College football

King of the BCS Busters, BYU back in the hunt

No. 9 Cougars, owner's on nation's longest win streak, no stranger to role

Special feature

BCS Busters
Taking a look at the non-BCS teams that have the biggest chances of getting to a BCS bowl.

NBCSports.com

If BYU played in the SEC or Big 12 … that is the argument. Would the Cougars realistically be even the second-best team in the SEC, which earlier this season had five schools ranked in the Top 10? How would they fare in the Big 12, where six programs are currently ranked in the Top 15?

Thanks to the idiosyncrasies of college football, that is not BYU’s problem. The Cougars have almost perennially had a sophisticated passing offense dating back to the mid-70’s days of Gifford Nielsen (who begat Marc Wilson, who begat Jim McMahon, who begat Steve Young, who begat Robbie Bosco, who begat Ty Detmer …). This year is no different, as Hall, the reigning Mountain West Conference offensive player of the year, is averaging just less than 308 yards passing per game.

Hall’s favorite targets are Collie and tight end Dennis Pitta, although the latter owns a distinct advantage. Last year Hall and his wife, McKinzi, hosted a party at their home to watch the season premiere of “The Office.” The only two single or unengaged guests were Pitta and McKinzi’s sister, Mataya. One year later, Pitta and McKinzi are closer than Dunder and Mifflin. The two got married over the summer.

Such is the movie-and-a-milkshake universe of BYU, whose only more formidable extracurricular program may be its a cappella groups (two different BYU ensembles have won national championships in the past three years). Where more than a few players hail from families of seven or more siblings (defensive lineman Tevita Hola is one of 16 children). Where players don’t just behave like Boy Scouts; they are Boy Scouts.

Should BYU get past TCU — not a given, as the Horned Frogs have already played Oklahoma and yet still lead the nation in total defense — everyone in the Beehive State will buzz with even more fervor about Nov. 22. That’s the day when the Cougars will travel 45 miles north to Salt Lake City to visit Utah. The Utes’ undefeated season also hinges upon a date with TCU (at home on Nov. 6).

How special would that be, two non-BCS unbeatens facing off in each other’s final game of the season? For the last three years, BYU has won the Mountain West Conference without going undefeated. Their reward has been a conference tie-in berth in the Las Vegas Bowl, which is somewhat of a cruel prank on its fan base. There’s only so much fun that a Mormon family can have in Sin City.

This year, however, a pilgrimage to a BCS bowl could be at stake. For the patriarch of BCS-busting programs, who would not want to witness that?

'I'm taking that program down'

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