:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/28770739/141389231.0.jpg)
1. Bipolar Cougars:
I'm not sure if animals are capable of being bipolar, but this past week the BYU Cougars were just that. BYU sat in the dregs of despair after a soul-crushing loss to then 13-10 (4-8) Pacific, who followed up their win over the Cougars with a 15-point blowout loss to San Diego at home. BYU has had a couple head-scratchers this season, the game against Pacific is and will continue to prove to be one of them. Needless to say, with every death defying blow, comes the rise, the euphoric, drastic rise of BYU beating St. Mary's on the road on Delly night. By Delly, I mean the jersey retirement for former Gaels star, Mathew Dellavadova, who now plays for the Cleveland Caveliers as a back-up to NBA All-Star guard, Kyrie Irving. BYU's defense was the biggest and most noticeable change from the games versus Pacific to St. Mary's. BYU fans are left scratching their heads wondering the Cougars identity. Are they the team that beat Big 12 power Texas, or St. Mary's and Stanford on the road? Or is BYU the team that loses to the cupcakes like LMU, Pacific, Portland, and Pepperdine? We shall see.
--
2. Gonzaga Showdown:
BYU has been in and out of the NCAA tournament bubble. They are in according to some publications, and the first 4 out in others. Needless to say, BYU's post-season plans to the Big Dance are anything but secure. They will face 23-4 (11-1) Gonzaga who is ranked 25th in the country in the AP Top 25. BYU got blown out by Gonzaga 84-69 three weeks ago on the road. Gonzaga will enter the Marriott Center Thursday night with a projected 20,000 fans, 14,000 more than Gonzaga's basketball stadium. The game will be on ESPN2 at 9PM MST. If BYU wins, many say that BYU has enough resume building wins to go to the NCAA Tournament (barring no unusual losses and some success in the WCC tourney.) BYU is in the fight to take the 2 seed in the WCC, which will give them a 1st round bye, and with one win would put them in the semi-finals of the WCC tournament. BYU is in a great spot to position themselves for post-season play as they hold the tie-breakers over St. Mary's and San Francisco who are currently in 3rd and 4th in the WCC.
--
3. Spring Fling:
Amidst all the basketball mumbo jumbo with the end of the season and conference tourneys nearing, football still exists. Spring practices start for BYU in two weeks. Which means BYU fans will be indoctrinated with football news, depth charts, injuries, position changes, and Bronco spouting off how pleased he is, and how this group is better than any other group since he's been the coach. With Spring football comes an enormous amount of hype. BYU has some talented players coming in, so it will be exciting to see who stands out in Spring ball and who doesn't. It isn't always the greatest indicator of what will happen come the Fall, but sometimes it does. If a player is good, he will stand out in Spring as well in Fall. Coaches will be able to evaluate and see the talent they have, and have a good blueprint and roadmap of what they will be doing in Fall camp leading up to the season. If there were ever any season for BYU to have a "special" season, it would be 2014. With the schedule as it is, and the roster as it is shaping up, BYU can make a national splash this fall. But it all starts in Spring. Stay tuned!
--
Your Turn:
This is where you have the chance to be heard and voice your opinion whether affirming what has been written or to challenge every word I've penned down. This is your time.
1. With the Pacific loss last week, where does that rank as the worse loss BYU has had this season? I assume Utah might be near the top.
2. With the confidence boosting win over St. Mary's, will BYU beat Gonzaga on Thursday night in the Marriott Center? It's not irrational to think we have a chance. But then again, that is my opinion.
3. On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you for BYU Spring football to start?
