Let alone beat out the AAC champ or the occasional ranked G5 champ like Appalachian State, Western Michigan or Marshall? If we ever deserve an NY6 bowl game, we will be selected as an at large.

And, we appear to get our fair share of regional rivals as an independent, with annual matchups with Utah, Utah State, and Boise State and annual games against multiple other regional teams from the PAC and MWC:

• 2018 - Arizona, Cal, Washington, and Hawaii 
• 2019 - USC, Washington and SDSU
• 2020 - Arizona State, Stanford, and San Diego State
• 2021 - Arizona, ASU, USC, Washington State
• 2022 - Oregon, Wyoming, Stanford

The only MWC advantage that we don't get as an independent is the conference championship race.