since spring practice, the MWC is very good this season. It's no surprise that BYU, Utah and TCU are doing well, but even teams like Air Force and UNLV are creating waves.

Oregon State's upset of USC adds even more significance to Utah's game with the Beavers in Salt Lake City. Things are starting to fall into place and this is shaping up to be an historic year for the MWC.

The TCU/BYU game COULD have huge BCS implications. If TCU loses Saturday, it's not as intriguing. And as is written about BYU, Utah and TCU control their own destiny as well. The same cannot be said for the WAC teams at this point.

Is Oregon State's upset of USC good or bad for the Cougars?

On the one hand, BYU might pass USC in the rankings.

On the other hand, BYU might not. Also, the upset adds parity to the Pac-10, which is bad for any non-BCS team trying to qualify for a BCS bowl. The Pac-10 is now more likely to have someone other than USC be the conference champ, which would mean the Pac-10 gobbling up an at-large berth.

But on the first hand, USC still plays all the teams that are undefeated in Pac-10 conference play. If USC wins out, they will be the Pac-10 champ, maybe leaving an extra at-large BCS berth if USC is not in the BCS championship game itself. So at this point, I think the best thing is for USC--and of course BYU--to win out, and just hope that BYU stays ranked ahead of USC, assuming they even get ahead of USC.

What do you think?

I'm seriously cheering for Utah and TCU to have big wins in the next week.

If Utah can beat OSU and TCU takes OU it will set the MWC up pretty good.

What a great day......but will have to endure the up surge of my Ohio State friends who obviously will think that fate is again on their side. Will have to intensify the Minnisota support among the Michigan loyals. All in all I don't even mind rooting for Utah and TCU or any of the rest of Byu's remaining opponents. This is a great time for the Moutain West. Hope Utah comes out holding a few beaver pelts next week....go Mountain......and TCU have a great weekend....hope to see you on top in the sunday papers.

Doin the "Walk of the Cougar" in Bowling Green Ohio

I didn't think TCU had a chance against OU.

Utah's schedule just got stronger thanks to OSU's win over #1 USC. Utah can help its case by remaining unbeaten the rest of the season.

Go UTES!!!

To: The Upset good or bad: First, BYU will not pass USC in the polls. What planet do you live on? The worse thing that could have happened to BYU was having USC lose a game. Now your hopes for a BCS bid is a long shot. By them losing shows how bad the PAC 10 is and your victory over lowly UCLA and Washington doesn't mean much on the National level. Have fun at the Las Vegs Bowl. The upside is the gas will be cheap to get there. Sin City here we come!!!

Don't ever think for a moment that BYU has any chance of playing for a National Championship under the BCS system. Never happen. So come out of your caves and face some reality.

The MWC has great position for the season. Great on all of the teams! Just remember that all of these no-loss teams are just one game away from extinction of playing in a BSC bowl. Only one team has the possibility to emerge as a no-loss team.

No one should need counseling WHEN a loss happens to them even though they may have played a good game. Please remember it is really just a game and frankly the highest priority is not even football, as many would argue.

To "Get Real", crawl back in your hole.

To "Upset", USC will not fall 11 places, and probably will be the first of a few one-loss teams ranked ahead of the cougars.

The scheduling deities are smiling brightly upon TCU and Utah, and both have good teams. The cougars just need to win one game at a time, and I have no doubt that they will prevail in the end. Utah is, after all, subject to "magic."

I would say after UCLA and USC losses following a bye, anyone with a bye should be a little nervous. Adds intrigue to the USU game for us, doesn't it?

How does a #1 ranked team lose to an unranked team?! I believe that different teams can match up extremely well against other teams no matter what the rank but c'mon. The poll system is busted.

Wow, how all the realists out there have changed their tunes. What planet do you live on. This is how changes get made.

Ute bias aside, BYU created the BCS, Utah did not bust the BCS, they broke in and sold out to play a weak team, once again, just happy to be in a mediocre situation.

Before, USC was the only team that could win in the PAC-10.

The MWC is 5-0 against the PAC 10, and now they are in their own dogfight.

BYU is 2-0 against the PAC-10. This is the type of year that the BCS was hoping wouldn't happen, when all BCS conferences were weak, and can be beaten on a given day.

