Heres the problem with yours and every other BYU fans thinking on this matter...

You guys are stuck in the same mentality Utah and TCU fans had five years ago... the mentality that led us (and some experts) to believe we would step into the Pac 12 and begin competing for the South in year one. That was predicated on the fact that we performed well against P5s the one or two times per year we played them, so...

Well, we were wrong. We were VERY wrong. And looking back, its absurd to think we ever were that naieve.

Beating 2 or 3 or even 4 low and mid level P5s a year DOES NOT equate playing a full P5 schedule. Not even close. That is a ruuuude wake up call you get at the P5 level. BYU has never played anything close to a full P5 schedule.

It was painfully obvious in year one that Utah was waaay behind most Pac 12 teams in talent and depth and even coaching. That became clear in the first quarter of the first conference game of our first year. Painfully clear. BYU doesnt have anything close to P5 talent and depth on the roster right now. I vividly remember each and every conference game in year one for us, and how most of the time we didnt look like we even belonged on the same field as the other teams. We lost to Colorado for petes sake. That says it all.

Playing on the P5 is just a different level. A different and much tougher beast. It took Utah three seasons before they finally started to catch up a little in these areas.

BYU lacks every one of these elements at the current time. In fact, BYU has struggled against schedules in recent years that are way below P5 grade. So on what possible logic are you basing your belief that BYU would step into the Big XII and suddenly perform at a level higher than any they have achieved in decades? Thats an absurd expectation. And youre setting yourselves up for major disappointment if you really believe that.

BYU would eventually catch up and develop into a P5 team that can compete in the Big XII, as Utah and TCU have. But BYU isnt remotely close to that team right now. If you get your Big XII invite, you will struggle for a few years before you can start to consistently win in that conference.

In a few years, relegation might be kind to BYU. But right now, you probably arent good enough to dethrone many P5s if you played comparable schedules as the teams you think youd replace.