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BYU Football: Is 2019 the toughest schedule ever?

By Adam Gibby

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 24: Mitch Harris #98 of the Brigham Young Cougars and teammates celebrate a fumble recovery against the Utah Utes in the first half of a game at Rice-Eccles Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 24: Mitch Harris #98 of the Brigham Young Cougars and teammates celebrate a fumble recovery against the Utah Utes in the first half of a game at Rice-Eccles Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 24: Quarterback JT Daniels #18 of the USC Trojans throws a pass against Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 24: Quarterback JT Daniels #18 of the USC Trojans throws a pass against Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

Overhyped teams

USC has not been really good since Pete Carroll. Sure they went to a Rose Bowl in 2016, but they are always overhyped. In the last nine seasons, they have a combined record of 78-40 which is decent but not great. Also, you have to consider that they are coming off of a 5-7 season and are dealing with a new coaching staff. This team has the potential to be really good, but I think BYU is in a good spot with them. The Trojans will have only played two games with the new system when they come into Provo.

Tennessee is another team that is being overhyped way too much. They are in the SEC and they are definitely going to be a good opponent for BYU, but if BYU loses to the Volunteers, I do not believe that it will be because Tennessee is a great Top 15 program in the nation. Tennessee is coming off of a 5-7 season as well that saw them lose six of their last eight games. Jarrett Guarantano will likely be the starter again, and he’s shown what he can do, be a decent quarterback but nothing great.

San Diego State and Toledo are both games that fans are circling as trap games, or games against teams that are actually not as good as they appear to be. In reality San Diego State is viewed that way because of the old rivalry between the two teams and Toledo is traced back to the shootout in 2016.  SDSU isn’t a bad team, but they aren’t very good on offense, averaging only 20 points per game in 2018. They return essentially the same offense, so don’t expect that team do be above 24 points on average.

Toledo is remembered for scoring 53 points in Lavell Edwards Stadium back in 2017 but this year’s Toledo team is not 2016’s. Mitchell Guadagni is the expected starter who threw 58.5% last season for just over 1,000 yards in seven games. The team is going to be decent and they can score points  averaging 38.2 points per game last season. But against defenses that ranked in the top 50 nationally, they only scored 23 PPG and went 0-4 in those games. Finally, Toledo went 7-6 last season with the 122nd ranked strength of schedule, and that doesn’t include their win over the Virginia Military Institute. This team took advantage of a weak schedule and still barely snuck into a bowl game.

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