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Some BYU fans at crossroads after 3-loss season
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Regular season championships-
BYU 32 Utah 26
Tournament championships-
BYU 78 Utah 13
Football only-
BYU 4 Utah 3
So yeah, Utah had a fantastic season in football this year as well as in 2004, congrats on that but all in all the numbers don't lie when you want to talk about one athletic departments dominance over the other
I respect what Utah did and I'm glad they made such a nice run; but I see the program taking a downturn again after losing key players and coaches, just like their last BCS run.
Yes, Nate Utah has had two shining (Congrats Utes!) seasons over the past decade mixed in with a whole lot of mediocre (read 8-4/7-5) seasons.
Utah has never been able to put together back-to-back ten win seasons. And next year will be no exception. 7-5 for Utah sounds about right.
Nevertheless-great season in 2008!! Stunning in fact.
Second, your comparison is really showing of your age. Florida has always been good, right up there with Notre Dame in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. Utah may be having success especially when BYU was down for the mid-90's and early 2000's; but I wouldn't call them the "New Fast Ferrari!" You can't discount the last two years of BYU domination just because Utah one this year, and had a better season.
No more little brother up north, the two programs are equal in stature and BYU fans like myself should get over trying to prove we are better through our past achievements, and start trying to prove we are better in the present.
Either way you slice it, little brother or big, the U has owned you. A couple of lucky wins over us in the last 10 years hardly equates to dominance. And I hope the Y can still breath after chocking for so hard in so many big games. The record vs. ranked teams says it all: big fish little pond.
Maybe you guys could stop embarssing the conference by actually showing up against chocklahoma, but I don't think Min Hall can pull it off, especially without his favorite collie around.
Please, I'll start to believe the zoob-hype when you actually beat someone ranked in the top 25 and stop touting a miracle win over an inept 6-6 UCLA team as the defining when for the program in the last 20 years.
Oh yeah, um, I'm are smrt two!
Utah proved the better team this year. BYU proved the better team last year. The fact is, I don't know who will be the better team this coming year. But both should be in the running for conference and both are getting national attention for themselves and ironically for each other.
RE: The Truth (from a USU Grad) | 10:10 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009
Dude, get a clue! The cliche is an 800 lb gorilla. Not a 1000 lbs (pounds?). I know, I know you can teach a new gorilla old tricks or something like that. LOL.
By the way. How many total tournament wins does Stew have? Go ahead count NIT and NCAA tournament wins. In 22 years he has '1' win. The aggies have how many wins in the last 20 years? Talk about BYU fans hung up on 84' the USU fans are hung up on their one win over a very overrated Ohio St team.
One more note to Aggie fan.... I would not start going after BYU in football. Have you see that team you put out there the last decade?
Now go back and dust off your state school diploma and keep telling yourself it means something.
But, on the other hand, the entertainment value is pretty high, so maybe stirring up the hackneyed BYU/Utah baloney is a good bet to sell papers.
All the children on both sides love to wax eloquent about this and that, whose dad can beat the other one up, wait til next year, my 2008 win against a ranked oppoent is better than your shiny NC trophy, yadda, yadda, yadda.
What a joke!
Two fine institutions; two great studentbodies; a bit of competition; success ebbs and flows.
Big deal!
Whatever.
Let's consider the facts why Utah is better than BYU:
1. Coaches Pay - Whit now make 1.2 mil per year while Bronco makes 1/2 of that. The U has the money and the Y doesn't. You get what you pay for.
2. Honor Code - BYU will NEVER be a national power with the honor code. They simply can't recruit the top athletes that provide a team with speed and athleticism.
3. Missions - The mission program kills continuity. Utah does have a few missionaries but nothing compared to the Y.
4. Commitment to winning - winning is #5 on Bronco's list of priorities. Winning is #1 on Whitingham's.
There just ins't the fire to win at the Y compared to the U from the administration on down...thus the U is BETTER.
Kumbaya!
Utah Sates football is awful, we all know this, but hopefully with Gary Anderson, the Ags can turn it around and contend with Boise for the WAC title in a couple years!
As far as basketball, I think the Ags could compete in the Mtn. West and even win the Mtn. West (not every year, but for sure sometimes) The only thing is the USU has got to schedule some big name teams on the road and get a couple wins like that, so they can get good teams to come up to Logan.
Quit bashing Utah State because you are mad your Cougars couldn't do what Utah did this year. All 3 schools are great and have certain areas that they excel in, and other areas that need some work. I am proud to be from a state with these fine educational and athletic facilites!
Utah now has the facilities and the name to recruit anyone from anywhere. It makes perfect sense that they can on occasionally be a top 5 team.
BYU is hamstrung with the revolving missionary door as well as that "dreaded" policy of being a good, decent, human being.
The stars have to align just right for the Cougars to have a season like they did in 1984 and 1996.
Cougar fans need to accept 10-3 and 11-2 as our ceiling. And that's fine.
But no one seems to recall in 2006 and 2007, when BYU went 22-4, Utah was 17-9.
Over the last three years, BYU had the better season twice and Utah once.
Over the last three years, BYU still has the better record at 31-7 vs. the Ute's 30-9.
What's the big deal here?
Ironically, it is this very irrational, condecending, entitlement attitude that is, in part, driving many of the top LDS and other athletic and academic recruits elsewhere. Acknowledging, respecting, and learning from others would seem to (1) lead to more success in athletics and academics, and (2) be more consistent with the principles of the church that owns the University.
