What sports writers say about U.

The following is a cross section of what sports writers nationwide have written recently about the Ute football team:

By Brad Edwards, ESPN.com

In the world of the Bowl Championship Series, as the Utes are now discovering, it is possible to be both dominant and helpless at the same time.

Utah is one of the six unbeaten teams in Division I-A, and it is the only one of that group not to have survived a scare this season. None of the Utes' nine games have been any closer than 14 points during the final 10 minutes. But for all the control Utah exerts over its opponents on the field, its chances to reach the ultimate goal — a berth in a BCS game — rests on the shoulder pads of players in other uniforms.

After a two-week run in the top six of the BCS Standings, the Utes are now No. 7, which is one spot shy of where they need to be for an automatic BCS berth. For those who hadn't already figured it out, the message is now clear: Someone must lose to clear Utah's path to college football's promised land. . . .

Who ever said BCS busting would be easy?

Utah fans should be enjoying this remarkable season, but some of them instead feel only frustration over a system that is not designed to help their cause. As many other schools have already learned, the BCS has a way of altering perspective this time of year. The pot of gold becomes the focal point, overshadowing important team achievements such as conference titles and undefeated records. Before you know it, the decimal-point demons are in control.

Welcome to the big time, Utah. I hope it's all it was cracked up to be.

By Rick Maese, Orlando Sentinel

The red sea flows uphill in the dark chilly night.

It starts downtown on Main Street, where the slow train takes them up the hill toward the college campus that overlooks the quiet city. It starts in the many subdivisions. It starts in the dorms and campus apartments.

The fans show up en mass at Rice-Eccles Stadium, most swathed in red. They are excited their Utah Utes are undefeated, but at the same time, they've never been so scared. As the rumors go, their football coach, Urban Meyer, might be leaving them soon.

It wasn't long ago that Utah games were marked by empty seats. But then Meyer arrived.

And it wasn't long ago that the Utes' schedules were marred by losses. But then Meyer took over.