BYU debunks media myth about Fresno State and BCS opponents

By Todd Erickson  |   Thursday, September 25, 2008  |  Comments( 6 )

BYU Cougars
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Fresno State began the 2001 college football season with three straight wins over BCS opponents Colorado, Oregon State, and Wisconsin. Ever since that impressive triple play, college football fans have been fed a steady mantra by ESPN and other gullible sports media outlets that the Bulldogs are the only non-BCS team willing to take on BCS opponents “anytime, anywhere.”

While Fresno State has certainly been one of the most visible teams when it comes to scheduling BCS opponents thanks to the media outlets perpetuating the myth, the truth is that BYU ranks number one as the most aggressive non-BCS program in filling its nonconference schedule with BCS foes over the past 25 years.

Since 1984, BYU has racked up a 27-36 record playing 63 regular-season games against 25 different BCS teams (including original Bowl Coalition/Bowl Alliance programs). During that same span, Fresno State has logged a record of 18-34 in 52 regular-season games against 21 different BCS opponents.

Utah ranks right behind Fresno State with 46 regular-season BCS games against 21 different foes. In those 46 games, the Utes have amassed an even 23-23 record, and they have a game coming up against Oregon State next week. Factoring in its bowl game record against BCS teams, Utah has a 27-26 record versus BCS opponents since 1984.

Since 1984, BYU has scheduled at least two BCS teams 14 times, while Fresno State has done so on 11 occasions. The Bulldogs have scheduled three BCS teams in a season nine times to eight for BYU, and twice the Cougars have scheduled four BCS teams in a season -- something Fresno State has never done.

Following are the year-by-year comparisons for BYU and Fresno State and the BCS opponents they scheduled during the past 25 years. For good measure, I have also included the records for Boise State and Utah during this same time period to illustrate the contrast between all four programs.

BYU vs BCS opponents since 1984

1984: Pitt, Baylor 2-0
1985: Boston College, UCLA, Washington 2-1
1986: Washington, Oregon State 0-2
1987: Pitt, Texas, TCU* 1-2
1988: Texas, TCU, Miami 2-1
1989: Oregon, Washington State 1-1
1990: Miami, Washington State, Oregon 2-1
1991: Florida State, UCLA, Penn State 0-3
1992: UCLA, Notre Dame, Penn State 1-2
1993: UCLA, Notre Dame 0-2
1994: Notre Dame, Arizona State 1-1
1995: UCLA, Arizona State 1-1
1996: Texas A&M, Washington, 1-1
1997: Washington, Arizona State 1-1
1998: Alabama, Arizona State, Washington 1-2
1999: Virginia, Washington, Cal 2-1
2000: Florida State, Virginia, Mississippi State, Syracuse 1-3
2001: Cal, Mississippi State 2-0
2002: Syracuse, Georgia Tech 1-1
2003: Georgia Tech, USC, Stanford, Notre Dame 1-3
2004: Notre Dame, Stanford, USC 1-2
2005: Boston College, Notre Dame 0-2
2006: Arizona, Boston College 0-2
2007: Arizona, UCLA 1-1
2008: Washington, UCLA 2-0

*TCU was a member of the Southwest Conference until 1996 and an original member of the Bowl Coalition.

63 regular season games against 25 different BCS opponents: 27-36 record
6-8-1 in bowl games against BCS teams since 1984
Overall: 33-44-1 in 78 games vs BCS teams since 1984
Number of regular seasons playing two BCS teams: 14
Number of regular seasons playing three BCS teams: eight
Number of regular seasons playing four BCS teams: two

