Utah will have access to the highest levels of college football postseason competition. BYU won't. We'll see how the BCS restructures, but in the matter of less than five years BYU will go from "be a top 12 conf champion and your in a BCS bowl" to everyone hoping beyond hope that the Holiday Bowl shows some interest. If the BCS restructures and closes access given all the teams that have moved up to AQ leagues, BYU still hasn't gotten the same upgrade in perception that Utah and now TCU have received. Recruiting will suffer, on-field success will wane, and fan interest/support will evaporate. I was all for independence when it happened because I saw it ONLY as a gateway into the Big 12. I never saw it as a viable, long-term solution. Indy status gave BYU the opportunity to show what it is truly worth to entice the Big 12. Unfortunately, BYU's brass looked beyond the mark.
Do I believe Tom Holmoe is doing and has done all he can? Absolutely! Unfortunately, Tom's status as a power broker in college football is nil. He will do all he can, but he has zero influence outside of BYU. No one is going to change course because of what Tom/BYU wants. The death of the Holy War is the ultimate example. Tom and his staff will work themselves to the extreme to do what they can for BYU, but with next to no leverage outside of Provo, they're trying to traverse massive waves in a leaky rowboat. Even I gratuitously overestimated the benefit to scheduling that ESPN would be.
Southern Miss, Central Florida, East Carolina, Houston, WAZZOU, etc. are the only teams scheduled home and home thus far. Georgia Tech goes from a feather in the cap to a kick in the pants. One and done with Nebraska and Ol' Miss and WV. 2 for 1 with ND and Texas. Believe me, I want to get proud over long-term independence, but where are the reasons? Where is the basis? It simply hasn't been shown yet. I'm sure other scheduling deals have been made, but the timing of announcement has been PAINFULLY drawn out and it wears on a fan base reaching for anything to hang its hat on. But alas, this is BYU, and I'm probably straying too far into phariseeland. I better just sit down and be quiet.
