BYU Football: Best and Worst (Realistic) Scenarios for 2019
The season realistically could go really good or really bad for BYU Football, more than a normal season.
Most seasons fans can look at the BYU Football schedule and have an idea of where the team is going to finish. Sure, there are no guarantees of things playing out how we think they will with injuries, surprise players and upsets, but for the most part, it is pretty predictable where a team is going to finish.
Last year for example, most fans probably saw the schedule and saw a range of 5-7 and 8-5 as the likely final record. Everyone knew that the Cougars would likely go 1-3 or 2-2 against P5 teams and go 4-4 to 6-2 in the other games. Sure they didn't happen to the games we expected, but it still happened.
For BYU Football in 2019 that is not the case. There are paths for the Cougars realistically to go 11-1 or 4-8. It will almost certainly be somewhere in the middle of the two, but here are best and worst case scenarios of each game.
Worst Case Scenario
Utah - L
Tennessee - L
USC - L
Washington - L
Toledo - L
South Florida - W
Boise State - L
Utah State - L
Liberty - W
Idaho State - W
UMass - W
San Diego State - L
Yeah, that would be really ugly. A 4-8 overall record would be absolutely terrible, but it isn't completely unrealistic. If the Cougars were to start 0-4 and losing to either Toledo or South Florida, teams they should be favored in but not by much, is totally possible. Throw in losses to good Utah State and Boise State teams and that would make the Cougars 1-7. They would probably win the next three games against lower G5/FCS teams but then drop a game to a good San Diego State who will be playing for a better bowl game whereas the Cougars would be just trying to finish out the season.
Best Case Scenario
Utah - W
Tennessee - W
USC - W
Washington - L
Toledo - W
South Florida - W
Boise State - W
Utah State - W
Liberty - W
Idaho State - W
UMass - W
San Diego State - W
I've said this before and I will say it again, there is a real chance that BYU Football is a lot better than we think they are because of the motivation that they have had and the momentum that they carried from the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Utah, Tennessee and USC are three games that gradually go down in talent which could all lead to wins. I do believe that even in a best case scenario, the Cougars are going to be banged up and will drop a game either to USC or Washington. After that, the Cougars have a realistic chance at winning every remaining game on their schedule, with all but perhaps Boise State being double digit wins.
Again, this would be the worst and best case scenarios, but both of them are within reach of the imagination for this upcoming season. Let's just hope it is closer to the best case scenario so that we don't have to talk about coaching changes, joining the MWC and Utah again.