This is the year when a non-BCS team does not have to be content in a BCS Bowl, but can demand a better team than a weak Pitt (title-game).

BYU, Utah, are the two teams really poised to bust the BCS, not bust in, but bust it up.

Play every game as it means something, men.

IT DOES!!!

This is the year that the BCS is exposed, the emperor has no clothes, and changes will need to be made.

BUST-UP THE BCS!!!

I guess utah wins out on the SOS debate. Look for us to pass up byu in the ranking after we win against Oregon State next week.

My deeper feelings are in the quality of recruits that will notice the MWC and discover the strength of the conference. If TCU and Utah win, it will be because of their defenses and forced turnovers. To run the table would be so sweet . However, TCU and Utah both have their work cut out for the.

Go for it all out boys , we're cheering for you !

How in the world could SoCal losing ever hurt BYU? If BYU wins out, they will be the top ranked non-BCS team in the land, and easily in the top 12 (probably No. 5 or higher) of the BCS rankings, guaranteeing them a BCS birth. Why is it that some people have absolutely no clue how the BCS works? If BYU wins out, there are no if's, and's, or but's, BYU will be guaranteed a BCS bowl.

SoCal losing does absolutely nothing to hurt BYU in any way, and can only help BYU and Bronco's four year's ago stated goal of one day bringing a national title back to the BYU campus. It's still an extremely long shot goal at this point, but with every SoCal, Oklahoma, and SEC loss, that long shot inches closer to just maybe becoming a reality.

Let the Trojans lose, people! It's a good thing.

UCLA beats Fresno State to make our win seem a little better and then hope Fresno State beats BSU. And obviously hope TCU and Utah are undefeated going into the BYU games. I too doubt USC will drop below us but we likely will jump Alabama and into the top 10 when they lose to Georgia. Having a 1-loss USC ahead of us does not hurt us in anyway. As long as we are undefeated and in the top 12 we are in. And we will be in the top 12 if we go undefeated. I am dissapointed in the USC loss because I was rooting for an undefeated USC, SEC and Big Ten champion meaning one would have to be left out of the NC. I love to see the big boys fight among themselves about how unfair their system is not only to the little guys but to one of their own BCS undefeated teams as well. The prospect of some kind of a playoff is much stronger when they feel cheated rather than when the non-BCS teams feel cheated.

To: YGrad/YMom: So I should go crawl in a hole but yet you agree with me. Such an intelligent man. I see you Cougar fans are still in LALA land. You are not going to a BCS game. By USC losing makes matters even worse for you. Everyone on a national level will give no merit to your PAC 10 victories. That's just how the ball rolls. Now I am not too sure you will even be in Vegas. TCU and Utah will stop that trip.

What a great season this is shaping up to be for our conference. Our teams have it completely in their control which one gets a BCS game. If TCU has a good showing but still loses to OU they might lose that chance. But what says they don't have a shot at winning? BYU has the better chance, based on the polls, of hitting the championship game, but that requires help along the way (like at most one undefeated team from BCS conferences). Utah might have a shot at it too. The handicap non-BCS conferences have is that they usually don't start high enough in the polls to move up that high. BYU happened to this year, otherwise they'd be up where Utah is in the rankings. But then all of this is moot until the first BCS poll comes out at week 6.

All in all it's a great year for non-BCS conferences. It shows that it's not just one team that gets hot, Utah,BoiseState,Hawaii, but that there are a lot of schools that can play with most schools. I hope that all of these schools don't let nerves get them when they play the 'big' programs.

To 6:59

A little boning up the BCS rules regarding inclusion of schools from non-automatic qualifying conferences, such as the MWC, into BCS bowls would help you to understand and comment more intelligently on BYU's situation.

USC did nothing to harm BYU's chances of playing in a BCS Bowl game last night. USC did not hurt BYU. USC cannot hurt BYU. The only thing USC did last night was take themself out of the national championship game. If they turn things around, they will play in the Rose Bowl at 2:30 pm on New Years Day. They will not be playing for a national championship. Any one of a number of 1 loss SEC or Big 12 teams will go before USC. USC plays in a very weak conference and cannot regain their No. 1 spot this season.

USC actually helped BYU by beating OSU. How? When Utah drills OSU next week it will help their SOS more, thus helping the SOS of every team Utah plays, including BYU.

