Realistically, who could BYU play in 2012?

Last Update..8/19/2011

Someone said that BYU's schedule is almost complete for 2012, but no one knows, despite voracious rumors, who those teams will be. BYU needs now needs only 1 more home game. Who will fill out the schedule?

With the ESPN partnership, teams could change their schedules to play the Cougars. There are also teams that are over-scheduled due to changing conference alignments. Therefore, other games will open up. BYU should fill out their 2012 schedule. Here are the teams, by conference, that need to add a game or two in 2012.

Current 2012 BYU Schedule

S1 Oregon State^ (Last Meeting: 2009 Las Vegas Bowl, 44-20 Cougars. OSU leads the series 5-4)
S8 Weber State (1979 in Provo, 48-3 Cougars, BYU leads series 2-0)
S15 @Utah^ (2010 in Salt Lake City, 17-16 Utes. Utah leads the series 51-31-4)
S22 @Boise State (2004 in Boise, 28-27 Broncos. Boise leads series 2-0)
S29 Open
O5 Utah State^ (2010 in Logan, 31-16 Aggies, BYU leads series 43-34-1)
O13 @ Georgia Tech (2003 in Provo, 24-13 Cougars, Series tied 1-1)
O20 @ Notre Dame (2005 in South Bend, IN, 49-23 Irish, Notre Dame leads series 4-2)
O27 Open
N3 Open
N10 Open
N17 Open
N24 Open
D1 Open

TBA-
@ San Jose State ^ (1998 in Provo, 46-43 Cougars. San Jose leads the overall series 9-5)
@ New Mexico State ^ (First meeting will be in in 2011)
Hawaii^ (2002 in Provo, 35-32 Cougars. BYU leads series 19-8)
Idaho^( 1955 in Provo, 49-6 Vandals. Idaho leads series 2-1)

Need 1 more home game.

^Also a 2011 opponent

Available Teams (Teams listed in italics have an hole in the schedule on September 29.)

ACC,
Plays 8 conference games
BYU is 4-10 vs. the ACC
The ACC has yet to announce their 2012 conference schedule
-Maryland*
-North Carolina*
-Virginia Tech*

Big 12
Plays 9 conference games
BYU is 15-22-1 against teams that were in the Big 12 in 2010.

Oklahoma
Texas A&M
Texas Tech

Big East
Plays 8 conference games
Due to the addition of TCU, some Big East football teams are over-scheduled.
BYU is 2-3 vs. the Big East
The Big East has yet to announce their conference schedule
-Cincinnati*
-Rutgers*
-TCU (On the 2011 schedule in Arlington, TX, last meeting 2010 in Fort Worth, 31-3 Frogs, Series tied at 5 wins each)

Big 10
Plays 8 conference games
BYU is 3-6-1 vs the Big 10
-Michigan (1984 Holiday Bowl, 24-17 Cougars, only meeting)


Conference USA
Plays 8 conference games
BYU is 42-12-1 vs. teams currently in C-USA
Conference USA has yet to announce their 2012 conference schedule
-East Carolina*
-Marshall (1999 Motor City Bowl, 21-3 Herd, only meeting)
-UAB*
-UTEP (2010 New Mexico Bowl, 52-24 Cougars, BYU leads series 29-7-1)

Other Independents
BYU is 3-5 vs. other independents
-Army and Navy have full 2012 schedules

MAC
Plays 8 conference games
BYU is 6-3 vs. the MAC
The MAC has yet to announce their 2012 football schedule
-Akron*
-Central Michigan*
-Eastern Michigan*
-Toledo*
-UMass*

Mountain West
Plays 8 conference games, but teams that travel to Hawaii have the 13th game option.
The MWC has yet to announce their 2012 football schedule.
BYU is 230-144-12 vs. the MWC 2010 alignment.
-Nevada (2010 in Provo, 27-13 Wolfpack, BYU leads series 4-2-2)
13th game option:
-UNLV (2010 in Provo, 55-7 Cougars, BYU leads series 15-3)

Pac-12
Plays 9 conference games
BYU is 34-57-1 vs. the PAC-10. (Does not include Utah or Colorado)
The conference has not yet announced all of their 2012 football games but the PAC-12 Rule does not allow non-conference games after October 1st except for Stanford/USC vs. Notre Dame.
-California (2005 Las Vegas Bowl, 38-28 Bears, BYU leads the series 2-1)
-Colorado (1988 Freedom Bowl, 20-17 Cougars, Colorado leads the series 8-3-1)
-Washington State (1990 in Provo, 50-36 BYU Cougars, BYU leads series 2-1)

