BYU, Utah Utes football: Champs or Busters?
Teams from different decades reached perfection
BYU did it in 1984 and Utah has done it twice in the past five years, including the recently completed 2008 season, capped by a dominating 31-17 victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
Which of those three teams was best? It's fun to debate, but, truth is, it's hard enough to compare teams year-to-year, let alone era-to-era.
"The games are different now," said former BYU coach LaVell Edwards, who guided the Cougars to the 1984 national championship. "Any team that goes through an undefeated season has to have some breaks. We had ours and (the 2008 Utes) had theirs. But it's a different time and what all three teams did were great accomplishments."
While there have been debates about which Utah team was better '04 or '08 many argue that BYU's 1984 team isn't even the best in school history, citing the merits of the 1980, 1983 or 1996 squads.
Still, those teams didn't go unbeaten.
How difficult is it to go undefeated?
"There's only one school in the country that did (this season)," said Utah athletic director Chris Hill, "which tells you how hard it is."
Maybe the most relevant debate is this: Which of those three unbeaten teams had the biggest national impact?
The 2004 and 2008 Utes, and the 1984 Cougars, are linked not only by their undefeated seasons, but how they each helped alter the college football landscape.
BYU's one and only unbeaten season in school history produced an improbable, and controversial, national championship that helped usher in the current Bowl Championship Series system. Because of that BCS system, the Utes were denied a shot at a national title both in 2004 and 2008. Then again, maybe without the BCS, they wouldn't have had the opportunity to play in the prestigious Sugar Bowl.
Utah's 13-0 season attracted widespread national attention and has been a vehicle promoting change in the BCS system. Several national columnists declared the Utes national champions this week. Utah finished No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, garnering 16 first-place votes, behind No. 1 Florida.
Recent comments
The Utes had a great season. The real problem is that no matter what...
It's over | Jan. 18, 2009 at 9:42 a.m.
Hey Zoobs, nobody outside Utah respects your '84 Championship!...
Ute Man | Jan. 17, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.
Know what, the many arguments we have heard about this year's Utah...
Sorry Folks | Jan. 17, 2009 at 5:22 a.m.
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Congrats to TCU and BYU!!!
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