BYU controls it's own destiny, as far as playing in a BCS Bowl game this year, as does Utah and TCU.

The BCS is now exposed for the farce that it is. The supposed 'elite' conferences are nothing of the sort, unless you change that to 'elitist'. When the big boys become little boys who still won't share their ball on the playground, the truth behind the system is exposed once again. It has never been about the 'National Championship'. It's all about the money. We've always known it, it's just sad to see the crybabies hold their ball tighter every year.

Bust the trust and break up the BCS.

Dude, you have no idea what you are talking about. All BCS conferences are week? How many teams does the SEC have in the top 10? And the Big 12 is pretty good this year too. the Mountain West is the 3rd best conference this year ahead of Pac ten, ACC, and Big East. Utah sold out to play a weak team in the BCS, dude, you know anything about the BCS? Utah didnt choose who they played in the BCS. Go back to playing Dungeons and Dragons, you have no clue when it comes to football.

I seriously doubt BYU will ever be higher than USC. USC looked terrible last night, and they lost to a mediocre team, but they looked impressive in their previous two games, so I doubt they fall out of the top 10, especially if another top 10 team loses this weekend.

An undefeated BYU will never be better than a one loss USC team, even if that loss was against a crappy team.

The BCS system is one of the poorest excuses for a system in sports. It has never worked and will never work. Follow the $$$. Greed and power are far more important than the sport is or the fans are. Every year, the tweak it just a tad, and America chooses to let them frolick in their mud. The BCS chiefs managed to marginalize Utah's appearance by giving them a mediocre opponent because they couldn't stand America knowing first hand what jokers and bozos are running the system. But, contrary to what they think, America sees them for what they truly are. But they are laughing all the way to the bank. $$$ and greed is what they are about - just like Michael Moore and Bill Maher and Howard Stern.

Don't count on BYU getting past USC yet, especially BYU is not even playing this week. And seriously, their opponents up to now are not that strong.
Get your feet back to the ground now...

1. If TCU beats Oklahoma, they jump up in the rankings - human and computer - big time.

2. If Utah beats Oregon State, their computer stay high, especially now that OSU beat USC.

3. MWC teams' strength of schedule stays high given what has happened so far this season and #1 and #2 above, but one of BYU, TCU and Utah needs to go unbeaten or its Las Vegas Bowl for the team at the top of the conference.

4. Even if all the above are true, there is no way that a MWC plays for the BCS title. A one-loss SEC or Big-12 team will not drop below an undefeated MWC team in the human or computer polls, and I expect that the Big Ten champion has a good chance to go undefeated.

BCS! BCS! BCS! Why can't you folk's get off this issue of BCS and concintrate on the real problem. What is it? THE NATIONAL MEDIA! These media people are fed information twenty four hours a day that is "silver tounged" against Those conferances that have no advertizing strenght! So, believe or not, money, money, money is and will continue to do the talking. The good news? At the present growth rate in Utah, We'll qualify by the year 2040. Cant't wait!

I'm jealous of Utah getting the opportunity to play OSU right after they took down the #1 team.

I just hope TCU can get the job done tomorrow. Okay, I can always wish right?

Actually, I expect USC to fall pretty far. Look how far Ohio State fell after losing to the number 1 team on the road. USC just lost, and were dominated, by an O-2 team that lost to Stanford and got killed by Penn State. I actually think that USC could fall to 12 or 13, maybe 15. That is a really bad loss.

As for it helping or hurting, I always feel that it is better for teams ranked higher than you to lose. USC won't fall behind the Utes, but if they lose again, and Utah stays undefeated, they sure will.

I am hoping, and this is a longshot, for multiple teams to bust the BCS. with how weak the ACC, Big East, and Pac-10 are, it is possible that 1 or both conferences won't have teams in the top 16, while there could be multiple non-bcs teams in the top 16, opening the door for some interesting problems for the BCS bowls.

At this point, it doesn't really matter what other teams do. Utah, BYU, and TCU are all set up in the position to control their own destiny...if any of them win out they'd be in the BCS. That simple. If this was '04, they'd all need help. Automatic qualifiers had to finish in the top 6...now it's top 12. Every single one of them would be there if they were to win out.

