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East Carolina Pirates storm Top 25; BYU drops and Utes stay at 22

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Hmmm... | 2:24 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Sad to see BYU slide three spots for winning on the road at a BCS school. But you can definitely make a case for those teams that moved ahead of them. At least Ohio State was similarly penalized for struggling AT HOME against a non-BCS team.

nope | 2:25 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

actually, utah didnt advance. But that's okay, after byu loses to ucla and utah beats utah st. We'll be in the top 10 and byu will drop completely out. and i'll be happy

DH | 2:26 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Completely justifiable. BYU's defense looked horrible! I hope they can play better than this. If not then they don't belong in the top 25.

Comments continue below

CougFaninAZ | 2:27 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

I said this on another comment section, but what the heck, I'm madder than a Ute fan after a beatdown by the Cougars.

How can a team totally dominate statistically in every category (except penalty yards)...

Only give up 330 yards (270 of which came by way of ultra stud Locker) in a hostile environment, on the road against a team with it's back against the wall and hungry for a win...

Win on the road against a BCS conference team...

AND DROP THREE PLACES IN THE AP POLL?!?!?!?!?!

What a joke...very sad state of affairs. WE NEED A COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF!

Ohio State barely beat an Ohio team that got beat by Wyoming...at home. They didn't get punished.

Punished for winning on the road???

B I A S

BYU | 2:32 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

BYU deserves to drop

As it should be! | 2:36 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

The Pirates deserve their ranking. They have had two very impressive wins against quality opponents. IF the cougs truly are the 15th best team in the nation they should have beat the Huskies more impressively than a one point trumph.

I know all you folks in Cougartown are aroused but lets face it the Huskies are the 8th or 9th place team in the pac 10. This is the cougs last chance to shine on a national stage this Saturday and Impressive big win over UCLA is needed to validate that BYU truly is a top 15 team

True Blue | 2:39 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Let's hope UW beats OU somehow. I don't see why BYU should be penalized for the refs oh well. Jake Locker is a media darling. UCLA also dropped out of the rankings, but next week's game is still huge. A BYU victory would give us a couple of easier games before TCU. Let's hope BYU figures defense out before then.

noname | 2:44 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

I can understand the East Carolina moving really high but how does Oregon jump up two spots after beating Utah St.? Penn St. also jumps up two spots after beating Oregon St. We also have Utah moving up after killing one of the worst football teams in the nation. The BCS makes me frustrated.

rubbish | 2:44 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

The penalty called on Washington was NOT controversial except to the Washington media. It is stated in the NCAA rules that throwing the ball in the air after scoring a TD is a celebration penalty. The Washington media are just a bunch of cry babies.

And what's so hard about kicking the ball thru the uprights from 35 yards out anyway? Kickers do it all the time, that isn't even a long field goal. Just cowboy up and kick it for crying out loud. It got blocked because BYU's players made the play they needed to make, end of story.

I think the main reason BYU dropped in the polls after getting the win was because their defense wasn't that impressive so the score was too close. Collie's dropped TD and Unga not protecting the ball with both hands at the goal line has come back to haunt them. Looks like East Carolina is now the cinderella team to get a BCS bowl game.

Random Thoughts | 2:47 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

East Carolina deserves this ranking after what they have done the first two weeks. BYU deserves to drop a few spots after their first two games. Utah is ranked about where they should be right now but they should be ranked above BYU.

If East Carolina wins out then they will be the BCS buster this year and rightly so. They have the inside track and BYU, Utah & Fresno St will all make it interesting and keep the pressure on ECU. That is if BYU can beat UCLA this week in Provo. Watch out for TCU as they could be joining the top 25 soon. It would be great to have 3 MWC teams in the top 25!

Anonymous | 2:56 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

cougars dont want a playoff. they cant win anywhere but at home. and yeah i think at this point in time byu's ranking is pretty accurate. havent seen anything impressive.

Random Thoughts | 2:57 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Cougar fans....keep the bad call-good call and one point win over UW on that other topic. Oregon moved up because they have blown out their first two teams and they look good. Penn St moved up because they also thumped Oregon St. BYU dropped because they won by one point over a team that most think is not that good and because they didnt look great in beating N. High School. Keep it real Cougar fan, your still in the top 25 but you best watch out for UCLA in Provo this week.

More evidence | 3:05 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

"Domination of the conference is not enough"; say the pundits. "Win on the road against BCS foes", they say. "Then you will gain respect".

"See Utah?", they ask. "They have beaten an unranked, mediocre big ten team on the road and are rewarded with a place in the polls. They have gained our respect", says the media.

"What's that, BYU? You have done what we required? Beaten a mediocre Pac-ten team on the road who obviously played up in an attempt to save its coach?"

