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Utes land in 2nd in final AP Top 25 poll

utes could have/would have stuck it to florida tonight and been crowned undisputed #1...if only they were given the chance.

The Utes deserved #1 no question about it. Two wins over teams ranked in the top 7 and 4 top 25 wins. Oh, and did I forget to mention they went UNDEFEATED? WE BEAT ALABAMA MORE CONVINCINGLY AND BY MORE POINTS THAN FLORIDA IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD!

BYU's 1984 championship looks like a joke in comparison to what the Utes did this year. They didn't even beat 1 ranked team in the final AP Poll and barely squeaked by a 6-5 Michigan team.

LET IT BE SAID THAT THE TRUE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS OF 2008 ARE THE UTAH UTES! THE BCS IS A SHAM AND UTAH PROVED IT!

Utah #1!!!! FL and UT had one common opponent and the Utes were clearly the superior. USC and UT had one common opponent, USC lost and the Utes won. Texas won by inches in their bowl game against a lesser opponent than Utah played. My favorite moments of the season was BYU's historic 59-0 thrashing of UCLA and the looks of the players and fans of Bama while the Utes steamrolled to 3 early touchdowns. If the BCS thinks FL is #1 than a new entity/movement needs to be developed to declare the brothers to the north the NCAA football champs for the 2008 season. Congrats Utes for well representing the state and conference and for all the non BCS teams and little guys in general.

#2 stings a little, but, it is still really cool, and looks great on those recruiting letters. This year went a long way to establishing national credibility for the program, and, though the system is totally unfair, it will be tough to keep the Utes out of the championship game the next time they do it.

Great season guys.

I think we can be proud of the BYU Fireside team which also earned a #25 ranking in football. Who would have thought they played that too?

I wouldn't have anyone else for UTAH's coach. Mack Brown backed out of his comment that he would vote Texas #1.

Way to go coach Whit.

Go Utes!

Best final ranking ever. I'll tell you what, I'm not going to go around complaining about not being #1, because there are about 118 teams (out of 120) that would like to be where we are right now. I never thought once comming into this season that Utah would be undefeated and beat an SEC team in the Sugar Bowl. Just take some time to think about what that means for Utah's future. We will have other oppertunities to take home that crystal football in the next ten years I promise. Recruiting looks great and we have a great coach and hard-working kids. Congrats to everyone involved from the administration to the coaches, to the players, and the fans. I'll see you in the tailgate next year and start planning that trip to Oregon. GO UTES!!!!

Florida,Oklahoma was not an impressive game i fell asleep for most of it and didnt finish watching the rest, There was nothing that was electrifying about that game as the sports casters predicted, I know now just watching that game, that these teams are over rated. I was bored with how the QBz paused to find out what play was called,as if the QB couldnt read the defense and make the adjustment themselves, Utah is a much better team in execution, in its QB, perfect in no huddle offense, and an outstanding defensive scheme. Utah is the best team in the Nation.

What do you mean "settle for #2"?

Is there an NCAA rule that states that Utah cannot place a "National Champions" banner in their stadium? Forget about "voting" (and really, can we just stop pretending that you can "vote" a champion?). If no, there should be a "National Champions" banner unveiled during the first home game (2 actually). If yes, pay the fine and do it anyway.

Look, this state was settled by people saying "forget you" to the rest of the country. We need to do the same to the BCS. Utah ran the table + they were the only ones = national champions.

It's time for some independence and clear thinking here. Be national champions and proud of it. If someone tells you that you aren't, make them take down the banner.

What ranking the Utes will start the 2009 season out at?

I love the Utes but after watching last nights game,I believe Utah would have struggled playing either team. A third ranking may be more realistic

I'd first like to see a rematch with TCU in Texas. If they can clear that, then I'd say let them play with anyone. Florida is by far better than Utah would ever be.

I also love the Utes and I believe they would have done much the same against either team that played last night. In fact, Fla and OK both looked a little Bama like in the first half. No, if the Utes come out with the same intensity, it's a good bet that no team in college football could have stopped them on that night. That game was no fluke. The Utes played in tough games all year and seasoned themselves. They were much better prepared and they executed when it mattered. Unlike the wonderful, but flawed 84 Coogs, this team was the match of any team in the nation and they proved it in their bowl game. Not against a 6-5 Michigan team, but against the pride of the SEC and a team that gave Florida everything they could handle and more. The Utes stomped Bama. That can never be taken away.

People said the exact same thing after the Alabama / Florida game. "I love the utes but after watching last nights game, I believe Utah will struggle with Alabama."

...national championship. Sorry, but no one from the state of Utah will ever be able to get one again, no matter how dreamy their season is. The current system prohibits it. You can thank BYU, when they got theres, for this mess, because they didn't want a team like that being crowned again.

Still just one NC for the entire state.

I could not agree with bannertime more. Why should we go along with the total fraud that just played out before our eyes? This is not the Soviet Union, for crying out loud, where we are forced to accept everything the man crams down our throats despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The BCS champion cannot be the "national champion" because the BCS does not include the nation. The national champs are the undefeated Utes!!

I hope the Utes start out in the top 5 but you never know. I don't know how good they will be but if they don't start in the top 5 and go undefeated then they will never make the championship game. Even if they go undefeated again those slime balls from the BCS will probably keep them out of it. WE NEED A PLAYOFF SYSTEM!!!!!! NO MORE BCS!!!!!!!!! People can say what ever they want, the Utes deserve a shot at a title. Maybe they would get beat but to just assume they would is a joke. Why won't Pete Carrol or Mack Brown be more vocal for a playoff??? I love/hate college football.

"I believe Utah would have struggled playing either team".

Uh,. . . I think both Florida and Oklahoma struggled with each other.

Number #2 okay! I"m a huge Utes fan, but I hate the dumb logic, utes fan have here on this forum. Utes should be number one because we beat Alabama better then Florida? Did you guys forget, we almost lost to TCU? which Okalahoma destroy? then they got beat by the gators? So we played great against alabama, but not TCU, which okalahoma destroy and was beaten by a great gator team, okay #2 is where we belong. But after watching last nite game, utes would struggle against that gator Defense!!

what would your banner read "self-proclaimed National Champions"? or how about "close but no cigar National Champions". or to incorporate your rivals "we sorta have one too National Champions".

Napoleon crowed himself and look where that got him in the end!

Be happy with your teams season, don't make their 'failure', right or WRONG, become the focus.