I'm a Cougar fan, but when I saw that Utah was going to play Oregon State I was like "Dang! This could be huge for the conference." It would be so great if the Utes spanked 'em.

Don't be surprised if BYU actually does jump USC. BYU jumped a previously #2 Ohio State when they lost to USC and I would argue a loss by USC to an unranked OSU looks a lot worse than Ohio State losing to USC. Also, I think coaches and the media have some USC fatigue. In the same way the Ohio State fatigue lead to the Ohio State drop the USC fatigue may do the same for USC. Voters are in love with the SEC and Big Ten right now and USC just gave them the excuse they needed to knock them down several pegs. Actually, don't be surprised to see BYU jump up to #9 ahead of USC and Alabama after they lose to Georgia. Not a bad week to jump to #9 by sitting at home and just watching tv during a bye week.

I am worried for Utah. They have not played well in the 2 games against Michigan, and Air Force. If they are as good as people are saying, they should have blown out Michigan and Air Force. Utah since 04 seems to always have a let down game. Oregon State will be tough, but I think they lose in a close one Oregon State 21 Utah 20

BYU will actually fall in the polls the next two weeks. Doesn't history teach you guys anything?

No one who votes cares about any team in the West besides USC. With them losing, BYU loses. Get your head out of the cloud. Watch when the polls come out, USC will be 5 places ahead of BYU next week. Possibly more!!

at all the clueless posts.

USC's loss does NOTHING to hurt BYU/Utah/TCU. In fact, it helps immensely in giving a non-BCS team a very long shot at playing in the NC game.

The only way a non-BCS team will get into the NC game is if ALL of the BCS conference contenders have at least one loss. USC's loss is one more step in that direction.

As far as SOS, this will enhance Utah's SOS, AND the perception of the poll voters if Utah can beat Oregon State.

It's time for all the clueless SOS drum beaters to put away their drum sticks. BYU/Utah/TCU all play a round robin against each other. If one of those teams goes 2-0 against the other two, THAT team will finish way ahead in the polls. SOS won't even be a factor since the two human polls will put the winning team so far ahead of the others.

The ONLY WAY SOS could be a factor is if all three teams finish 11-1 and TIED in a 3-way tie for the conference championship. That means each team runs the table except for their head-to-head matchups AND Utah beats TCU beats BYU beats Utah.

Some of you are very funny. Oh no, USC lost and now it will be bad for BYU, or some nonsense like that. USC LOST to a 1-2, now 2-2 Oregon State team. OSU isn't that incredible, but they beat #1.

If Utah (go Utes, even though I'm a Cougar fan) can beat OSU, then that will look great for them, and they will jump in the rankings, possibly ahead of BYU. (Maybe)

If TCU beats Oklahoma this Saturday (which they did in 2005 also), TCU will jump in the rankings, possibly ahead of BYU. (Maybe)

#3 and #8 play this week so one of them will drop down. Realisitically, BYU could move up to #8 or 9, unless someone jumps over them. USC may fall as low as #10 with this loss.

Finally then, if Utah and TCU both continue to win, but BYU beats both of them, then BYU has a legitimate outside shot of playing in the big game. No matter what, whether it is TCU, Utah, or BYU, they MUST win out to even have a chance. As long as the MWC keeps winning, we all have a chance.

Did Hawaii get into the NC game last year even though everyone else had lost? Talk about a clueless post!!! Get real, your chances are ZERO

Sorry, BYU! It's not all about you. Besides, now if Utah can beat Oregon State, they should jump ahead of you in the BCS rankings. Using BYU fan logic, that would mean Utah should be ranked #1 in the Nation, because they beat a team that beat the #1 team. Your "big win" came against UCLA. We all see what a powerhouse UCLA has become, so it looks like that blowout was not so impressive afterall.

re: BYU may jump USC and Alabama. come on guys, BYU will not jump either of those teams. I will admit i am a die hard Ute fan and BYU hater but i am saying this out of sheer knowledge of college football all feelings aside. Ohio state dropped far because they have not looked good in any of their games after beanie went down. USC has been handling opponets with ease, they will drop no further than 7th. as for 'Bama, BYU will not pass them either surley not coming off a bye week, their best hope is to stay idle and have georgia fall behind them as they will loose to nick saban and company. georgia is overrated and is being exposed for that. lets just have the mountain west win out. It seems that this is a discussion board for dreams so here is mine, TCU wins at OK, BYU wins at TCU, TCU loses to Utah, Utah beats BYU, Utah wins their second BCS game and the mountain west becomes the 7th BCS confrence, or Utah gets Invited to play in the PAC 10