"You have overcome the nationally notorious Pac-10 officiating, well known as 'totaly invested' in assuring that Pac-ten teams don't get burned by the 'dishonesty' of the other confrences officials?"

"Well, those same "homer" officials obviously gave you the game. You earned nothing. You have done EVERYTHING we required, but it is not enough. You need to drop three places to punish you for having the gall to believe that if you do as we say, you'll be rewarded. This is why we mock men like Bronco Mendenhall who means the things he says, for we do not."
Signed,
"big-time" college football.

U of U Cougar | 3:06 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

AP doesn't matter. Just in case people forgot the AP poll doesn't matter anymore. They removed themselves from the BCS system. So I could care less if the AP had BYU at 10 or 116. The Coachs poll is the one that matters and BYU is still at #15. Also East Carolina deserves to be ahead of any other non-BCS team. That was an impressive win over West Virginia. I think the only thing the AP poll got way wrong was East Carolina still being ranked way too low. Look out of East Carolina at the end of the season, they don't have another tough game left on the schedule. BYU at #18 is fair. Sure they could be higher, but they will be if they keep winning.

Defense | 3:07 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

B. Y. U.'s lack of DEFENSE is what frustrates me. We just as well have had Carlos Boozer out there. They act like they don't want to hurt those tender little hands by making the tackle.Talk about slow reaction to the play.IF BYU WANTS TO REMAIN IN THE TOP 25 THEN THEY BETTER START PLAYING TOP 25 DEFENSE! Man talk about a waste of a very top 15 offense!!!! Go to work Mr. defensive coordinator.

RE Az fan | 3:08 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

It doesn't matter if they dominated statistically dummy all that matters is the score

Some Brains | 3:09 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

The Locker celebration penalty was NOT controversial, I agree, it was dead wrong! Celebration.... Are you kidding? Rubbish boy, the rule states "throwing the ball HIGH in the air"! Maybe that's as high as you can throw... don't know??? Unless having fun playing football is against the rules then that call was bogus. Granted a 35 yard field goal is not that hard to make, credit BYU. But to penalize a kid for showing passion is a joke. BYU fans and players alike generally do get their feelings hurt easily so maybe the official was privy to that information. BYU's defense will get exposed this week by Chow and company so this weeks three step drop in the polls won't seem so bad after BYU falls out entirely. BYU fans should know just how good Chow is...

My 2 cents

re no name, nope and cougfaninaz | 3:09 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

well, after beating utah state, utah shouldnt move into the top ten, and shouldnt move up much unless everybody ahead of them loses bad! And to noname, the pollsters watch the games, Oregon and Penn State tromped over their opponents, BYU squeaked by. AND Ohio state did drop in the polls. No fewer spots than BYU did either, so stop complaining.

die hard ute | 3:15 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

who cares. byu was probably ranked too high to begin with. if not, there's plenty of time to prove otherwise. as for my utes, I hope they are taking it one game at a time. the rankings will get sorted out in due time.

Mark | 3:22 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Last Year #1 USC played at Washington and only won the game by 3 points and they didn't drop any spots. Washington was horrible last year. What gives. Oh yeah, BYU is from a non-bcs conference and should have won by a lot more. Its okay for the number one team in the nation to only win by three points at Washington, but the number 15 team should have won by more. Pathetic!!

to CougFaninAZ | 3:31 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Since you've posted comments before you should know that its best to read the article carefully before you spout off about something. Ohio State did get "punished" for a weak win, they droped from 2 to 5, simlar to your drop even though they didn't need a last second play to ensure victory. I know you want to feel justifed in your, us against the world attitude, and feel like your picked on, but don't make silly comments like that cause it makes the rest of us non BCS fans (including many intelligent BYU fans) look pouty for complaining about things that really are bias against us.

Cal the Cougar from Monticello | 3:32 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Just roll with it Cougars. The polls have worked in our favor plenty of times before, and the magic will happen again. Don't sweat it. On to perfection. Forget the trivial distractions. Polls don't win games.

Anonymous | 3:34 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

WHA WHA WHA poor BYU WHA WHA WHA. Grow up ya big babies!

HA HA | 3:41 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

BYU shouldn't have ever moved up last week after their game against EWU. This is a "true" football poll market adjustment. For BYU fans who think a BCS win means movement or stability in the polls...you are wrong. There are at least 2 dozen BCS programs that are horrible--so a BCS win doesn't always mean a quality win.

Point made | 3:42 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Now you know why we all laugh at BYU when they talk of a Nationale Championship. No non BCS team will ever get that opportunity because of the system.

mhe | 3:41 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

It's a beauty contest!

