At the end of last year, after the Memphis brawl and struggling through another Taysom-less season I wanted Bronco gone. I bought into the Whitt-to-BYU and the Bronco-to-Oregon State rumors that were flying around. I was ready for a fresh start. I've backed Bronco when others were on the bandwagon to fire him, but that was done. I wanted him to go.

Now, after some time has passed and we're looking down the pipe of the 2015 season (and I have these firmly in place), I'm starting to think that this might really be a special season.  Here are my reasons:

• Taysom is healthy and a Sr.
• Jamaal is healthy
• The guys above know the offense as well as anyone
• The line should be as good as it's been in years
• The schedule shapes up nicely for us
  • Neb/Michigan are installing new regimes (ask Texas how quickly that happens)
  • UCLA/BSU starting new QBs and we get them early (and BSU at home)
  • Mizzou game is scary though
• Bronco is taking back the D

For me, that last point is all that I need to know about the D.  Seems like every year we either have a good O or a good D, but hardly every get them both.  Last year looked like it was going to be good until THIS derailed us.  But as we know from the very game after he let Jaime Hill go, that a Bronco run D is an excellent D.  Bronco got some egg on his face and I'm sure felt bad for his boy Howell, so I think Bronco keeps the play calling all year and the D is solid.  

Taysom will have a huge, injury-free season (knock on wood) and I expect Mathews to have a huge year with Kurtz exploding onto the scene.  We're going to surprise people by starting the season 4-0, not just because we're catching our opponents breaking in new coaches/QB's, but because we're a legitimately solid team that can score points and make stops.  By the time we're in KC in November we're going to be 9-0 with a QB getting Jimmer-like coverage.  

By the end of the year, when the usual coaching carousel hits, Bronco is going to be popular name out there and is going to end up bolting (my guess: Purdue, Miami, or Virginia).  Then, after Sitake or Anae take over, and we miss our first bowl game in forever, we're going to miss the days of Bronco.

If BYU finishes with 8 or less wins, given the fact that he has an elite Sr. QB and with what happened last season (not to mention the Riley years), I think he should move on.  If he finishes with 10 or more wins there is a chance at the NY6 game (I'm not ruling out a CFP birth if we're undefeated, given the big names we'll have beaten), and my guess is that he'll be offered another P5 coaching opportunity, and take it.

I guess for the Bronco haters out there, just hope we don't finish with 9 wins.  That's the magic number for me.  If we finish with 9 that's high enough that he's safe at BYU and not high enough for a quality program to come after him.  And honestly, that's probably where we'll end up because it's Bronco.