The Glory Years....
1980: SDSU, LBSU, Wyo, UTEP, North Texas, CSU
1981: AFA, USU, UNLV, UNM, UU
1982: AFA, Hawaii, CSU, Wyo, SDSU
1983: Bowling Green, UNM, USU, CSU, UU
1984: Baylor, Tulsa, Wyo, UTEP, SDSU, USU
(I recall a lot of national pundits criticizing BYU's strength of schedule, but I don't recall any local fans complaining about having to watch BYU play Long Beach State or Bowling Green, or North Texas.)

Fast-forward 10 years....
1990: Miami, WSU, SDSU, CSU, UNM, USU
1991: AFA, USU, UTEP, Hawaii, Wyo, UU
1992: SDSU, UCLA, USU, Fresno St., PSU, UNM
1993: Hawaii, AFA, ND, Fresno St., UU, Utep
1994: CSU, UNM, USU, ASU, Louisiana Monroe, SDSU
(Lavell's success brought a few marquee programs into Provo in the late 80's and into the 90's, but for every "Penn State" on the home schedule BYU played 4 "UTEP's".)

Enter the MWC....
1999: CSU, UVA, CAL, AFA, UU
2000: Miss St., UNLV, USU, SDSU, Wyo, UNM
2001: Tulane, Nevada, USU, AFA, CSU, UU
2002: Syracuse, Hawaii, UNLV, SDSU, Wyo, UNM
(Who exactly was the juggernaut each of these 4 years that caused BYU fans to line up at the ticket office?)

Independence....
2011: UU, UCF, USU, SJSU, ISU, Idaho, NMSU
2012: WSU, Weber St., Hawaii, USU, OSU, Idaho
2013: Texas, UU, MTSU, Georgia Tech, BSU, ISU
2014: Houston, UVA, USU, Nevada, UNLV, Savannah St.
(Yeah...several BAD teams listed above, but I don't see teams any worse than the cupcakes BYU has ALWAYS played. And when you include UCF, Oregon St., Texas, Georgia Tech, BSU, and Houston....well, frankly I think the schedule is AT LEAST as good as it ever was in the WAC/MWC days.)


So I guess my point is this: Fans who are critical of the schedule under independence have a VERY short memory.