GO UTES

Here is hoping that a MWC team goes undefeated (BYU hopfully). I also hope that Boise State goes undefeated. Too bad ECU lost. I doubt that Wisconsin or Penn State will go undefeated this year, and I am fairly sure that none of the SEC teams will go undefeated. In the Big 12, it is possible that OU will win out, but possibly not. What that means is that there will be at least two non-BCS undefeated teams, with a fairly good SOS ranking.

As I understand it, the BCS will consider any non-BCS team ranked 12th or higher and has to take them if they are ranked 6th or higher. Assuming that this is only four one loss teams from the SEC, Big 12, and PAC 10, there is a real chance that if BSU and the MWC champions are undefeated, they will be ranked in the top 8 maybe even in the top 6. If the BCS bowls don't take them both, Congress needs to bust the BCS's monopoloy.

An interesting very slight possibility is if the PAC 10, BIG 10, SEC, and BIG 12 schools all have 2 losses, could we have a MWC/WAC National Champtionship?

To: BYU May Jump USC and Alabama,

Give me a break! First, you should know that Alabama losing to Georgia would not cause them to drop behind BYU. Georgia is a POWERHOUSE team and there is no shame in losing to them. Besides, your so called voters have always been in love with USC also, so they won't fall that much. Besides, USC, Georgia, and Alabama all play extremely tough schedules, something BYU does not have on their side. None of the MWC teams can come close to matching the SEC schedules.

I hate to tell you this, but your facts are wrong. Ohio State was ranked #5. By that alone I didn't even finish reading your comment. BYU more that likely will NOT jump USC. It's possible, but not probable.

How is BYU going to jump ahead of all these teams on a bye week? Is there any sense of reality with BYU fans? In fact, based on the strength of their schedule, BYU will not be climbing much higher than they already. Compare BYU's schedule with the teams ahead of them and you will see reality.

Looks like the game with Oregon State next week just took on added significance - provided Utah gets past Weber State. That's not anything to take for granted.

Oregon State gets a whole week off. Utah has only five days off. That fact alone could negate home field advantage.

Go Utes!

Re: The Odds

BYU will NOT get into the "big game." At most they are playing for one of the other BCS bowl games, and even that is going to depend on a lot of other teams and factors. Just ask Utah and Hawaii if this will happen. BYU has NO chance, case, nor resume, to play for the National Championship. 1984 was an entirely different system. If BYU fans don't figure this out now, there is going to be a lot of dissapointed people down the road. Face the facts: An at-large BCS bid team will not play for the Championship.

Did you see how the little back from OSU embarrassed USC tacklers last night?

Here's betting he won't do the same to Utah.

if ohio st loses and drops 10 and USC loses and doesn't drop ten and Or St moves up and Alabama moves down and OK moves down and tcu moves up and utah beat everybody and byu beats everybody and tcu keeps winning and SOS does this and voters do this, and computers see this, and also if computers see that BYU scored in the 2nd quarter while USc didn't then that will help them, and since UT beat Ut st. there SOs moves here and because UCLA is not unbeatable that means that OSU who will lose to UClA which will move USc back to 2 and then if TCU/ut/BYU beat eachother then all of this was for not. This all makes sense people think about it! Honestly nobody can really say what a USC loss means or what the BCS will do because nobody understands it in the first place, not even the dudes that claim to run the system.
get over it and keep winning Cougs!

You are right. BYU is off and then plays a weak USU team, and then a weak New Mexico team. Utah may jump ahead after beating OSU, so it won't be until TCU that we can improve our standing signficantly.

There are some crazy deluded people on these boards.

USC is dropping out of the top 10, that means they will be behind BYU.

A BCS Championship game bid is possible for a MWC team but not likely, that being said they are the only non-BCS conference that has ever even had a remote chance so I would call that progress. If TCU knocks of Oklahoma then their chances get better, alot better.

Here's my dream scenario