Aggies aghast at backing 'that' blue for green

LOGAN — Add this to the list of indignities Utah State football fans have had to suffer: rooting for BYU.

It pains them to admit it — ask any member of the Aggie faithful and they will tell you the blue in Provo is the wrong shade — but a BYU win on Saturday would mean more green in Logan.

"It's so ingrained in us, in our veins to hate the Y," said Tim Olsen, a junior and a sports editor for the Aggies' student newspaper. "But for Boise State to get into a (Bowl Championship Series) game would be great for our school."

If Utah beats BYU on Saturday, the undefeated Utes would be a lock for a big-time bowl game. Should the Cougars play spoiler, however, the door would be open for the 10-0 Broncos.

That would mean a sizable chunk of change for the Aggies.

Here's how it works: The BCS pays out nearly $10 million to a conference that has a school selected to one of its games. In the Western Athletic Conference, the chosen school receives about half of the money and the rest is spread equally around the conference, said WAC spokesman David Chaffin.

If Boise State can leapfrog the Utes in the rankings, fellow WAC member Utah State stands to make about $500,000.

The traitorous topic has crept into the threads of college sports message boards. Some analysts believe both Utah and Boise State can break into the BCS this year, but most agree it will be one or the other.

"BYU has to beat Utah. Period," one Aggie fan wrote. "It's hard, I know, but tell me how it can be otherwise?"

To see Aggie fans come to such a conclusion is to know defeat.

USU football fans have had it rough, cheering for one of the most maligned teams in college sports.

The Ags are searching for its sixth head coach in 16 years after the firing of Brent Guy last week.

They haven't seen back-to-back winning seasons since 1980, while the Cougars have notched more wins this year (10) than USU has in its last five campaigns (8).

There's no denying the Cougars' gridiron dominance over Utah State; when the two teams met in Logan this year, USU fans chanted "overrated" when the Cougars — then a top 10 team — beat the Aggies by only 20.

But root for BYU?

Most Aggie fans don't have it in them.

A Cougar win would mean a "huge windfall for the WAC," said Eric Frandsen, a Cache Valley radio personality. "But it would be heresy to cheer for BYU."

E-mail: afalk@desnews.com