Let's say I'm a diehard BYU fan in the 1996. BYU's '84 national championship was a while ago, but BYU just put a great team on the field that was close to putting together a perfect season.

I then discover a time machine / alternate universe machine that switches BYU/Utah's histories post-2010, and I jump into the summer of 2015. I find my BYU (where Utah is now) in the PAC-12, but struggling to make any national noise for more than a week or two a season. They're in control of their destiny for the playoffs, but outside a #22 ranking in 2014, they haven't ended in the Top 25 rankings since a #19 (Utah) /#20 (BYU) finish in 2009.

Do I go back to 1996 thinking all my dreams are going to be fulfilled if I just stick it out for another 20 years? Is this the dream of the 80's/90's fan?

I'm not questioning whether BYU fans WANTED to be in the PAC back then -- I did too. I'm wondering if that was the ONLY thing they wanted.