Expectations.

As BYU fans, I think our football expectations are higher because we have experienced magical seasons before. 1984 happened once and it has to happen again... sometime. We have been close a few times but we EXPECT to someday break back into a truly magical season. But a magical season as an independent is asking the team to go undefeated. One loss and we are headed to the Miami Beach Bowl, or the Poinsettia Bowl, with no conference championship to look forward to. That is a tough expectation to meet. We also expect to beat teams like Utah State and the mighty Nevada Wolfpack. We see those games on our schedule and we expect a win. Compound all of this with Utah's success (yes we will always be tied to Utah, no matter what). They have had not one, but two magical, undefeated seasons in the last decade. Add that to our head-to-head record against them recently and you can see why Bronco is criticized.

Basketball on the other hand, has never even reached the final 4. A recent trip to the sweet 16 with the greatest player to come through BYU in the last 30 years was seen as an amazing season. The expectation for basketball is to get to the NCAA Tournament. You don't even have to be in the top 25 in order to do that. Last year was a success because we battled our way into the tournament. This year will be a success again if we make the tournament, and if we advance past the round of 64, that would be seen as a great season. In basketball, it is expected to lose a few games, and even to drop a head scratcher occasionally (lots of teams have an off night and get knocked off by a much weaker team). Add all of this to the fact that Rose has lost 1 of his last 8 games against Utah and you can see why he gets a "pass" for dropping a game to them last year.

I personally think we have two great coaches. Bronco has me questioning some of his decisions with three straight losses, but if he can salvage this season I think it will do a lot to heal some wounds.