How does BYU football salvage this season?

After three games and just 33 total points, many BYU football fans are souring on the season. But all is not lost yet.

I know that many BYU football fans have begun to lose faith in their Cougars. Some feel that the season is already a failure.

After another painful loss to the Utes, many claim there is nothing left to play for. As dismal as it may seem, this season still has a chance to be a good or even great one for BYU football.

Here’s how it happens:

The Great Season

As crazy as this may sound, there is still an opportunity for BYU football to have, at least in my opinion, a “great season.”

To have a great season, you obviously have to win. But that alone is not enough. A team needs marquee wins. Those are wins over upper class “Power 5” or ranked “Group of Five” teams.

Yes, the Cougars have lost two marquee games this season. Luckily, they have three remaining against Wisconsin, Mississippi St. and Boise St. With the possible bowl game, there could be a fourth.

If BYU football were to run the table and finish the regular season at 11-2, this would clearly be a great season. If fact, it might be one of the greatest seasons in its history, and would surely garner a New Year’s Six bid.

Let’s say the Cougars are only able to go 10-3 in the regular season, and then get an eleventh win in a bowl game. It is very likely they finish in the Rankings with such a record. Hard to argue that this result would fall in this category as well.

Is it a long shot? Sure. But is it possible for BYU football? Absolutely.

The Good Season

I consider seasons with a lot of wins, but not enough marquee wins to land you in the end of year rankings, to be “good”. This happens if the Cougars go 10-3 but then lose in the bowl game.

Another scenario that falls into this category, would be a 9-4 regular season. Regardless of the bowl result, nine wins is good.

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An 8-5 season, could be a “good season” with a win in an unlikely marquee match up in a bowl game. But with just eight wins, the odds of getting a top-level bowl opponent is slim to none.

The Mediocre to Bad Season

Anything less than an 8-5 record with a marquee win in a bowl, finds itself here. If the season gets to this point, it becomes nothing more than what the Poinsettia Bowl became after we found out the Cougars were playing Wyoming: practice for next year.

Irrelevant and completely forgettable, this is what every BYU football team and fan wants to avoid. As bad as things have gone, it’s important to remember, we’re not there yet.

I know that many are clamoring that because Tanner Mangum will probably miss the three big games left on the schedule, BYU doesn’t stand a chance.

Though that could be true, let’s not forget that Mangum himself was a replacement quarterback. That team was just one win over Utah away from having a “great season.”

In fact, both Ty Detmer and Jim McManhon were back-ups when they started their college football careers.

It is unlikely, but not impossible that Beau Hoge, or even Koy Detmer may have some magic that nobody knows about. They certainly won’t have the expectations or pressure that had fallen on Mangum’s shoulders.

So Cougar fans, before you go throwing away the towel on another football season, let’s see what BYU football can do with what’s left on the schedule.