against P5 opponents — road wins against Arizona (top-25 in some pre-season publications, QB on Heisman shortlists) and #6-ranked Wisconsin. Entered the UW game ranked top-25. Finished the season 7-6, meaning the team that started out with two key wins was only able to manage 5-5 from then on, with one of those wins coming against an FCS opponent.

After dropping games against Toledo and USF, this season was looking very similar, with another 7-6 finish (and 6 FBS wins) looking like the ceiling.

My comments about the 2017 season have to do with the fact that had we lost to BSU and USU, we’d be at 2-6 with a five-game losing streak, which would have been most similar to 2017 of the three prior Sitake-era seasons.

My point is this — BSU and USU games likely saved Sitake’s job, or at the very least solidified it, and that’s largely due to better-than-expected QB play in a decade where we’ve struggled at the position, whether due to injury or inconsistency.