July 1, 2011 is Independence Day for BYU. No longer part of the Mountain West Conference and a TV deal that left them as exposed as a nun in Nome. BYU picked a good time to declare their independence. They have 10 returning starters on offense, and that usually translates into big numbers. The last time that many offensive players returned for the Cougars, they played in their only New Years Day bowl game in their storied football history. Defense returns a lot of talent as well, but has lost some key people. Reviews are mixed on how well BYU will do in their first season outside of conference play. But BYU will have to do well out of the gate. That task will not be easy with Ole Miss, Texas, Utah and Central Florida as the first four opponents. Should BYU begin 0-4, look for the doubters to turn into gloaters. But I think that they will begin 2-2 and win 9 games, which will be a good start for the new era in BYU athletics.
Schedule
S3 @Mississippi
S10 @Texas
S17 Utah
S23 Central Florida
S30 Utah State
O8 San Jose State
O15 @Oregon State
O22 Idaho State
O28 @TCU
N5 BYE
N12 Idaho
N19 New Mexico State
N26 BYE
D3 @Hawaii
Projected Finish: 9-3
Post-Season Projection: Armed Forces Bowl vs. Tulsa
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