It does feel like we get hit in the exact positions
we cannot lose with way too much frequency, but that’s more of a reflection on BYU’s depth issues vs. program mismanagement.
We just don’t get enough high-quality players.
While I was in Louisiana following LSU in the thick of one of their championship runs, they got down to a 3rd string, freshman, running back. Dude, had legit sub-11 100 meter speed. They plugged him in behind an excellent offensive line, backed by a great D, and he produced down the stretch as they won it all. In the years that followed, as LSU reloaded, better running backs beat him out for PT.
That’s what can happen at great programs.
The stars have to align for us to assemble enough talent across all position groups to compete at a very high-level. We need to have an elite quarterback running the show, and then the stars have to align again with our best players avoiding injury for most or all of the year.
Now we have to have all that and hold up against P4 level competition.
It can happen. It just hasn’t happened very often and never vs. the level of competition we now face.