This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Before catching the go-ahead touchdown pass in the second overtime Friday vs. Mississippi State, BYU tight end Tanner Balderee made one of the season's biggest plays when he grabbed the ball after Taysom Hill's fumble and ran for 7 yards in the first overtime.
The game would have ended with an MSU recovery.
BYU needs another break Monday afternoon. Actually, either a Big 12 invitation or an upset of No. 14 Boise State on the road Thursday would make October historic for BYU's football program. The chances of one of those developments happening are about 1 in 3, making a double victory even less likely.
If BYU administrators could choose just one breakthrough, they obviously would pick Big 12 membership — with the conference's announcement, one way or another, coming via a 4:30 p.m. MDT news conference that BYUtv will carry.
That scheduling addition is creating a stir of its own, causing some observers to wonder if BYU knows something and others to gleefully anticipate a letdown for the school and its fans. Regardless, people will be watching. It's good programming.
Big 12 presidents have turned potential expansion into a crazy process, with BYU among 11 finalists for what could become anywhere from zero to four spots. Ever since April — and especially since July, when the Big 12 made expansion appear likely — BYU fans have endured emotional swings amid all of the speculation.
In advance of Monday afternoon's outcome, this is the basic question: Can you lose something you never had?
Well, yes. The advantages that Big 12 membership offers (even with a football-only affiliation) in comparison to BYU's independent status would make rejection of the Cougars feel like a defeat. It's just getting more and more difficult to compete financially with Power 5 conference members.
Having said that, BYU's 2016 season is making independence more fun than ever for the Cougars. Wins over Michigan State and Mississippi State have stirred interest in Provo, and beating Boise State would complete a remarkable run (technically, BYU's game-winning field goal against Toledo came in the first few minutes of October). BYU's home schedule also will become more attractive in the coming years, with the likes of Wisconsin, USC and Washington coming to town.
But all of that will be just rationalization for the Big 12's excluding BYU or not expanding at all, if that's what happens. All of the buildup in Provo over several months will turn the fallout of Monday's announcement into a big celebration or an even bigger letdown.
Twitter: @tribkurt