The Holy War: Some Final Advice to My BYU Friends as We Bid Each Other Adieu for this Year

I see a lot of handwringing among the Cougar Faithful about where to go now after another loss to Utah.

If I might offer some thoughts.

1.  David Locke (and leave whatever else you think of him aside) calls you Barometer University.  Meaning if a team beats you, they’re generally pretty good and if a team loses to you, they’re generally pretty bad.  I think he’s right and I think you’ve been this for quite awhile now.  Maybe 20 years.  And you might have to face the real possibility that is all you can really be.

2. So the question is, is it realistic that you can be more than this?  This article on Vanquish The Foe thinks no and others think yes.  I think the answer is maybe you have.  But if you want to move beyond, can I offer some suggestions?

3. If you want to be better, stop doing things you can’t do against really good teams.  Look, I don’t get your offense and I never really have under Bronco.  Even in years when BYU should handle us, it’s like you for get that Utah isn’t New Mexico, try to run all the same things you ran against New Mexico and it doesn’t work and then you all get pissed.

4. Play to your strengths.  Jim Harbaugh was a genius at Stanford.  Because instead of trying to recruit kids he could never get, he decided to recruit a whole bunch of the guys that he could get and design a system that would work around them.  BYU needs to stop the pipe dreams of who thinking they can recruit like Utah can.

5.  The system you might have to move to won’t be pretty.  You can either run this silly nitro offense that will always let you down against real talent but will look awesome against Idaho, or you can get down do work and maybe have a chance to advance.  Why on earth you don’t control the ball, not make mistakes and rely on defense is beyond me.

All that being said, I wish you kids the best of luck, you doing well only helps us now.  And seriously beat Boise.  I used to think your fanbase was annoying, but those small-minded fools have outdone you in nearly every way.

And if you like or hate what I have to say, let me know via comments here on twitter @hoyosreturn or even on Facebook.