BYU Football: Is 2006 team best to ever come out of MWC?
On June 18, 2015, Fox Sports put out a poll to help determine the answer to the question of which football team is the best ever to play in the Mountain West Conference.
Nov 9, 2013; Madison, WI, USA; Brigham Young Cougars running back Adam Hine (28) during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The BYU fan base helped put the 2006 BYU Cougar football team on top by one vote and it stirred an outcry from Boise State fans who believe that their 2012 team is the best ever in the MWC.
The interesting thing to wonder about this is where is the 2008 Utah team that destroyed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl or the 2009 TCU Horned Frogs whose only loss was to Boise State in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl before Boise State became a member of the MWC? Or even the 2010 TCU Horned Frogs that defeated the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2011 Rose Bowl?
As good as the 2006 BYU football team was and as awesome and passionate as the BYU fanbase is, it is safe to say that the 2006 team isn’t the best to ever come out of the MWC. They went 11-2 (8-0) behind offensive player of the year John Beck and it included a 31-17 win at TCU.
Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Grant Hedrick (9) runs with the ball during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Is 11-2 better than 13-0? It is the same thing with the 2012 Boise State Broncos. They finished the season 11-2 (7-1). They weren’t undefeated in conference or non-conference games.
Now the poll was just between 2006 BYU and 2012 Boise State. Instead of saying the Mountain West football’s best team ever, why not say something like which team was better because these two teams were not the Mountain West football’s best two teams ever.
Dec 31, 2014; Atlanta , GA, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Trevone Boykin (2) throws the ball in the third quarter against the Mississippi Rebels in the 2014 Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
BYU finished the season ranked 20th in the final AP Poll and Boise State finished the 2012 season ranked 18th. That is saying a lot that SB Nation is asking the question if these are the two best teams ever out of the Mountain West Conference considering that in 2009 BYU finished 11-2 and 12th in the final AP Poll.
Dec 20, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Utes running back Devontae Booker (23) rushes for a touchdown against the Colorado State Rams during the first half of the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
It is an interesting question for fans to ponder but it is great to see the fan support that BYU has and will continue to have in the years to come.