Perhaps it just wasn't in the cards for us guys. So now we have to look at other options. Big 12 was hoping it could make it work at 10 and for now it looks like they can and will go forward with 10 and no championship game. Maybe they predict that they can't do this year-in and year-out, but with those egos, I would bet good money that they have no interest in going forward with any more. The big money of CFP and a potential championship spread amongst only 10 schools certainly makes these other mega conferences look foolish. Are they living on the edge in Big 12? Yes. Do they care? Not right now they don't. As long as the money is coming in, no real concern and no real need to expand.

So we have very few options right now. Of course, "just win" is still what we need to do. Being considered a P5 school equivalent is certainly helpful as scheduling will be made a little easier, but we are entirely reliant on other conferences to make room for us -- and we are not Notre Dame. So far so good. We will see what happens going forward.

Time for an alliance with ND. We need to look at the Independent Invitational game to help ND and every once in awhile, to help us. If nothing else, to help us or ND get to a New Year's Day game where I think we/they should be in good years. This year that game would probably be against Florida St because it does not have a championship game. One last showcase for a really good team looking in from the outside. We forget that non-champions will have an extra game even if they lose, so they have an unfair advantage for positioning for the New Year's Day games. Lose of SEC, for instance, is going to have a great pedigree to get into New Years Day games. ND, BYU and/or the opponent in the invitational game probably deserve a spot, but won't have the advantage of that extra game. It should be labeled as a play in for the News Years Day games as a default and a potential play in for the CFP under unusual circumstances (a second place, one loss team from P5 conference).

Otherwise, BYU is going to have a rough ride trying to find bowl tie-ins as an independent. Do we really want to be tied into the Hawaii Bowl forever? Las Vegas Bowl is a decent tie-in, but do we really want the #5 or #6 Pac-12 team year in and year out??

If we are all in as an independent, we need to make it the best possible option available. I don't see how we do that without ND (let us help you, help us). I don't see how we do that without an additional game after the season and before the bowl game(s) to help in very good years.

So can we become the Pearl of Great Price for a conference? A team so good that a conference would bend over to pick us up off the floor?

Back to MWC? No. To AAC? Too far away. Independent? A lot of hurdles, but ND has done it. Perhaps we can to.

Sadly, MWC is not getting better. It is becoming more and more irrelevant and a 8-4 Boise St. doesn't instill a great deal of confidence in improving. CSU will improve, but to what end?

We can't go backwards, so we have no choice but to go forward. Our recruits will be better with our current scheduling. Our games will be more entertaining. Will we be relevant with three losses every year?

We need a better plan and better ideas. We need to break out of the box. If not, we are in purgatory.