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SALT LAKE CITY — Getting shut out of a New Year's Six bowl bid should not shock BYU, stemming back to the administration's decision to go independent.
Even at 9-0, scorching virtually every opponent this season, the Cougars remain a relative longshot to play in one of the prestigious postseason games. The playoff selection committee, which determines the qualifiers, ranked BYU at 13 — likely too low to get in.
As an independent outside of the Power Five, BYU is not eligible to receive the berth that goes to the highest-ranked team in the Group of Five conferences. In essence, after deciding to leave the Mountain West Conference some 10 years ago, BYU traded exposure over better bowl destinations.
At the time, given Mountain West games were buried on a now-defunct outlet that had little distribution, BYU was correct to branch out on its own. The benefits – primarily increased money, exposure and scheduling flexibility – were worth getting in exchange for one game to close the season.
As a result, the Cougars have played in several bowls considered second-tier at best. Another off-the-radar bowl could happen again, probably, unless they add and beat a big-name opponent this month.
Without dramatic changes, this may be BYU's lot in bowl life. The blue turf in Boise, or something similar, may have to do as long as the program stays independent.
What about those changes? If a Power Five conference comes calling, BYU would jump at the chance and then no longer have to fight for scraps of respect.
In the interim, as they wait for the date to the prom, the Cougars could scrap independence in favor of joining a Group of Five conference. While returning to the Mountain West doesn't seem likely, BYU might draw interest from the American Athletic Conference.
The AAC currently has 11 members, more than just a numerical odd number for any conference. It also is considered the sixth-best conference, evidenced by undefeated seventh-ranked Cincinnati in a strong position to make a New Year's Six bowl and possibly contend for a berth for the four-team national playoff.
But all is not lost, even if BYU fails to land in the New Year's Six game for the first time. Accounting for the purpose of going independent was to increase exposure, this season already has been a smashing success.
Starting on Labor Day, in a game that was scheduled only weeks before, BYU crushed Navy in primetime on national television. The publicity generated by impressive play on the field grew exponentially each week, culminating in a 51-17 win over Boise State on a Friday night last month.
Since then, the Cougars have been a media darling as national commentators debate the worthiness of a schedule that athletic director Tom Holmoe hastily put together after the coronavirus destroyed the original impressive slate of games. The situation reached a fever pitch this past week after the playoff committee slotted BYU below what was expected.
Last Saturday's pregame shows on ESPN and Fox discussed at length BYU's perceived low ranking. None other than former Utah head coach Urban Meyer led the barrage of criticism, drawing from his years of experience studying tapes of good teams.
Meyer, who refused to even mention BYU's name during his two seasons at Utah, proclaimed that Cincinnati and BYU would compete this season for championships in multiple Power Five conferences. Speaking on Fox, he advocated that Cincinnati, his alma mater, and BYU deserve more national respect.
The coach who won national championships at Florida and Ohio State pointed out the need to look beyond statistics in deciding the quality of teams. Drawing upon his expertise, Meyer likes what he sees from these two teams.
"I'm telling you, from 30-plus years (of experience), Cincinnati and BYU should be ranked higher," he said.
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BYU's choice ramps up attention and forces schedule improvement
BYU's decision to initially pass on playing Washington on short notice has brought the program an enormous amount of publicity and forced its hand.
