True or False: What is Going on With BYU Football?
Emotional reactions about after BYU’s loss to West Virginia. Three straight road losses by a combined score of 116-24 will do that to a fanbase. You’ve all seen them. Whether on X, message boards, group texts, or Instagram comments sections, everyone has an opinion about the state of BYU’s football program and what needs to be done to fix it. However, it can be difficult to parcel through what is an overreaction and what is a legitimate criticism. I would like to take a stab at doing just that by way of a quick true or false quiz.
True or false: BYU is not ready to compete at a P5 level?
False to a point. Is BYU ready to compete for championships at the Power Five level. Clearly no. But can they be competitive? That depends on what you mean by competitive. From a wins and losses standpoint, the answer is yes. There are 68 Power FIve football teams this season. 43 of the 68 have at least five wins at this point in the season. If we are just looking at resumes, BYU has been the best of any of the Big 12 newcomers. They are the only new Big 12 team to hold a lead against any legacy Big 12 team with at least one second left in the fourth quarter. BYU’s losses have certainly been atrocious performances, but it’s hard to say a team with a winning record nine weeks into the year has not been a competitive football team if the goal is to win football games.
True or false: BYU has a culture issue?
True, but not for the reasons you might think. Kalani has taken a lot of heat over the last two years for his “love and learn” approach to coaching. Fans will point to pre-snap penalties and overall lack of effort as a sign that BYU was a poorly coached team, but none of us were saying that back when BYU went 21-4 over a two-year stretch. The coaching style has not changed from then to now, so what’s different? Player leadership. BYU doesn’t have it this season. Coaches can yell and scream and preach discipline until they are blue in the face, but they can’t make a player care. Once a player steps between those white lines, whether it be on a Saturday afternoon or a Tuesday afternoon, the only person that controls the players' effort is himself. At a certain point, a player, or group of players must take accountability and do what the coaches cannot do: Make a play.
Credit: BYU Photo
True or false: BYU’s does not have enough talent to make every game competitive?
True. According to 247sports, BYU has had the lowest average recruit rating of any current or future Big 12 team over the last six recruiting classes. BYU’s last three losses have come against teams who’s six-year recruiting ranking average is 6th, 31st, and 42nd in the country. BYU’s six-year average ranks 70th. BYU fans are not accustomed to thinking a lot about recruiting because BYU has consistently won at a high level no matter what level BYU was recruiting at. That mindset needs to change. Recruiting is not the only indicator of success at the college level, but it does set a floor of how competitive your program can be.
Of course, a team like BYU can reach up and beat a great recruiting program like Arkansas or USC, but that typically requires BYU to play near perfect football to even win a close game. Programs like Texas and Texas A&M can occasionally have 5-7 years, but they seldom get blown out by teams with inferior talent because the talent sets the floor. Losing three straight road games by a combined score of 116-24 is the floor when you both play poorly and have inferior talent. Coaching can only take you so far. We can all agree that Jay Hill is an excellent defensive coordinator, and BYU still allowed 336 yards rushing on Saturday. Why? Because BYU’s players played poorly and are less talented than West Virginia’s players. It’s a brutal reality check, but it will be BYU’s reality until they start recruiting at a higher level.
True or false: It’s time for Aaron Roderick to lose his job?
False. Aaron Roderick isn’t going anywhere this offseason unless he decides to leave. BYU’s offense over the last three seasons has ranked second in the country in yards per play while BYU’s last two quarterbacks have started football games in the NFL. You can’t punt on that level of production at a school with a coaching pool as limited as BYU's after one bad season. Roderick has earned enough goodwill to survive the offseason. If next year is equally bad, then we can start having that discussion, but the data so far tells us that this season is enough of an anomaly to give Roderick a one-year leash.
True or false: It’s time for an overhaul on the offensive line?
True. The difference between the BYU offense we expected this offseason and the one we got is largely on the offensive line. BYU's offensive line has given up pressures on 36% of pass blocking snaps while running backs are gaining just 1.05 yards before contact this season. Seven of BYU’s top eight run blockers this season are wide receivers according to PFF. The saddest part is this is not a talent issue. If recruiting rankings are to be believed, the offensive line is the most talented group on the team, and they have been woefully unprepared to play this season. If it is time for a change on BYU’s coaching staff, this is the first place I would look.
True or false: Hope is lost for the future of the BYU football program?
False. Back in July, most of us would have been happy with a 5-4 record nine games into the season. Of course, we all hoped that BYU would look more competitive in those four losses, but this is what growing pains look like when a program is transitioning to a Power Five conference. BYU isn’t the only newcomer that’s struggling. In fact, you can make the argument that BYU has been the best of the four, ugly losses and all. Furthermore, some of BYU’s top contributors this season like Weylin Lapuaho, LJ Martin, Siale Esera, and Harrison Taggart are all underclassmen while BYU’s 2022-2024 recruiting classes have been some of the best in program history. No, BYU is not a finished product, but they are further along than most of the country expected them to be, and that is a massive win for the future of the program.