Amazed | 3:45 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Jorgensen's block wasn't just a finger tip, he stuffed that kick like a basketball, meaning he would have easily gotten to any other kick, regardless of angle. The very best part the block however, is the fact that, as during the majority of the game, Washington's line committed a blatant holding penalty. Take a look at the pictures on ESPN.com and see Jorgensen's jersey stretched out in the hand of a Washington lineman. Classic.

Random Thoughts | 3:44 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Mark | 3:22 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008....

Last year was last year but dont just point out one game for USC and match it up with what BYU did this year. Its pathetic and holds no water for this year! BTW, USC has beat the best teams in the country year in and year out so dont put BYU in the same sentence with USC. USC is one of a very few elite teams in the country, period.

Not Surprised | 3:49 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

BYU was practically scripted to drop after the uproar over yesterday's call.

That call did the cougars absolutely no favors. Of course, neither did BYU's defense.

Here's what it comes down to: if BYU wants any respect at all this year they have to pummel UCLA. They cannot win a close game, they have to win convincingly. Because in the skewed land of BCS football, a win is not a win.

objective cougar | 3:52 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

there is no reason to cry. any objective BYU who watched that game should have expected to slide in the polls. there was no way after thaqt mess of a game that BYU was going to gain spots. So lets get real.

as for the "system" we all know it is manipulated and massaged via preseason rankings. the poll people are more apt to hold a team back or leave them static to ensure an expected expectation.

any non-BCS team looking to make a statement needs to win by 14 points, at minimum or better, in every single game. the only time a one point win will help you is if it is late year against a top 10 team or better. a one point win against the worst team in the PAC-10 early on is as good as a loss.

Dan | 3:49 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Hey Some brains - you obviously don't have any. Did you see the play? Did you see him throw the ball up just to have it fall down on top of him and his teammates about 2-3 seconds later? I would say that was high, and therefore in complete violation of the rules. Listen to ESPN and the biased media all you want, but the call was right according to the rule. The rule may be silly, but the call was correct.

Indiana cougar fan | 3:56 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

I wouldn't worry too much about the polls for now. If BYU continues to win, the'll move up in the polls. Even ranked at 18th, there's plenty of time to creep up as other teams lose. In two months, the score of this game will be ancient history and forgotten. If they don't continue to win, none of this will matter. Should be a fun game this coming Saturday!

Steve | 3:57 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Wow all i am reading is a bunch of Ute fans that hate BYU. Everyone Sees what the Utes really are, and that is a team that can not stop the run. Come on tied at 14 to Vegas at halftime!!!! It seems to me that Utah should be the ones dropping in the polls.

Anti-PC Infidel | 3:59 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

I'll preface this by stating that I'm a lifetime BYU fan, alumnus, etc.

BYU's offense was mediocre and its defense stunk against a mediocre team. The drop in the polls was deserved. They'll have to play a lot better and give UCLA a good thumping next week to prove that they are a great team, not just a good team (which is obvious).

Utah beat two mediocre teams, was occasionally impressive in both games, but occasionally pathetic as well. They're just about right near the bottom of the top 25 until they get a quality win as well.

Nobody that knows football can honestly say that either school has shown themselves to ready for the big time so far this year. Utah State and Weber State are not going to tell us anything about Utah (unless they lose), but domination against Air Force and Oregon State would legitimize Utah as a power. Big wins against UCLA and Wyoming would do the same for BYU.

At this points, fans of both teams haven't seen anything great, and ought to be a little nervous.

BYU Texan | 4:01 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

RE: die hard ute

Several points from a Cougar fan. Die Hard Ute is right, what does it matter that the Cougs dropped a couple of spots. In the end, if they and Utah win out, the winner of the BYU/UTAH matchup will likely earn a trip to the Fiesta Bowl. ECU deserves it's recognition, too. Maybe this year and undefeated ECU, Fresno State, and MWC team will help point to the need for a playoff system.

For those busting on the Cougars defense...Is it a surprise the the defense is struggling some? They are young and don't have alot of returning starters. Think of last year in week two or three of the season, didn't the defense get thrashed by TULSA? Maybe this defense will get with it and get stronger as the season progresses.

The fact remains, BYU probably has one of the strongest Os in the nation and a below average D. I would say Utah's D might be marginally better than the Y's, at this point in the season. After all, Miami OH held Michigan to 16 points, whereas the U allowed 23, No?

Rankings | 4:05 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

All you BYU fans, be honest. IF you saw the game (and I did), how can you possibly feel that BYU should not have lost ground in the rankings? I don't know what the spread was, but the #15 team in the USA should be able to beat the #9 team in the PAC-10 by more than 1 point.