Congrats Utes for a great year. I respect your team, your program. The BCS is wrong. I have no respect for any antics that take away from what is done on the field. I hope that it gets fixed so that every program has a chance from the get-go to play for the title, based solely on how the season plays out (like every other division 1 sport).
BYU bucked the biased national opinion in 1984 (stricter exclusions were made since), and I think it is hilarious that Utah (a team equal to what BYU was to the National audience then, before it busted the national scene) did it again to them, in 2008. It's like their worst nightmare being replayed.
Most Ute fans argue their team is better than BYU. Being a BYU fan I argue the opposite. What I don't get is why my opinion is deemed disrespectful and warrants hate. Utah's hate of BYU is illogical.
BYU's MWC football record in 2006 & 2007: 16-0
As soon as Utah can produce back to back undefeated conference seasons let me know.
Let's see how you do next year when the target is on your back and you play TCU and BYU on the road.
This spring maybe TCU will put "U" helmets on their blocking dummies and put that game as their must win game like they did against BYU this season.
Have Fun in Fort Worth in the fall!
Also, the nut case comments in the article from the guy in Missouri regarding Utah's "small" population knows nothing about demographics. Utah is the fastest growing state in the nation percentage wise and is approaching the size of Oregon and Oklahoma.
"The news that Meyer had chosen Florida over the Fighting Irish came as a shock to many in Gainesville and South Bend . . . He had been a favorite for the Florida job since coach Ron Zook was fired . . . But when Notre Dame fired Tyrone Willingham on Monday, everything seemed to change. Meyer . . . had a clause in his Utah contract that allowed him to leave for Notre Dame without penalty. But he said this week that people were reading too much into the buyout in terms of assuming he'd take the Notre Dame job. HE RECEIVED AN OFFER FROM NOTRE DAME ON THURSDAY, reportedly half of what Florida promised."
Also, the earlier message never said Florida or Utah were poor programs prior to 2000 (both were strong, with Florida taking the NC in '96 and Utah finishing in the top 10 in '94). It simply analogized Notre Dame v. Florida to BYU v. Utah.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
One good (actually great) year in three and two in five strung in with a whole bunch of mediocre ones and our friendly Utes can now talk smack with the best of them.
Coach Whittingham's next task is to string together several ten plus-win seasons in a row-which Utah has NEVER done.
Perspective is that the Utes have never yet shown any consistency year in and year out. Reality is that they are the best this year, but let's see what 2009 brings. Can Whitt work his magic again?
Probably not and we are probably more likely to see them at 8-4 at best.
Nevertheless, on behalf of BYU and MWC fans everywhere-Congratulations to a magnificent once in a lifetime season. We are very proud of you!
Look, 1-21 against ranked teams and a very poor bowl record is the reality when a group of RM, Eagle Scouts take the field against elite athletes. Enjoy the success BYU has had but don't expect bcs level success.
Several BYU fans did say that BYU needs to be better at getting the top LDS athletes. BYU has to compete in the recruiting game and should never assume that just because an athlete is LDS that they'll clearly come to BYU.
And no one ever said that BYU is better than everyone at everything. Once again, you're twisting people's words for your own purposes. Many on here have argued that BYU is better than UofU in many ways (both athletics and academics). I happen to fall in that group...obviously you don't. There's nothing irrational or condescending about either of us supporting our respective schools and arguing on their behalf.
You're the one with the holier than thou attitude by claiming that by supporting one's school and team with arguments somehow isn't consistent with the principles of the LDS church.
This is the kind of stuff that drives me nuts about UofU fans.
The Utes changed that dramatically this year. My hat's off to Utah for a great season and exceptional showing against Alabama. Further, thanks for the attention you brought to the Mountain West.
Likewise, TCU deserves tons of credit for knocking off an undefeated Boise State team. Way to go Horn Frogs.
There's so much to be positive about and build upon within the MWC. Let's spend more time building up our respective schools and conference vs the ongoing bashing we see almost daily & certainly weekly.
Some wards recruited, finding the best players and moving them into their boundaries (and perhaps recruited some who didn't move into their boundaries).
My ward took what it had and competed. Fairly regularly, our team placed high enough at the stake level to play in the district tournament. We never seemed to get beyond that point. But we did the best we could with the limitations given us.
BYU football, likewise, has some limitations. But it competes and recruits the best it can. I am pleased when Bronco and his lads keep church and school standards yet still have respectable seasons. If they should exceeed expectations, so much the better.
Quest for Perfection, I believe (wishing I could read Bronco's mind for sure) was not to be accomplished in a single season but improvements over the long haul. Perfection is a journey that comes only at the last step.
Where were all the big UofU lovers at the beginning of the season? Or last year? Or the year before? They don't seem to show up to the home games.
Obviously, the Sugar Bowl is a MUCH better bowl than the LV Bowl. No one with a brain is going argue about that. Congrats to the UofU for a big win.
But, why is it that BYU fans sold out the LV Bowl and the UofU couldn't sell its allotment of ticket to the Sugar Bowl? I think it has something to do with a much bigger and more engaged fan base that has been developed over the decades. Two good years isn't the same as a long-time winning tradition. Is the UofU program on the rise...clearly it is. But is it on par with the tradition of BYU's program. Not yet.
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Honestly, I don't care about Utah vs. BYU except for 1 game in Nov. and 2 games over the winter. I prefer Utah to play a 10-1 BYU team instead of a 4-6 team. A win(or loss) means more.
Good luck to Krugar, Smith and Collie at the next level. All 3 will be Day 1 drafts.
Go Utes!