At what time does the negativity surrounding the program begin to be a self-fulfilling prophecy?

BYU's problems got exponentially worse (and, I think that many would agree, led to BYU players [individually or as a team] giving up before the game ended) after the meltdown post-Nevada.

While three losses didn't help recruiting, I don't think they were nearly as damaging as Jake Kuresa's comments about how BYU's recruiting was doomed (and the endless discussion by the media on that point that followed).

I'm not saying that there aren't major problems right now, but at what point does the negativity do significantly more harm than good? At what point is it more prudent to rally around the team to try to salvage what can be salvaged, and deal with the negative aspects (e.g., coaching, schemes, recruiting) during the off season when the spot light isn't on the program?