cost?
Former BYU quarterback Ty Detmer mentioned his alma mater’s situation during his NCAA Hall of Fame recognition this past weekend. While BYU does get the bigger games and television exposure, they do miss out on playing for championships and developing certain rivalries.
Weeks will be strung together where quality opponents will be too much for the Cougars to handle, leaving them in a very precarious spot Р they could miss out on a bowl bid.
Notre Dame has been in this position since the beginning of their program, but used it to their advantage. Historically, their mantra has been the school plays for national championships, not conference titles. Notre Dame is now a national brand, able to recruit athletes from every corner of the nation.
BYU believes it can be a national program as well. While college football is historically regionalized by the conferences, BYU’s religious affiliation allows them to be a national brand.
For more information check out the Oct 18 edition of Davis Clipper.
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