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BYU, Utah Utes football: Champs or Busters?

I think Utah's dominance over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl brings into question the validity of the SEC. That conference should be dropped from the BCS along with the Big 12 following their dismal bowl results.

Good article.

BYU's national championsip is not only remembered in Provo. Jimmy Johnson, in the pregame "bash" he and Barry Switzer had before the Sugar Bowl, mentioned BYU winning against a "mediocre" Michigan team en route to their championship 24 years ago. As coach of Miami, I'm sure he remembers and is still fuming about it. Got to love that.

Gotta love the '84 cougars, '04 Utes and '08 Utes. It's only a matter of time before the playoff ystem is adopted and they look back at Utah as a pioneer.

The strength of schedule for Utah in 2008 far surpasses the schedules of Utah in 2004 and BYU in 1984. The 2008 Utes had the most impressive season in state history - by far.

BYU won all of their games in 1984, but they had a lot of close games against weak competition. They can't be the best alltime team from the state if most BYU observers consider them to be only the 3rd or 4th best BYU team.

The 2004 Utes were one of 2 teams in 50 years to go undefeated and win all of their games by at least 14 points (the other team was Nebraska in 1994). They were untested and unproven at the highest level. Their offense was innovative and extremely effective. I am a big Ute fan and I don't think the Utes had the defensive speed in 2004 to stop a team like USC.

2008 = Best Utah Team ever. They would have beat the 2004 Utes in a close game and they would have blown out the 84 Cougars.

This years football rankings clearly show how perception affects movement in the polls. Alabama started the season ranked #24, but made jumps by beating #9 Clemson (Alabama goes to #13), and #3 Georgia (Alabama goes to #2). Preseason voters didn't realize Clemson would end up 7-6 (unranked), or that Georgia would be 10-3 (ranked #13).

The Utes required a 12-0 record to get to #7 even though they had wins over BYU (10-3, #25), and TCU (11-2, #7).

The Utes #2 ranking in the AP, along with a number of the first place votes, at least recognizes that some in the media are changing their perception of non-bcs conferences.

Stewart Mandel at SI even has the Utes of 2009 picked as his #8 team. GO UTES!!!

I'm still not impressed with the 1-4 bowl record from their five best teams. LOL for a long time. They hid within their own conference all year. Oklahoma is now the biggest looser in the BCS bowl games along with the other overrated conferences (Big 12, ACC, and Big East). Poor Barry Switzer.

Three best conferences this year:
1) Mountain West and SEC
2) Pac-10

For weeks now I have heard about the'84 season of BYU's National championship and being number 1, That was 24 years ago and then I find out that the team that beat in desperate fashion was 6-5

Nice article. Each team's season did open doors for the non-BCS and more particularly, the MWC.

There seems to be a progression as time passes. Utah's impressive win over Alabama was most significant as it they dominated a previous #1 team. That was a great opportunity which the other teams were not granted. BYU was given a less-than-prime Michigan squad and Utah got the shaft with an over-rated Pitt team. Even Boise State beat an uninspired Oklahoma team (much like BYU did years earlier).

The MWC ended up with three ranked teams--two of which ended up in the top 7. That is the biggest accomplishment for non-BCS teams and it is timely as the BCS is in a 4-yr evaluation cycle.

I think both BYU and Utah would have had a difficult time beating Oklahoma, Florida, Texas or USC. They both have great to good teams, but these four are storied programs that attract the best recruits and perform at another level. It is too bad there isn't a system that could prove who is the best team, but even then anything can happen on any given day. It's an unscientific process to name a winner.

The nice thing is that a nonbcs school should make it to the BCS every year now. I think next year will be the first year that a one loss team will make it. Plus once we invite Boise State to the MWC there will be enough competitition to give us an autobid. The reason that it will be hard for a MWC school to go undefeated more than one season in a row is b/c usually those teams have a lot of seniors, so the next year is a rebuilding year.

I'm guessing next years BCS buster is going to be TCU, BYU, or BSU.

Thanks to 84 BYU, 04 UTES, 08 UTES post-season steps have been taken to make things right. Also, props to programs like Fresno State, BSU, TCU, etc. for regular season support as well. Now that ESPN has the next BCS contract we will be taking steps backwards. ESPN has not been shy about bashing the current system since they don't get to televise the games. Now with their new $125 million dollar investment in the current system (to televise BCS games through 2012)they will not only promote the current BCS system but will sway the polls accordingly making it much more difficult for the non-BCS teams to gain enough votes to crash the party. It will get worse before it gets better.

True Blue, You have a great idea. The MWC with additions of Boise State and Tulsa makes the MWC very strong in both Football and Basketball. Plus it creates some great natural rivalries. BSU and Utah, along with Tulsa and TCU add two more intense rivalries to the open and coming conference in the country. We all can complain about the BCS till we are tired of it, but until the MWC takes action, I don�t see the money hungry group that is the BCS doing much about it.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Talk about being full of yourself. Utah would not be undefeated had it played a full season in a real conference. Ask TCU how they play in the Big 12. Ask the y how they play the game anywhere outside of the MWC.

Sometimes you have to be careful what you ask for. I would love to have seen Cinderella play back to back games with the big boys.

Good article. I'll take the 2008 Utah team as the Best in State History, narrowly beating the 2004 Utah team - primarily for their wonderful and dominating defense and for their versatile offense.

who cares if they beat a 4-7 Provo High School team, they won the National championship- the utes are always saying "we can only win the games on our schedule". Well guess what, thats what BYU 84 did, and there is a National Championship trophy living down in Provo. Sorry Utes, I NEVER see you having one. I like that.

Certainly not the 84 Y team barely escaping a 6-5 team.. try again blue bloods !

"Certainly not the 84 Y team barely escaping a 6-5 team.. try again blue bloods !"

...But, they were ranked #1 in the country. And this years Utah team beat a 4-8 UNM team by a fieldgoal.

Are you trying to have the same argument work against BYU and not for Utah?

If you are ruling out '84 BYU ranked #1 for beating a 6-4 team, that rules out 2008 Utes for beating a 4-8 team by three points.

You are like Uncle Rico. Living in the past..

Please look at the Big Ten and their automatic bid, 1 and 6 in the bowls.They should only be allowed to play in the Toilet Bowl.08 Utes deserved better than they got.All over Alabama, that hung tough with Florida for 3.5 quarters.USC, the darlings of the media, usually a weak conference and known to cheat. (Reggie Bush)At least this year the conference was undefeated in Bowl games,usually playing teams with worse records. Hard to argue against the SEC ,Alabama and South Carolina the only 2 bowl losers.Alabama played a great Utah team and South Carolina by all accounts should not have been in a bowl,but you know how those automatic bids go.I wish a team would say we are not worthy give it to someone else , but bowl money overrides sportsmanship.

Utah, your win too, will be in the past someday.
When it is all said and done, in 20 years who will remember this Utah win but Utah fans alone?

Without the internet, can any of you tell me who won the sugar bowl in 1987, 88, or 89 or even 2 years ago?

On the other hand, look at the list of National Champions. Only 2 non BCS Schools have one. Notre Dame and BYU.

Sorry guys, in the eyes of the nation you will always be, bo-diddly TECH.

BYU 1984 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS.

The whole nation new in 84 that BYU winning the national championship was a joke and that helped in creating this BCS mess. Thanks kewgs. This year even ESPN is giving props to Utah and getting 16 first place votes and finishing #2 under this current system is quite impressive. Keep living in 84 kewgs thats the best it's ever going to get. The 08 Utes had the most greatest season a team in this state has ever had with or without a "national championship" trophy.