into next year, if that's what ends up happening.

Bottom line is this team deserves better than the Independence Bowl (really a fitting name, all things considered), but CFB is rarely about fairness.

Independence for BYU has always been about making the best of a crappy situation.

BYU just needs to win the game, finish the best year of BYU's independence and Kalani's tenure, and take that momentum into next year so that we don't end up in another crappy bowl, if possible. Then it can continue with that momentum into the Big 12 and be very grateful for the advantages many P5 teams take for granted.