BYU Football Just Finished Their Shakespearean Season in Football
Yes, I know, there is a Bowl game to come...
To be or not to be a good football team. That was BYU’s and Shakespeare’s question that was still left unanswered after 12 games and a 10-2 record.
Despite the 30-18 regular season finale win over Houston in Provo last night, that game also added to the to be or not to be a good football team quandary. At times the Cougars looked like a good football team. They looked good enough to be a legitimate contender for the conference championship crown.
In their last three games, which includes last night’s lackluster showing, they looked anything like championship caliber.
Hence, the Shakespearean and season evaluation quote: To be or not to be.
As further illustration of my rationale I submit the following graphic below.
Despite similar haircuts, one is acknowledged by the world as the greatest of all (Shakespeare) and the other is only acknowledged as the greatest of all on a university campus located in Salt Lake City.
My regular season ending evaluation of BYU football is that they were indeed a good and drastically improved football team but not improved enough to be seeded among those that will make the 12 teams selected to contend for the National Championship. (Yes, I remember that BYU defeated SMU in Dallas.) I also remember that they were lucky to defeat Oklahoma State in Provo.
The good news is that BYU appears to be back on track as a legitimate factor in Big 12 football in general (as happened this season) and occasionally a serious factor in the national collegiate football scene. This wasn’t that year.
The possibility of next season being that year, depends on the portal and how well and selective BYU performs in said portal. Oh yeah, and how much money they can muster for meeting the portal demands.
My guess is that the emphasis will be on interior linemen on both sides of the ball, and a game changing wide receiver.
They need a portal quarterback, but that won’t happen, at least this year, because of the return of Retzlaff. I actually think they have an ASU clone of a Cam Skattebo already on the roster in Sione Moa so they won’t need a portal running back.
As Michigan showed Ohio State, games are still won on the line of scrimmage. As Deon Sanders also proved, you can have the best skill players, but without linemen who can play, you won’t win. Sanders paid plenty in the portal for his improved line of scrimmage in his second season on both sides of the ball and his record this year proves the point.
Speaking of Sanders and Colorado football. His 2-way Heisman contender and likely winner, Travis Hunter, actually has a BYU connection.
He went to high school at Collins Hill HS in the metro Atlanta area. His high school coach was Lenny Gregory. When that same coach played football for BYU, he went by the name of Lenny Gomes. Yes, that same “Pump my Gas” Lenny Gomes.
Hunter was an early commit to Florida State, but on signing day, he shocked everyone by announcing out of the blue that he was going to Jackson State to play for Dion Sanders. When asked how much Jackson State was paying Travis Hunter, Dion responded something like, not as much as they are paying me.
Just my 2 cents, which won’t buy squat in the portal, but the Cougars need to budget and build another conference contender for next year through the portal.
While the Portal and enough money to succeed in the Portal solves most teams’ problems, at BYU it is different. Yes, money is needed, but so are morals. That makes BYU’s portal participation much, much, different and more difficult than other teams.
Based on Last Weekend Results
BYU Basketball Projections For Remainder of Season
BYU came away from this past Thursday and Friday in the Rady Children’s Invitational Thanksgiving tournament with a win and a loss.
After watching the two games, I predict that BYU will win again and lose again as their season progresses. The ratio of those two options is yet to be determined, but my money is on the win much, much more than on the lose ticket.
For a team with which Kevin Young is still exploring his options, the prognosis of progress and prowess looks on track.
One former coach at two well-known basketball programs has developed his outline for predicting winning games.
Here it is:
Using Statistics from 2005 Big Ten, ACC, SEC, Big 12, and CUSA Season games that shows that there actually is an order of importance to those statistics.
The team that recorded the high field goal percentage was the winner in 75 percent of the basketball games.
The team that scored the most free throws was the eventual winner in 70 percent of the games.
The team that recovered the higher number of rebounds was the winner 65 percent of the time.
The team that committed the higher number of personal fouls was the eventual winner in only 25 percent of the games.
The team that held the point advantage at halftime was the winner 74 percent of the time.
Here is my non-scientific and statistical analysis of when BYU will win basketball games this season.
Fousseyni Traore gets 10 or more low post touches per game.
Richie Saunders’ head band weighs more than 1/2 pound after a game.
Dallin Hall’s toe injury fully heals, and he can get his first step and hip past his defender on his way to the hoop.
Egor Demin figures out “Thug and Hug” is how all defenses will play him.
BYU has less fouls in a game than Kevin Young has assistants/staff on the payroll.
BYU Basketball Imports Are Playing Well. What About the BYU Exports?
Kentucky export Jackson Robinson is averaging 25.1 minutes per game, scoring 12 points per game - Collin Chandler is averaging 9.4 minutes per game and scoring 2.9 points per contest.
Noah Waterman is averaging 22.3 minutes per game and 7.1 points per game. Aly Khalifa is redshirting to heal his knee issues. Both are at Louisville.
Marcus Adams Jr. is at Cal State Northridge where he is averaging 16 points per game and 28.4 minutes a game.