And the thought came to me: when in freaking Rome. Also, this is a mostly anonymous message board, and I do not give a rat's yewt that this may end up as fodder on the Craig's list page that doubles as the Yewts' fan website. So, here goes a dive head-first into the blue-goggled vortex (the swimming pool at the bottom may or may not be filled with blue Kool-Aid, but if it is, it almost certainly looks like this):

1. IF we win out and the BIG 12 continues to stumble and the Pac 12 kills its own as usual, then we will be in the CFP conversation, Zach will be in the Heisman conversation, and we will likely make an NY6 bowl. The fact that we are ranked 15 right now with the cupcakes we've played means that wins against Houston, Boise, and SDSU will vault us into the top 10. If Tom adds one more quality game, and we dominate, that could really put us in the CFP conversation.

2. IF the above happens, then I think we have a great recruiting year, a lot of guys return, and next year is set up very nicely for a good run. A lot of P5s, but a lot of them at home, and a premier away game at USC at the end of the season, and IF we were to run the table, we would likely be in the CFP, and Zach could win the Heisman. A minor but important footnote here would be ending the streak in time for a two-year hiatus.

3. Even if we do not make the CFP in either year but have a special season this or next year (double digit wins both years and beat the Yewts next year), that sets up the football program really well with the NLI rules coming out. The success in football and basketball could feed off of each other, with more big-time recruits joining BYU for exposure. A special year or two could not come at a better time.

4. The Pac 12 could continue to crumble. A lot of programs are going to take HUGE financial hits over the next couple of years, leading to decreased coaching and recruiting budgets, potentially on par or worse than what BYU does. And just the fact that BYU continued to play when the Pac 12 and the rest of the West cowered in their cry closets is going to mean something to recruits.

5. The Yewts' wax feathers are already starting to burn, and they could start plummeting back to earth. The former heir apparent to Kyle will likely forever be a DC at best. They are going to run a huge deficit this year and will take a few years to recover financially. Kalani doing well would probably be the worst thing possible to happen to a lot of their recruiting pipelines. He is about 1,000 times more likeable than Kyle. If BYU is winning, who would you want to play for? My only hope is that we are as charitable to them as they were to us if the tables do ever turn 🙂

6. The MWC will start being more flexible with BYU because of mended relationships and their need for exposure, allowing BYU to put together more manageable but compelling schedules, with regional rivalries later in the year. We can get the best of the MWC without having to sacrifice great P5 matchups.

7. Independence shifts from just treading water to thriving, which is a much better position to be in if/when there is ever another round of realignment. Exposure, national footprint, and NLI are going to mean a lot more in the next round of realignment. And BYU has already taken steps (and could take even more) to distance itself from some of the policies/bad publicity that came up in the Big 12 debacle. Others could join BYU and ND in independence. BYU could finally join a power conference. The P5 + ND and BYU could create an entirely separate league. Lots of possibilities, so need to be as prepared as possible.

8. The above results in a run for BYU and a skid for Utah that rivals that of the 1980s and 1990s.

9. Tom Holmoe and President Worthen retire as some of the most beloved Cougs of all time. Co-ADs Mark Pope and Kalani Sitake announce the Worthen and Holmoe statues at the same time Harvey Unga is announced as head coach, with John Beck as OC, Taysom Hill as QB and special teams coach, and KVN as LB coach, along with whoever Coach Grimes (who has now replaced Andy Reid as head coach of the Chiefs) recommends as OL coach and up-and-coming non-LDS coaches with no BYU affiliation for all other positions. Oh, and Taysom's son stars at both QB and LB.

10. Jesus comes back, and there is 1,000 consecutive years of BYU beating the Yewts.

11. No pressure, 2020 team, no pressure at all 🙂