As I was watching MNF last night I thought about how crazy the highs and lows of this season have been. After thinking about it, I realized that I'd experienced these feelings before. The crazy roller coaster that independence has us on is exactly like dating the hot-crazy girl who gives you everything you want, but also leaves you wanting more. I began to wonder if I could map the BYU independence experience to the scientifically proven Universal Hot-Crazy Matrix as explained here: https://youtu.be/vwbKYcBdVyk

This is a first draft, but I feel like there is some promise.



The No Go Zone: Independence was pursued to keep us out of this zone, but we keep finding ourselves sliding back inside of it. Losing to Fresno State and San Jose State can't happen. Struggling against Portland State and losing to UMass were both crazy and awful. Losing twice in a row to USU? Words fail me. And yet there are those that want to bring us back full time into the No Go Zone with a move back to the MWC, which is squarely in the middle of the No Go Zone for good reason. If independence is ever going to get better, we have to stay out of this zone entirely.

The Danger Zone: This is the zone where dreams are made as quickly as they are shattered. For years we salivated over the thought of playing Michigan, Wisconsin ('17 season), and LSU...until we actually played them. Granting that the 2018 Wisconsin game was an all time high, I think we can all agree that we're just glad it went the way it did and are satisfied without having an explanation for it. Michigan and LSU were embarrassments. Notre Dame pretended to be friendly before dropping us. And to top it all off we've lost to Utah seven times in a row. This is a fun zone to flirt with, but if the 2019 season turns out to be too much independence is going to continue crushing our souls.

The Fun Zone: This is the zone that keeps many of us believing that more is possible. Wins over Texas, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Michigan State, Ole Miss, and a handful of other P5 teams remind us of what BYU football can be when it's at its best. Independence has also given us unforgettable games against Gonzaga that never would have happened in the MWC. Unfortunately, this isn't a sustainable zone and just like with any girl you're going to have to DTR and move on to a more sustainable zone at some point.

The Dating Zone: Although no known dating activity has occurred, it may be time for BYU leadership to begin the courtship process with the AAC. It's not the dream, but there might be potential and a couple of dates will help suss any differences out.

The Wife Zone: We all know that BYU deserves to be in a P5 conference and that the Big 12 is currently the best fit. The summer of 2016 put a dent in those prospects, but once conference contracts are renegotiated there may be a chance to finalize what's obvious to all.

The Unicorn Zone: The PAC 12 is the natural conference that BYU should be in, but we all know it isn't going to happen. There's too much history and mismatched goals for a relationship to ever work. It can be fun to dream about, but it's best to just forget it and move on.

P5 Scheduling Agreement: It makes too much sense for all involved, but will never happen.