The Wiz of Odds

Brigham Young's New Mission: Independence

After weeks of speculation, Brigham Young is prepared to leave the Mountain West Conference and declare itself an independent in football beginning in 2011. The Cougars will join the Western Athletic Conference in all other sports, an arrangement much like the one Notre Dame has with the Big East.

The move was first reported on the Colorado State football Twitter page: "BYU to go independent in football in 2011. Cougars will join the WAC for all other sports. Press conference scheduled for Thursday."

Update: Colorado State now says its Twitter feed was compromised. Regardless of what happened in Fort Collins, the deal for BYU to join the WAC is going through, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

BYU has been considering its options for months, but the move is likely being made now because the Mountain West does not have an exit penalty as long as a school gives notice by Sept. 1 of the year before it wants to leave.

BYU no doubt feels secure in making such a move because the school has what Texas and many other schools now covet: A state-of-the-art worldwide TV network that is on the basic packages of Dish Network, DirecTV and some 200 cable companies.

What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas (We Hope)

Oregon State and Brigham Young squared off Tuesday night in the Las Vegas Bowl, and the creatures were out before kickoff, roaming the tailgate area.

Our friends at Image of Sport, the sports photography wire service, braved windy and chilly conditions to chronicle the festivities. There are additional images after the jump, and you can view Image of Sport's gallery from the game by clicking here.

Hall of Shame

Brigham Young quarterback Max Hall was issued a public reprimand by the Mountain West Conference for these remarks about rival Utah after the Cougars' 26-23 overtime victory on Saturday.

Deception Now Against the Rules in Mountain West

Officials are cracking down in the Mountain West. Referee Land Clark announces that Brigham Young quarterback Max Hall is penalized on this play for "unsportsmanlike conduct, trying to deceive."

Cougar coach Bronco Mendenhall said afterward that the call was "hard to understand."

Perhaps it's all part of a plan to clean up the game. No more fake handoffs, no more pump fakes by the quarterbacks.

Update: I'm told that if a quarterback goes under center, he has to take the snap. Thanks to Walk On Boy.

Putting That Oklahoma Education to Good Use

Alen Howard, a history teacher at Rockwell Charter High in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a University of Oklahoma graduate stuck in the middle of Brigham Young territory. Howard was so sure the Sooners would beat the Cougars last Saturday that he told his students he would eat a live cricket if the BYU could pull off the upset.

What could possibly go wrong? Oklahoma was a 22-point favorite.

Howard made good on his promise, devouring the cricket with a spoonful of peanut butter, much to the delight of his students.

Can Brigham Young Make It to the BCS Title Game?

Let's forget this one-game-at-a-time mentality and look at the big picture. Is Brigham Young, from a lowly non-Bowl Championship Conference, now in position for the big party prize — a berth to the BCS title game Jan. 7 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena?

The first release of the BCS standings won't come until next month, but that's simply too long to wait. This question requires an immediate answer, and thankfully there is Sam Chi, aka the BCS Guru.

Sam's first simulated BCS standings put BYU at No. 8 and within striking distance of the top two spots that earn berths to the BCS title game.

Granted, there is a lot of football to be played, but that could be a good thing for the Cougars. BYU's schedule is manageable and teams ahead of it must face the meat of their schedules. This essentially will allow the Cougars to be drafting for much of the season while the big boys crash into each other.