SEC
Plays 8 conference games
BYU is 1-3 vs. the SEC
The SEC has yet to announce their non-conference schedule and the SEC does like to schedule November non-conference home games against opponents they perceive to be weaker. Whether or not that means BYU remains to be seen.
-Alabama (1998 in Tuscaloosa, AL, 38-31 Tide, only meeting)
-Arkansas*
-Auburn*
-Florida*
-Mississippi State (2001 in Starksville, MS, 41-38 Cougars, series tied 1 win each)
-Tennessee*


Sun Belt
Plays 9 conference games
With the addition of South Alabama, some teams are over-scheduled
BYU is 5-2 vs. teams currently in the Sun Belt Conference
-Arkansas State (1996 in Provo, 58-9 Cougars, only meeting)
-Florida Atlantic*
-Louisiana Lafayette*
-Middle Tennessee*
-North Texas (1980 in Provo, 41-23 Cougars, BYU leads series 2-1)

WAC
Plays 6 conference games
BYU is 76-52-5 against the WAC's 2010 alignment.
Note: With 4 WAC (Idaho, Utah State, San Jose State, New Mexico State) members on the schedule.  It is likely that there will not be another WAC opponent on the 2012 schedule.
-Louisiana Tech*
-Texas San Antonio (Still considered FCS in 2012)*

FCS
Let's all hope that Weber State is the only FCS team the Cougars have to play in 2012.


Removed from the list
Southern Mississippi--Scheduled the Cougars for 2014/15.
Houston--Scheduled for 2013/2014
Tulsa, Fresno State, Oregon, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, LSU, Nebraska, New Mexico, Indiana, Kentucky, South Florida, South Alabama and Texas State have now completed their 2012 schedule.

Rumors
-Penn State. Penn State has an opening on October 13, the day that BYU is scheduled to play Georgia Tech. BYU's remaining opening are when Penn State has conference games scheduled. The B1G 10 is not likely to move a conference game so that Penn State can travel to Provo to play BYU. Penn State would also have to drop a scheduled non-conference game against Ohio, Virginia, Navy or Temple. This is not likely to happen.
-Boise State/Florida or Alabama. The Broncos could flip the schedule with BYU (play in Provo in 2012 and Boise in 2013) to allow BYU to travel to Florida or Alabama.  But Boise does not have the flexibility in their schedule to do this.

What if BYU joins the Big 12 in 2012?

1. It depends on who else the Big 12 adds. It could be that Boise State becomes a conference game. Boise State only remains on the schedule if Boise State is also invited to the Big 12.
2. BYU could ask for a lighter conference schedule in the first season. Instead of playing 8-9 conference games, they play only 7. This will allow them to keep 5 non conference games.
3. The important to BYU games will remain on the schedule. IMHO--This means that @Utah and @Notre Dame remain on the schedule.
4. I believe that Weber State and Utah State also remain. They represent recruiting opportunities for locals and a balance to the schedule. They also appear early in the season.
5. Oregon State might remain because it is rare to play a conference game to open the season.
6. The following games are most likely to be dropped from the schedule to make way for a Big 12 schedule. @Georgia Tech, @San Jose State, @New Mexico State, Hawaii and Idaho. The unannounced game will be dropped as well. If we see Michigan suddenly add New Mexico State, for example, we will know who the unannounced game was against.

Scenario 1, If BYU just replaces TAMU

S1 Oregon State
S8 Weber State
S15 @Utah
S22 Bye
S29 @Oklahoma State
O5 Utah State
O13 @Baylor
O20 @Notre Dame
027 @Missouri
N3 Oklahoma
N10 Kansas State
N17 @Kansas
N24 Bye
D1 Texas
(Note: This is mostly the schedule that Texas A&M had. Utah State is in place of Iowa State. Notre Dame is in place of Texas Tech. Assuming that Texas will host Texas A&M the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Ergo, the Texas game is the following week.)

Scenario 2...If BYU, Boise State and TCU are added.

S1 Oregon State
S8 Weber State
S15 @Utah
S22 Bye
S29 @Oklahoma State
O5 Utah State
O13 Iowa State
O20 @Notre Dame
027 @Missouri
N3 Oklahoma
N10 Kansas State
N17 @Kansas
N24 @Boise State
D1 B12 Championship game, Arlington, TX
(only 2 inter-divisional games...Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, where most of the B12 plays 3)

My current guess:

I am not venturing a guess right now. It is bound to be wrong.

Sources:
FBSchedules.com
BYUCougars.com
College Football Data Warehouse