Hoop dreams ... on Fully Invested

This week's Fully Invested audio show shifts gears a bit as we look at the No. 20 BYU basketball team's matchup with No. 9 Michigan State. But don't fret football fans, we also preview the Las Vegas Bowl contest with UCLA and take an early look at the 2008 BYU football season. Check back early next week as Fully Invested looks back at the MSU game and takes an in-depth look at the Cougars' bowl game.
To listen to this week's show, click the link below.
http://www.mediafire.com/?9ldggy00yjh

Forecast Friday ... BYU and the BCS

Will BYU go to a Bowl Championship Series bowl game this year? Not likely. Yes, the possibility exists, but simply too many dominoes have to fall in place, many of them longshots, for the Cougars to land in a big-money game in early January.
In a nutshell, BYU has to finish in the top 16 in the BCS standings (the Cougars are currently 19th) to eligible. But eligibility won't be enough to earn a spot. The guarenteed berth only comes when BYU is in the top 16 and ranked ahead of a BCS conference champ. Can in happen? Yes, if the following occurs on Saturday.
1. Hawaii loses to Washington. Only one non-BCS team gets a guaranteed spot and that spot is the Warriors unless they fall to the Huskies late Saturday (actually early Sunday) on ESPN2.
2. Four-way tie for Pac-10 crown. For this to happen, UCLA must upset USC, Arizona must beat Arizona State and Oregon must fall to Oregon State. With four teams (USC, UCLA, ASU and OSU) tied at 6-3 in conference play, the 7-5 Bruins would go the Rose Bowl. As UCLA is unranked, BYU would get the BCS berth .... if the Cougars are in the top 16.
3. LSU beats Tennessee. If the Volunteers lose, they will drop below BYU in the BCS. The Vols are currently No. 14 in the BCS standings, while Hawaii is No. 12, Arizona State No. 13 and Oregon No. 17. Losses by all four of those teams should be enough to get the Cougars to No. 16.
4. Of course this is all moot if BYU loses to San Diego State Saturday afternoon. The Cougs must get to 10-2 overall and win impressively over the Aztecs. A squeeker may not be enough to move up the requisite three spots in the BCS.
The likelihood of all this? Well, BYU should beat the Aztecs and LSU should beat Tennessee. It won't be that surprising for Oregon State to beat slumping Oregon and surging Arizona to upset ASU. But UCLA over USC for the second straight year and Washington over Hawaii on the islands is probably asking too much. End result: Close but not quite for the Cougars' BCS dreams.

Plan B: There's still a chance Boise State could land a spot in the Las Vegas Bowl opposite BYU, and the Cougars and Broncos tangling in Sam Boyd Stadium on Dec. 22 isn't a bad consolation prize.

As for Saturday's game at SDSU, an important reminder: BYU's last conference road loss came in Qualcomm Stadium in 2005. Of course, this Cougar team is far superior to that one. And if TCU's mediorce offense can light up the Aztecs defense, BYU should have no trouble scoring points. SDSU will score, but not enough to keep it close in the second half. Look for BYU to win, 34-17.
Don't forget to vote in The Cougar Zone poll and check out this week's Fully Invested audio show: http://www.mediafire.com/?ernmcyhytys
Until next time ...

Polls and bowls on Fully Invested

This week's Fully Invested show looks back at the Cougars' miraculous 17-10 win over Utah and ahead to the San Diego State game and a bowl game. And don't forget the BYU men's basketball team, which entered the national rankings after a sweet showing at the Las Vegas Invitational. Click the link below to download the show. And don't forget to vote in the poll.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ernmcyhytys

Breaking down the Holy War

The big game has arrived. With both teams riding seven-game winning streaks, the 2007 version of Utah versus BYU should be a classic. Of course, topping the recent games in the series will be hard, but it could happen. For a breakdown of the matchup, some thoughts from Bronco and an update on Max Hall's shoulder, check out this week's Fully Invested show at one of the links below.

http://www.mediafire.com/?92cm0wzymtb

http://myfreefilehosting.com/f/96e6a066d2_6.68MB

Forecast Friday ... on a Thursday

Forecast Friday arrives a day early and it comes as part of the Fully Invested audio show. Click the link below to listen to the show. We look at this week's Mountain West football games and the fast start by the BYU basketball team. As always, The Cougar Zone blog and the Fully Invested show are here to satisfy your Cougar Cravings. Check back Monday for a look back at the Wyoming game and a look ahead to the Holy War. In the meantime, don't forget to vote in the poll and spread the word about The Cougar Zone and Fully Invested.
Until next time ...

http://www.mediafire.com/?5pmjonpurdp

Greetings, Cougar fans

Welcome to The Cougar Zone. The goal of this blog is to provide all the things BYU football and basketball fans seek online. From audio shows, to blog comments, links to BYU stories by other media and BYU highlight videos, The Cougar Zone is one-stop shopping for BYU fans. It gives the BYU fanatic a chance to satisfy his Cougar cravings and still have time to get his home teaching done. We'll feature links to our audio blog, Fully Invested, at least weekly. Also look for exclusive Cougar content, like columns. There will also be polls, insights and other such fun.

Here's the link for our first Fully Invested audio blog: http://www.mediafire.com/?2mbbjxt1yj0.

Enjoy.