Great article on ESPN on UTAH
- Thread starter Dave19642006
- Start date
If schedules are all equal, then yeah, Utah is the National Champ. But they are not. Stick Utah in the SEC or Big 12, and they are not undefeated. Still very good, absolutely. But very unlikely that they make it through perfect. Just ask Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Florida, USC, etc. how hard that is.
The thing is, we'll never know. What we do know is Utah was the #1 team in the Mountain West and beat the #2 teams from both the Pac 10 and SEC (which spent a good portion of their season rated as the best team in America).
Utah did everything it was asked of them (play a difficult non-conference schedule, go undefeated, including in a very difficult conference, etc.) and it still isn't good enough for the system - what more does Utah need to do?
Even though he does not bring it up he is lobbying for a play-off system. Which is company policy at ESPN. If we start a play off system in College football you might as well take the top 25 winingest programs and put them in their own league. A play off will greatly strengthen their already lofty position by giving them additional exposure, money, recruiting advantage, ect. The other 90 teams (including us) will be looked upon as never having a chance at the national spotlight.
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Another thought, The Pac 10 is the best conference based on bowl games (5-0), yet the Pac 10 went just 1-6 (i think?) against the Mountain West. Utah went undefeated in the MWC and as a poster said above, beat the Pac 10 and SEC #2 teams (as well as TCU and BYU).
If I had a vote, I'd give it to Utah
If I had a vote, I'd give it to Utah
But they won in the conference that they are in thats they are supposed to do. You cant always say that they wouldnt win there cause they beat an SEC team. They beat Alabama in there bowl game and did it in fashion. Not some last second heroics. So in my opinion they deserve to atleast be co champs.
BS argument. TCU, BYU, Utah are all quality teams that could moer then play their way through any conference. A team like TCU gets better recruits then half the BCS team. Don't believe me...go look.
It could be argued that the Mountain West was every bit as good as the ACC, Big East and the Big 10 this year. And Utah beat opponents from the SEC , Pac 10, and the Big 10. they played as many quality opponents as anyone in the country.
Take any team from a BCS conference and give them the credentials Utah has and they would crown them.
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One thing to remember, is you can't say one team 1 is better than team 2 because team 1 beat team 3, and team 3 beat team 2. That property only works in math. Not sports.
Thus, saying Utah is better than USC because they beat Oregon State, while Oregon State beat USC should hold NO weight in any argument. We all like to use this thinking in arguing in trying to decide who is better, but unless the two teams play each other you can't say who would win.
Thus, saying Utah is better than USC because they beat Oregon State, while Oregon State beat USC should hold NO weight in any argument. We all like to use this thinking in arguing in trying to decide who is better, but unless the two teams play each other you can't say who would win.
Haha how bout you go look? TCU does not get better recruits than half the BCS.
The Mountain West was better than the Big 10 and Big East this year, but that isn't saying a lot.
Utah SHOULD NOT BE the national champ. They are the Boise St of this year. Catch a team that thought they would be playing in a national championship game and wasn't ready to play and beat them. That is all.
If Utah was in a big conference, they would have lost 2-3 games this year at least
I dont like the idea of a playoff. I do like the idea of a, if necessary, plus 1 championship game. I say if necessary for years like this, in my mind Utah did everything they had to do and deserve the National Championship. But say if UF or OU were undefeated and playing for a perfect record then play the plus one.
All top tier bowl games would be played on Jan 1, 2 then play the plus 1 if needed a week later just like the regular season see which team prepares the best under the pressure and who deserves the National Championship.
All top tier bowl games would be played on Jan 1, 2 then play the plus 1 if needed a week later just like the regular season see which team prepares the best under the pressure and who deserves the National Championship.
The only true way to decide any of this, is to have a play-off.
Yeah, Utah did all that they had to and more this season, but they will be punished for being in the MWC (not a BCS conference).
Yeah, Utah did all that they had to and more this season, but they will be punished for being in the MWC (not a BCS conference).
Right at 52 seconds you will see Utah clubbing Alabama like a baby seal
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQU-ESIPed4"]YouTube - The Soup - Joel McHale Jamming Along With Bindi Irwin[/ame]
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I wouldnt say their win over alabama proves theyre better than OU or Florida (and thus #1). It proves they deserve the spot as much as Florida does as they both have that win. It proves they deserve a spot in the title game. However, Florida and OU have both made great cases for being in that game as well. Florida, beating Alabama and playing in the much tougher SEC, and OU completely dominating teams the last part of the year.
How do you know this?
And who said they need to go undefeated to be the champs? They did go undefeated, the only team in the country to do so, and they won't even be the champs.
This "they would not win in another conference" argument is very weak. Not to mention, they beat the 2nd best team from that mighty SEC and really controlled the game.
Without a true playoff system, Utah can make as strong of a case as anyone with regards to the national championship.
You name a BCS conference team anywhere who would have placed Oregon State, TCU, and Michigan (and when he scheduled Michigan, their A.D. fully expected Michigan to be a Top-10 caliber opponent) on their non-conference schedule? You're right...no one did or would have. Unfortunately, non-conference scheduling of that type is considered suicide by the major programs in the country. BCS power schools would rather schedule Oklahoma Truck Driving Institute, Southwestern College of Meatcutters, and Toledo Taxi Driving Academy to ensure they are undefeated and ranked when they hit their conference schedule.
Furthermore, whether the BCS conferences will admit it or not, some of these lesser conferences, specifically The Mountain West and the WAC, have closed the talent gap considerably over the past five or six years. Yes, from top-to-bottom, the Southeastern Conference, The Big 12, and The Pac 10 might be better than the Mountain West and some of the lesser conferences, but the top teams in some of these conferences, i.e. Utah, Fresno, BYU, TCU, Boise, have proven they can play with anybody. And who knows, this year, The Mountain West, as a conference, might even be on par with The Big 11, The ACC, and The Big East.
To hear the "talking heads" weep and wail about how USC got screwed is absolutely laughable. If aybody got screwed, it is Utah! If I had a national championship vote, I woud vote for the Utes in a heartbeat. They played the toughest non-conference schedule in the country, ran the table on their conference schedule, then beat a team that was ranked number-one in the country for six weeks. If that isn't enough, I don't know what is.
You name a BCS conference team anywhere who would have placed Oregon State, TCU, and Michigan (and when he scheduled Michigan, their A.D. fully expected Michigan to be a Top-10 caliber opponent) on their non-conference schedule? You're right...no one did or would have. Unfortunately, non-conference scheduling of that type is considered suicide by the major programs in the country. BCS power schools would rather schedule Oklahoma Truck Driving Institute, Southwestern College of Meatcutters, and Toledo Taxi Driving Academy to ensure they are undefeated and ranked when they hit their conference schedule.
Furthermore, whether the BCS conferences will admit it or not, some of these lesser conferences, specifically The Mountain West and the WAC, have closed the talent gap considerably over the past five or six years. Yes, from top-to-bottom, the Southeastern Conference, The Big 12, and The Pac 10 might be better than the Mountain West and some of the lesser conferences, but the top teams in some of these conferences, i.e. Utah, Fresno, BYU, TCU, Boise, have proven they can play with anybody. And who knows, this year, The Mountain West, as a conference, might even be on par with The Big 11, The ACC, and The Big East.
To hear the "talking heads" weep and wail about how USC got screwed is absolutely laughable. If aybody got screwed, it is Utah! If I had a national championship vote, I woud vote for the Utes in a heartbeat. They played the toughest non-conference schedule in the country, ran the table on their conference schedule, then beat a team that was ranked number-one in the country for six weeks. If that isn't enough, I don't know what is.
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