The strategy changed to focus more on conference play...and things have accelerated since.
That said, I think BYU fans are so anxious to dump on Utah, they don't really get how CFB works.
Losing to tOSU by a FG after Rising went down or on a last minute goal line INT at Florida...these aren't bad losses.
They are not the embarrassing, program-defining, imminent demise of the program losses.
They're equal teams where an injury or a bounce here or there, or home field advantage became the difference in the end.