2004 versus 2005...
 

Now some of my favorite Crowton homers are endeavoring to convince the mindless masses that 2005 was no better than 2004. I hope this debate is put to rest for good when BYU beats Cal in the Vegas Bowl, but I don't want to wait until the blessed moment of consumation of that victory to bellow out why I feel 2005 was a better year. As mama has presently prohibited me from contact with Cougarboard, or at least I am unable to post, I hope my logic makes it their ears and they are invited to disagree.

I shall make the comparison a crude analogy. The principal reason I do such is because I can and we can all laugh about it like we are teenagers making blue darts at the Drive Inn, but there are other reasons as well. Such crude analogies are offensive to "mormon mullahs" and I feel it my duty to keep them away with my PG-13 posts. Finally, I think the analogy is pretty damn appropos at illustrating my point.

Would one rather wrestle with Pamela Anderson Lee Kid Rock Lee or Kristie Alley? This is not a sexual question, but if the intent is to pin the opponent I propose that most would rather scrape with Barb Wire. The reality is that Sister Alley is sporting an Ofa like pooper. It is more difficult to move folks whose buttcrack cleavage is visible from space. This is why BYU's OL are all immense fatasseye. The point of the analogy is that Pamela is top heavy, boy howdeeeeeeee! Last season's schedule was likewise top heavy. Save we took on that mutant from "Total Recall." After the top 3 of Utah, USC and BSU the schedule nosedived like Gary Crowton's field trip to the world's biggest little City (AKA Reno, Nevada). In my humble but highly accurate opinion (IMHBHAO) BYU only played two other decent-good teams, UNM and ND. In other words, I feel that BYU played 6 baaaaaaaad teams last season. I attribute poor coaching to three of BYU's losses, those being Stanford, UNM and UNLV.

This year BYU did not play the 3 headed "Total Recall" Pamela Anderson mutant. It did play 3 teams that are clearly better, but they were not insurmountable opponents. However, the schedule does not nosedive after TCU, BC and Notre Dame. CSU, UNM and Utah are all still formidible foes. In fact SDSU will most likely finish with a non-losing season. I feel that this year BYU only played 4 baaaaaad teams in AF, UNLV, WYO and EIU. Therefore, while this years schedule is not as sexy as the Canadian Contributions to Man Made Wonders of the World, it was more difficult to squeeze out 6 wins when wrestling with Kirstie Alley's immovable pooper in the middle.

It was not a spectacular year, but it was better than last season. Additionally, it was accomplished by a rookie staff that had some rather large talent defiencies to cover up. They had their issues and I hold them accountable for two of BYU's losses. I pin SDSU and Utah squarely on the coaches' shoulders. However, two debacles is always a better thing than 3. Certainly, I think they need to improve the team as BYU has more potential than peaking with this past season, but clearly the momentum indicates that these folks are more likely to get the program to its peak potential than Crowton was.

Three losses stick in my craw
 

TCU. We had them and then just let them back in.

SDSU. The team was not prepared. Not at all.

Utah. In the final two regulation drives, Curtis Brown disappears. That was stupid.

No horrible embarrasments this year, well maybe SDSU qualifies as one, but the coaches still have lots to learn. Problem with Crowton, one never really perceived him as having learned and grown in the job.

I don't think one can really say that this team is any better than last years team. We had a softer schedule and became bowl eligible by scheduling a I-AA team (which I personally think was the right thing to do this season). However, I liked the win streak at the end of the season and I feel like the coaches are learning from mistakes. I think the offense next year will be a glorious thing to behold. I'm certainly not asking to hire Crowton back, but to say that we were decidedly better this year is a stretch. The offense was much better but decline of the D made 2004 and 2005 similar teams in terms of W's and L's.

I think Bronco has things headed in a better direction. But I also think GC took too much blame.

I felt like that until the Utah game.
 

That was a significant step backwards. BYU was mentally unprepared for the rivalry. It was, as you said, a coaching failure, but beyond that it really made the season lose a lot of its luster. While two debaucles is better than three, the loss to your big rival for the fourth year in a row and the umpteenth time at home is a downer for the program and my main reason for arguing that 2004 and 2005 were basically equal.

I'm pretty sure that I followed your analogy - though I was, frankly, distracted, as usual, by the assets displayed under Archaea's name - and I agree that the MWC was better this year on the whole, still we needed that end of the year momentum. I think that the 2005 team is arguably better because the team showed heart and the ability to bounce back after losing. If BYU wins their Bowl Game then I will get in line and be happy with 2005. I hope that there are parallels with the 95 and 96 seasons...

Was the loss to Utah..
 

a failure on the part of BYU's coaching or was it the result of Utah's coaching and execution?

I'm biased, of course, but I tend to lean toward that it was more what Utah did than what BYU didn't do.

Re: Was the loss to Utah..
 

Of course the utes came out much stronger than BYU. I attribute that to the utes being better prepared(aka coaching). And then BYU outscored utah 31-10 in the second half. I attribute that to halftime adjustments made(coaching). And then the utes just made more plays in ot. 2 out of 3 = win for utes.

It was fairly clear to me, though, that BYU came out flat as a pancake for this game. Again. And I don't know why anymore.

This is a little off topic, but BYU was 5-6 last year, returned 17 starters, improved to 6-5.... and several regulars on that other board are campaigning for Bronconi to be MWC coach of the year.
(Note that TCU was also 5-6 last year).

Homer!

Homer!

Homer!

Homer!

Homer!

Homer!

Homer!

Homer!

So this is where you've all been hiding...
 

It's as if you've cut fourth period Cougarboard and you're here smokin' in the boys room. I hope I'm not the nerdy wannabe you make stand outside to provide warnings if Mr. Karbonowicz comes looking for you.

Perhaps no better distinction between this Board and Cougarboard has been offered than Goat's PG-13 reference. To the world, references to nipples, buttcracks and the star of Stacked are very tame, but they're a ticket to cyberhades on Cougarboard. I like both places, but it's nice to unloosen the belt a little and let one fly which one can't do in the more, shall we say, refined environs of Cougarboard.

As for 2004 vs. 2005, I believe the differences are at once great and small. There may not be a big difference between the two teams. One can muster a fair amount of statistical evidence to support either view. But I'll leave that project to the Indys of the boards. Instead, I see the two teams like shoppers nodding to each other on adjacent escalators. They're both at pretty much the same elevation, but the big difference is in their respective directions. I hope, and even believe, that the Utah result was an anomaly, and that this team is heading the right direction. I did not have that feeling last year.

Unlike 2004, I thought this year's edition got better, not worse, as the year progressed. But that's only my tenative ruling. I shall render my final verdict at around 9 PM PST on December 22.

Gotta run. Mr. Karbonowicz is coming.

I think that's a great analogy. I'd be more concerned about the Utah game if we hadn't come back so strongly in the second half. It was a great game between two rivals. Once you get to overtime, I think it's a coin flip determining who wins. Yeah, Beck made a few mistakes, and maybe they should used CB more in the overtime, but overall, I'm very pleased with their progress as a team.

And I may be alone in this, but I think Bronco's going to show his true head coach ability in how he manages the offseason recruiting this year.

Well it is great to see Goatnapper brought his buddy PAC along with him. Now if I can just convince PAC to join Goatnapper when I make him a Ute fan.

Also I'm hoping this shameless sucking up gets me another ping-pong ball in the PAC Princess lottery.