I have some posts brewing on guns and Mormons in the Senate, but this takes precedent. After the Utes' romp over Alabama two conclusions must be reached. Utah deserves at least a share of the national title and the 2008-09 Utes are the state of Utah's greatest ever college football team. And that includes the "national champion" 1984 BYU Cougars.
As to the first point, Utah is the only undefeated team in college football. They beat four teams (BYU, TCU, Oregon St., and Alabama) ranked at the end of the season. They beat an SEC powerhouse, Alabama, ranked number one for much of the season and 15 minutes away from the national championship game, decidedly. They beat Alabama better than Florida did. They beat the team, Oregon St., that beat USC. The Utes may or may not be the best team in college football this year, but they have the best resume.
As to the second point, BYU's 1984 team had nowhere near the year of this year's Utes, and it's really not even close. In the Cougar's 1984 season they beat Pittsburgh. Pitt was ranked #3 at the time but finished the season 3-7-1. This is similar to the Utes' win over Michigan this year, which was Utah's least impressive win, in hindsight. They beat no teams ranked in the final polls. 1984 BYU also beat Michigan in the Holiday Bowl. I always assumed this is what propelled BYU to the national championship, a bowl win over a football powerhouse. Michigan was 6-6 that year, barely bowl eligible, and finished sixth in the Big Ten. Hardly an impressive win.
The difference is that BCS makes it impossible for a non-BCS team to win the national championship. The BCS was not a problem for BYU in 1984. If you took Utah's resume this year and put in in 1984, the Utes would be clear national champions over BYU. If you took BYU's 1984 resume and plugged it in this year, you'd have Ball St. but with a bowl win over a crappy team.
And 1984 BYU probably ranks behind 2004 Utah, the other undefeated, BCS-busting Utah team.
2008 Utah Utes: deserving national champion and best ever Utah college football team.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
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5 comments:
And I am your Utah woman.
Jake, you push too hard. This post should have been about how great Utah is, not about how crappy BYU's NC team was. Why can't U just be happy being U? Why the need to constantly compare the U to BYU?
Great game against Alabama. The Utes' speed destroyed the vaunted 'Bama strength.
It was about how Utah should be ranked #1. But are you telling me that the two schools are not indelibly linked? You don't think Utah fans want to put this season up against the best season of its arch-rival? I just thought it was a natural thing to think about after a(n) historic year.
One more thing,
If your going to patronizing and dismissive of public protests against government. Lets see you apply that same tone to the ubiqutious and absurd demonstrations of the left.
Silence about the help wearing idiots promoting weed legalization at the U.
Silence about the vitriolic homosexuals tossing molitof cocktails at the LA temple
Silence at the pointless and aimless protests at every economic summit. ( I really don't think even they know what they want )
But group together a total of 300,000 nationally conservatives and suddenly its a pathetic and weak display worthy of ridicule. Maybe the left doesn't like us taking one of their favorite social tools. Sorry I'm not an LSD taking tie die shirt wearing long haired sandal wearing freak chaining myself to a tree. I guess thats noble.
Well put on a bigger show next time.
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