Fresno State versus BCS opponents since 1984

1984: Arizona 1-0
1985: Oregon State 1-0
1986: Oregon State 1-0
1987: Washington State, UCLA 0-2
1988: Colorado, Oregon State 0-2
1989: Oregon State 1-0
1990: --
1991: Washington State, Oregon State 2-0
1992: Oregon State, Washington State 0-2
1993: Baylor, Oregon State 1-1
1994: Ohio State, Washington State, Oregon State 1-2
1995: Cal, UCLA 1-1
1996: Oregon, Auburn 0-2
1997: Baylor, Oklahoma State, Oregon 0-3
1998: Colorado, Texas Tech 0-2
1999: Oregon State, UCLA 0-2
2000: Ohio State, UCLA, Cal 1-2
2001: Colorado, Oregon State, Wisconsin, 3-0
2002: Wisconsin, Oregon, Oregon State 0-3
2003: Tennessee, Oregon State, Oklahoma 1-2
2004: Washington, Kansas State 2-0
2005: Oregon, USC 0-2
2006: Oregon State, Washington, LSU 0-3
2007: Texas A&M, Oregon, Kansas State 1-2
2008: Rutgers, Wisconsin, UCLA 1-1

52 regular season games against 21 different BCS opponents 18-34 record (UCLA this Sat)
5-2 in bowl games against BCS teams since 1984
Overall: 23-36 in 59 games vs BCS teams since 1984
Number of regular seasons playing 2 BCS teams: 11
Number of regular seasons playing 3 BCS teams: nine

Boise State vs BCS opponents since 1984

1984: --
1985: --
1986: Oregon State 0-1
1987: --
1988: --
1989: Oregon State 0-1
1990: --
1991: --
1992: --
1993: --
1994: --
1995: --
1996: Arizona State 0-1
1997: Wisconsin, Washington State 0-2
1998: Washington State 0-1
1999: UCLA 0-1
2000: Arkansas, Washington State 0-2
2001: South Carolina, Washington State 0-2
2002: Arkansas 0-1
2003: Oregon State 0-1
2004: Oregon State 1-0
2005: Georgia, Oregon State 0-2
2006: Oregon State 1-0
2007: Washington 0-1
2008: Oregon 1-0

19 regular-season games against 10 different BCS opponents: 3-16 record
2-1 against BSC teams in bowl games since 1984
Overall: 5-17 record vs BCS teams since 1984
Number of regular seasons playing two BCS teams: four
Number of regular seasons playing three BCS teams: zero

Utah vs BCS opponents since 1984

1984: Washington State, Tennessee 0-2
1985: Washington State, Arizona State 1-1
1986: Ohio State, Arizona State 0-2
1987: Wisconsin 1-0
1988: Illinois 0-1
1989: Nebraska, Stanford 1-1
1990: Minnesota 1-0
1991: Oregon State, Oregon, Arizona State 2-1
1992: Nebraska, Oregon State 1-1
1993: Arizona State, Kansas 1-1
1994: Oregon 1-0
1995: Oregon, Stanford 0-2
1996: Stanford, Kansas 2-0
1997: Oregon 0-1
1998: --
1999: Washington State 1-0
2000: Arizona, Cal, Washington State 0-3
2001: Oregon, Indiana 1-1
2002: Indiana, Arizona, Michigan 1-2
2003: Texas A&M, Cal, Oregon 2-1
2004: Texas A&M, Arizona, North Carolina 3-0
2005: Arizona, North Carolina 1-1
2006: UCLA 0-1
2007: Oregon State, UCLA, Louisville 2-1
2008: Michigan, Oregon State 1-0 (Oregon State game on 10/4)

47 regular season games against 21 different BCS opponents: 23-23 record (OSU 10/4)
4-3 against BSC teams in bowl games since 1984
Overall: 27-26 record vs BCS teams since 1984
Number of regular seasons playing two BCS teams: 11
Number of regular seasons playing three BCS teams: six

Note: East Carolina was not included in this comparison because the Pirates were an independent program and not affiliated with a conference until 1997. As an independent, it was not uncommon for the Pirates to schedule five or more BCS opponents each year to fill out their schedule.

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About Todd Erickson

Todd Erickson is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and pens the RealFootball365 Top 25 college football power rankings and "Fourth and inches..." weekly columns from August thru January. He is currently working on the second edition of Road to the Rose Bowl...
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