Not belonging to a conference has been a mixed bag for the BYU football team since it went independent in 2011 and has drawn favorable and unfavorable reviews inside and outside the state of Utah.
But two aspects of the Cougars going rogue almost 10 years ago is not debatable in this season of the COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to having a positive net outcome for BYU.
First, not being governed by a conference has enabled BYU (8-0) to play eight games so far, as many or more than any program in the country not named Texas State (1-9), Western Kentucky (3-6) or UTSA (5-4).