The stats were nearly dead even at the half and slightly in UW's favor at the end of the 3rd. Unga's fumble, Collie's drops, the linebackers' inability to bring down a 20-year old kid and the defensive backfield's inability to cover ANYONE. It all adds up to a team that should not be #15.

re mark | 4:17 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

classic comment. That game, as you so eloquently pointed out, WAS LAST YEAR! And it was by the top team in the nation, and Washington scored with only 30 seconds left. And don't say that is the same as BYU because its not, the game was already decided before that score. And guess what, they LOST the next week and dropped. Oh, and byu only won by one point on a blocked pat, NOT IMPRESSIVE!

EC | 4:20 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

East Carolina would run over BYU. They are the real BCS buster this year. You have beaten NO ONE!

cougs fans | 4:30 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

you guys crack me up. First off you judge everyone for being a cry baby yesterday but today you are being the cry babies. You guys flip flopped in a matter of 24 hours.

common sense | 4:30 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

BYU deserved to win but about didn't.
Wash did what they had to do to stay close.
Rule is very clear unless you can't read. Like the rule or not it is what it is.
As far as high goes...that is irrelevant as to not handing the ball to the closest official or leaving it lay at the point the play ends. See the video in real time as I did some 25 times on Tivo and count 1000-1 1000-2 and see that the ball lands on a players shoulder at about 1000-2.5+ so how high did it have to be in the air for that to happen...HIGH
and I don't believe he did it showboating or taunting but he broke the rule...
It is what it is...everyone who hates BYU thinks it stinks, everyone who loves BYU thinks it was great... but the kick was the thing... and I'm not sure a regular pat would have made it either... but that is starting to be speculation on my part so I quit

Stop Crying | 4:36 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

What's this?????? BYU fans playing the persecuted? We've never seen this before.

I swear you guys would be like fishes out of water without some reason to cry, "injustice!"

Anyways, on the brighter side of all things Utah, the Utes really need to fill those running gaps. Without being forced to play catch-up, UNLV's running game would have gone well over 200 yards.

Re U of U Cougar/ die hard ute | 4:41 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

I think you both have it right on. ECU is where they deserve to be. I also think that #15 is too high for our boys. The Offense is there and deservedly so, but until the defense can step it up in the back field, it's going to be harder to convince critics that BYU deserves even a top 20 ranking. Gotta get the job done on both sides of the ball.

Remember-
"Offense wins games, but DEFENSE wins championships."

Until our defense plays better, I'll stay worried for every game this year.

I love to watch college football on a per game basis because there is a definite winner at the end of the game. At the end of the year, I am still unsure who is the best team in the nation. At that point, it is no better than gymnastics, it's a judgement call.

Husky | 4:52 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

The Huskies will be lucky to win one game all year.

BYU was very fortunate their only loss of the year was not against U-DUB.

All the BYU Nay-sayers will keep this one on file as a gatekeeper statistic in order to try to keep the Cougars out of the BCS.

Remember 1984?

The rest of football crazed fans and writers do!

Football Fan | 4:53 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

I am not surprized that BYU dropped inthe polls. I expected it. They struggled to win against an unranked team. The only thing that irks me is that everyone questions the unsportsmanlike call. I don't like that rule either, but the fact is that the guy broke the rule! It is commonly accepted that the PAC - 10 refs protect their own teams in non conference games. BYU was on the receiving end of many bad calls and no calls yesterday. You don't have to look very far to find other programs that will agree that the officiating in the PAC - 10 is very biased. Any open minded person who reviews some of the key no calls in the game would have to agree that the refs helped Washinton stay in the game. BYU overcame much more adversity from the officials than Washinton faced. Jake Locker was awesome, and I hope he doesn't let this mistake haunt him.

Meaningless | 4:54 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

The rankings are meaningless at this point. If BYU or Utah keep winning they will move up by the end of the season.

BIg "Least" | 5:06 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Enough about BYU, Utah, etc. Can anyone really tell me why the Big East is supposed to be tough? They are horrible! East Carolina has beaten two completely over-rated squads (W.Va., Va.Tech) who were living on their pasts.

This is a conference with big names and no talent. Rutgers, South Florida, UConn, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Louisville, W. Virginia

Ute glad the Cougs won | 5:21 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

I'm glad they won, I hope they do till November.

Cougs, you have to at least meet the spread. It is best to beat the spread. I think the odds makers had the cougs winning by 6-- they won by 1.

The Utes met the line and stayed put in the polls. It is a game (a very STUPID game), but that is how it is played. It doesn't matter if you just win, you have to win by at least "so much".

BYWHO? | 5:33 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Sorry coogies, no love for you. You will have to exact revenge on those teams that are weaker than you. Even if you run the table, (which you won't), the BCS will invite Fresno,ECU,or... (dare I say it), THE UTES to the big BCS dance. You will have to settle for the lost wages bowl. HAHA.

Please | 5:34 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008

Can't we all just get along....Rodney King

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