Is a BYU Win the Best Outcome for the Armed Forces Bowl?

The Brigham Young Cougars will face the Tulsa Golden Hurricane this Friday, December 30, 2011, in the Armed Forces Bowl. Like any good fan, I want BYU to win this game. In the back of my mind, however, I am wondering, “Is a BYU win the best outcome?”

On the surface, a win, especially a big win, appears to be in the best interest of BYU. It would give the Cougars at least 10 wins for the fifth time in six seasons. A win would set a new school record for consecutive bowl victories. A big win could even move BYU into the final Top 25 rankings, which would be another fifth time in six seasons achievement for the program.

These positive impacts of a bowl win only take into account the short term consequences. In the long run, a win might not be the best result for this bowl game.

Just one year ago, BYU beat UTEP in a route, 52-24, in the New Mexico Bowl. At the time, the win felt great. It gave BYU a winning record for the season (after starting 2-5). BYU set or tied numerous school and New Mexico Bowl records.

One year later, some consideration is deserved for the idea that the blowout bowl win gave the team and the coaches the wrong impression about how good they really were. It can be argued that during the offseason some complacency set in, and it was easy to buy into the hype. When the 2011 season rolled around, the team wasn’t where it needed to be to reach the lofty expectations.

The 1982 BYU football season ended with the Cougars playing in the Holiday Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Each team entered the game with identical 8-3 records, but the Buckeyes proved to be vastly superior. They sent BYU back to Provo with a 47-17 loss—the worst bowl loss in school history.

According to Lee Benson's book And They Came To Pass, the bowl loss to Ohio State was motivational for the football team. It set the tone for the offseason that helped make the following year, 1983, possibly the best ever seen in Provo (up to that point). Even 28 years later, it is still one of the four best in BYU football history.

The effect that a bowl game has on the next season isn’t cut and dry. A bowl win isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and a bowl loss isn’t necessarily a good thing. The 1988 Freedom Bowl win over Colorado probably had a bigger positive impact on the program than a loss would have had. I don’t give much credit to the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl loss for BYU’s memorable 2006 run. How the team wins or loses can make a difference.

Had BYU struggled to beat UTEP, and Jake Heaps threw only 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions, would the hype have been so high for 2011? Would talk about a national championship stayed behind closed doors?

If BYU had hung with Ohio State, who was a 6-0 loss early in the year away from going to the Rose Bowl, how much less determined would the team be during offseason workouts? Would the 1983 offense had improved enough to be the unstoppable force that it was?

How the team wins or loses in the bowl game impacts another part of the bigger equation that indicates success the following season. That part of the equation is the mind set of the team during the offseason. The bowl result contributes to this mindset more than a normal regular season game.

If BYU easily beats Tulsa, how will that change the way BYU feels about this season? How will that feeling be different if BYU wins, but the Cougars don’t play very well and only win by four?

After the TCU loss, Bronco Mendenhall and the players sounded genuinely hurt and disappointed, and not just with the game but the season. No amount of silver lining could satisfy the emptiness they felt directly following that game. Will the returning players remember this season for the disappointing losses and what could have been, or will they look at the 10-3 record and national ranking and pat themselves on the back?

As the game kicks off on Friday, I will definitely be rooting for a BYU win. I just hope it happens in a way that it won’t be a detriment to the future success of the BYU program.

The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com

Comments

  1. I don't think Bronco needs a loss to motive him.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think Bronco is not the right guy for the job. You see him on the sidelines and he never stands up for his team. How can he expect his players to get excited when he can't get excited.

    ReplyDelete
  3. does Bronco even get motivated? He always looks bored like he's just going through the motions

    ReplyDelete
  4. The BYU Cougars have been ranked 5 out of the past 6 years (assuming a win on friday). Those who think Bronco is the wrong guy either doesn't like to win, or perfer a hyper coach to a winning one.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lame. Only a loser thinks it's a good idea to possibly lose. A winner always wants to win, always.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "Only a loser thinks it's a good idea to possibly lose. A winner always wants to win, always."

    Well, it is a good thing that I never said it is a good idea to lose, but I did say, "I want BYU to win this game" and "I will definitely be rooting for a BYU win."

    This isn't about intentionally trying to lose or BYU not trying its hardest to win.

    Success brings challenges that failure doesn't. Will BYU overcome the challenges that a bowl win, 10 win season, and national ranking present?

    Recently, it appears BYU can't handle the challenges that come from success.

    How quickly did BYU forget the 2008 disappointment after beating Oklahoma to start 2009? The team and coaches were way over confident for the Florida State game and got embarrassed.

    How quickly did BYU forget the enormous struggles of the first half of 2010 because they got hot for the final 5 games?

    That is the issue. What will be the mentality of the coaches and team if they finish the year on a nice four game stretch? Will they see this year as a success? Will they think they have cleared some metaphorical hurdle? Or will they keep kicking themselves because of what might have been and therefore vow to make next year different?

    All I hear from Bronco Mendenhall is the glass half full spin on everything. I don't know what he says to the team in private settings, but if it is the same things he says in public, then I don't see how BYU will take any serious steps forward without some major setbacks that will stay with them during the offseason.

    Very rarely do you hear Bronco or one of the players say in an interview, "That was a bad mistake. I am upset about it, too. In fact, it is still bothering me. I never want it to happen again, and I am going to work tirelessly to make sure it doesn't."

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment