I believe the BYU deserves to go to a bowl game about as much as Saddam Hussein deserves leniency. BYU went 6-5 this year and that was against some pathetic teams. You can recap BYU’s “success” from my 11-7-2005 post.

Some how going 6-5 including beating a nobody Division IIA school is considered a successful season. BYU’s 1-A wins came against teams with a combined record of 22-28, and their losses came against teams with a combined record of 32-18. (These numbers do not count BYU's games against those opponents.) If BYU hadn’t played Eastern Illinois they would be at home watching bowl games on TV. While I will give BYU credit for a turn around season compared to the Gary Crowton Gloom and Doom years, I just don’t believe that they have improved that much.

Every local media outlet focuses on BYU’s turn around season and how great they are but I just don’t see it. Tonight BYU I think will be humbled by another loss. I think the real travesty of justice is the fact that bowl games have become more about money than about finding the best teams. The Las Vegas Bowl was on the brink of becoming a non-sanctioned bowl due to lack of attendance (read as a footnote in college football history). BYU was seen as the “savior” due to its broad fan base. BYU delivered its fans and saved the Las Vegas Bowl. Some how getting the #2 pick of the Mountain West Conference and the #4 pick of the Pac 10 is supposed to get me the fan all hot and bothered. I think its more like watching the Houston Texans battle the San Francisco 49ers for the Heisman winning Reggie Bush in next years draft. Watching teams ranked 34th and 49th play just doesn’t excite me.

I think its pathetic to see all the money that is poured into this trip for BYU. The money the bowl games gives both schools is insane. Some how I think it is a waste to give these “student” athletes a free week vacation but yet BYU continues to rip students off in the bookstore, parking, and student housing (see more below). Why not make the bowl games donate scholarships to the schools. The average Joe Student gets nothing from the bowl games. It’s all just big business. And really I am fine with College being a business except when the “business” is owned by my church. I am 99.999% sure God could careless if BYU has a football team. BYU continues to support LDS values on one hand and then violates them on the other. I am pretty sure “no man can serve two masters”.

I believe Cal will beat BYU by 20+ and BYU will be faced to recognize what a crappy season they had, and that the Las Vegas Bowl used them like a two-bit whore.

More on how BYU sticks it to its students…
BYU Bookstore:
The bookstore has implemented rules to limit students’ ability to purchase textbooks via alternative sources by not releasing required class books until the first day of class. This means no buying used, no buying online and no buying anywhere but BYU Bookstore.

Parking:
BYU continues to remove parking from campus. It also has shrunk its Free UTA service. It also has raised parking pass prices to the stratosphere but they haven't reduced the number sold.

Student Housing
In one of the most student-unfriendly moves of all time BYU has allowed/sponsored city ordinances that make it so that BYU students who are forced into BYU approved housing now have to live with in two miles of BYU (map). This might not sound like a big deal except for the fact that in the last 6 years significant housing has been built in Provo lowering the price of housing. Now with this new rule housing will become tight again inflating prices. For example in the mid 90’s a 3-bedroom Provo apartment was $1200 a month since students rent beds (two per room at $200) instead of apartments. In the last few years the same 3-bedroom apartment has been available for $800 due to increased supply. Large complex owners have successfully lobbied BYU and Provo to lower demand to boost profits. Can you say Money Changers at the Temple?