#6-9 are Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Kansas State, and BYU:
BYU
- 6 games against the top-5 teams (Arizona x2).
- plays Cincinnati twice; get Texas Tech and Kansas State at home.
- 10 games against the bottom
- 6 of our 10 road games are against the bottom of the conference.
Compare to:
Kansas State
- 7 games against the top-5 teams (Kansas and Iowa State x2).
- plays Cincinnati twice, hosts Texas Tech, and at BYU.
- 9 games against the bottom
- 5 of 10 road games against the bottom of the conference.
Texas Tech
- 7 games against the top-5 teams (Arizona and Houston x2).
- plays ON THE ROAD against each of BYU, Kansas State, and Cincinnati.
- 10 games against the bottom
- 4 of 10 road games against the bottom of the conference.
Cincinnati
- 6 games against the top-5 teams (Baylor x2).
- plays BYU and Kansas State twice, hosts Texas Tech.
- 9 games against the bottom
- 5 of 10 road games against the bottom of the conference.
The scheduling nuances seem to tip in BYU's favor, even if just a game here and a game there....they add up.
Scheduling nuances can contribute to a #6 or better finish or a #9 or worse finish.