When Dorothy clicked her heels three times, repeating the phrase, "there's no place like home", BYU's offense must've related to that on a spiritual level. After all, just one half of football in Cincinnati truly drove home the point that this Bear Bachmeier-led offense simply hasn't been the same when not on their home field and under the cheers of their own fan majority.
Just one week ago, the Cougars scored on their first seven offensive possessions against TCU in the shadows of the Wasatch Mountains -- a tremendous rebound considering the 7-point puddling effort they managed against Texas Tech. In a Lubbock-set battle, the Cougars couldn't fnid the rhythm.
It seems every time Kalani Sitake's side takes the field in hostile territory, the offensive engine runs into trouble. Against Arizona, a rain delay ironically put the Cougars into a drought putting points on the board until a fourth quarter explosion kept the game within reach.
In Boulder, Colorado, BYU managed just 24 points in a come-from-behind effort that -- given the benefit of hindsight -- should have been a much more comfortable victory opposite a now withering Buffalo side.
In Ames, Iowa, BYU quickly fell behind, but found their offensive rhythm later in the matchup -- that victory against Matt Campbell's Cyclones did not deliver a reliable recipe for success.
Truthfully, this shouldn't be unexpected. Bear Bachmeier, as talented as he's proven himself, remains a true freshman still learning how to manage crowd noise. BYU's entire philosophy is built around complementary football: letting the defense hold the line while the offense fills in the gaps. On the road, BYU's defense has remained stout. Yes, even when Texas Tech piled on 29 points, the Cougar resistance held the Red Raiders to six possessions of four or fewer plays.
Against Cincinnati, the defense has likewise held their end of the deal now halfway through the third quarter. Though Cincy's special teams failures certainly indicate the Cougars could be climbing against a stronger kicker, the Bearcats remain at just 7 points, making BYU's 17 points feel much more comfortable than it may deserve to be.
Three missed field goals from the Bearcats notwithstanding, the Cougars' 10-point margin doesn't feel safe in the slightest.
Kalani Sitake believes in winning football games. The score is irrelevant. The margin of victory simply does not matter. What matters is which team walks away with a W on the schedule, and the Cougars have certainly done that this season, fighting for their 10th victory today in Cincinnati.
All the same, this year's BYU football team is fighting for a playoff berth, and they stand on the outside looking in. The only guaranteed avenue to the final bracket is a win over Texas Tech (shudder) in the Big 12 championship, and that is a team that won't find itself trailing if BYU's offense can't dictate the pace of the game.