It's the fact that BYU is Mormon. Why can't people figure that out?

Same reason why Mitt didn't stand a chance. He was immensely qualified but before he even started a full 37% of Americans said they wouldn't vote for a Mormon. Not that they wouldn't vote for Mitt, or for a particular party, but that they wouldn't vote for a Mormon. Why would a Mormon football team expect anything different? Because sports fans are known for their reputation for open-minded support of the best option on the field, whoever that might be, each Saturday afternoon?