Looking ahead to 2011

First, some final thoughts on the New Mexico Bowl. Okay, so UTEP is not a very good team. Then again, neither was Utah State, and BYU got thumped by the Aggies. The point is, the Cougars are a completely different team than they were in early October. Bronco Mendenhall indeed captured the heart and soul of his team, and turned the defense around. Although he says he doesn’t know much about the offensive side of the ball, Mendenhall managed to get the offense operating on the same page again. If nothing else, the 52-24 whipping of the Miners is a great springboard going into the 2011 season.

Now let’s look at the ’11 schedule, the first for the Cougars as an independent. BYU opens with tough, but winnable, games at Ole Miss and Texas. Both teams finished 4-8 and obviously didn’t go bowling. Both teams finished the season by losing to their arch-rivals. The Longhorns lost defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who was recently named the new head coach at Florida, replacing Urban Meyer. I’m not saying the Cougars will win those games, but they’ve got a decent shot.

After that, BYU is at home for more than a month, with four straight games in Provo — against Utah (which will be an interesting dynamic for the rivalry, playing in September), Central Florida, Utah State and San Jose State. Then the Cougars go back on the road against Oregon State.
From Oct. 22 to Nov. 26, BYU hosts Idaho State, followed by a bye, travels to Louisiana Tech, hosts Idaho and New Mexico State, followed by another bye. The Cougars finish the season at Hawaii, which isn’t a bad place to be in early December. It will be the 10th anniversary of the Warriors’ 72-45 victory over BYU that spoiled the Cougars’ undefeated season and top 10 ranking.

With a lot of experience coming back, plus a lot of highly touted players who redshirted this year, BYU should start its first year of independence on a strong note. Call your shot now — what will be the Cougars’ record in 2011?