Sorry I haven't been getting these out. I got lazy and/or busy and/or forgot. (In that order.) But your favorite BYU Cougar link dump is back! So enjoy!
ESPN's Andrea Adelson covers the Non-AQs for ESPN and she has a lot of good things to say about BYU this year. In her post-spring non-aq power rankings she ranks BYU third behind Boise State and TCU. A year ago Adelson didn't have BYU ranked at all, despite many emails from disgruntled Cougar fans. Turns out, she was right. BYU plays three teams on this list, #2 TCU, #8 UCF, and #9 Hawaii. Further proof of our tough schedule this season.
Speaking of our tough schedule, Adelson has the BYU-Texas game at #2 on her three top Non-AQ games of the season. The other two are Boise State-Georgia and Boise State-TCU. In her non-AQ games to watch she includes three more BYU games. BYU-Ole Miss, Utah-BYU, and BYU-TCU. That means one third of our schedule is worthy to watch on a national stage. (Granted 3 of the 4 are our first three games.) And depending on how good UCF, Oregon State, and Hawaii are this year we're in for some good football.
So BYU is getting a ton of hype this year, but if it weren't for Jake Heaps-who has become the next BYU cover boy-the hype wouldn't be a big. Adelson has Heaps at number three on her top non-AQ players to watch in 2011. Heaps was also voted in by fans as Most Improved Player and Biggest Impact Player. Another vote has BYU as the third best non-aq.