Deseret News | BYU slips one spot while Utah climbs in latest college football polls; Oklahoma No. 1

Reader comments
BYU slips one spot while Utah climbs in latest college football polls; Oklahoma No. 1

173 comments | Read story

Lehi Cougar fan | 1:21 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

to scheduling: pretty funny post! I like it.

It's a good point. These deals are inked years in advance. Who knows, maybe by the time BYU starts playing Boise State in 2012, Boise State will be a crappy team. You just never know. Same with FSU. They've been down lately, but they could be a top 15 team when BYU plays them the next two years.

Who has BYU beat? | 1:23 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

I want BYU to run the table but who have they beat? I dont think they have beat a team ranked in the top 60. Try to play a team such as Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Florida, Georgia, LSU, USC. teams that are usually in the top 25. Just play 1 of these teams a year and they will get alot more respect. Its hard to judge teams 3-5 years down the road, but these teams you can usually count on.

re I dont Understand | 1:29 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

because Kentucky was undefeated, and is a very solid team, and its a conference game right? In a pretty tough conference right? Maybe that is why.

Comments continue below

BCS this season NC next | 1:33 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

This really is simple - as long as BYU wins out they will be in a BCS Bowl. We really don't have a realistic shot at the NC this season so I am not concerned about what 1 or 2 loss teams play in the other BCS Bowls or for the NC - we will be in one if we win out and thats all that matters or thats in our control this season.

However, particularly if we win or play a very good BCS Bowl game, we will go into next season ranked top ten preseason and really do have a chance at a NC. We have some newcomers next season on the o-line but many of them are getting valuable playing time this season and they should be very good even though young. Outside of the o-line, we literally return EVERYONE next season.

So, all the polling hype comes down to the fact that we control our own destiny - win out and its a nice multi-million dollar BCS Bowl game this season and a very real chance at a NC next. Let's just sit back and enjoy the ride!!

SoCalUtahFan | 1:37 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

In sagarin computer rating,

Utah is ranked 14, TCU 15 and BYU 16.

What do you expect when the team compiles 5-0 record against teams with compiled record of 8-19.
And the schedule strength is ranked 126th.

Can't wait for Nov 22.
Go Utes!!!

sob | 1:51 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

to lehi cougar fa

i am

Re: SCHEDULING | 1:57 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

Valid point --BYU has UCLA and UW on schedule.
BUT only IF UCLA and UW are good and/or decent as they're normally are, and IF BYU still beats them (these are two IFs), then BYU should be ranked higher --probably in the top-5 right now.

However, UW is terrible and yet BYU came away with a controversy 1-point win.
UCLA is not good neither this year.
To add salts to the injury, NIA does not help BYU's schedule. And a 10-pt against 126-ranked USU certainly does not look good for BYU.
So: until BYU can beat TCU and Utah, BYU fans have no case to cry FOUL against BCS rating.

SoCalUtahFan.

Re: SoCalUtahFan | 2:04 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

Why are you the only one that ever brings up the Sagarin Ratings? I'm a Ute Fan and I could give a crap about those ratings. We will see what happens on November 23rd when the ratings come out follow the "Game of the Century"! GO UTES!

davidutefan | 2:13 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

I agree with the comments made about the so-called national powers having to have 2 losses to even consider a BYU or Utah for the NC game. Why do you think the BCS on it's current form exists? it's the BYU rule. They will not let 1984 happen again. A lot of people in BCS areas believe that BYU shouldn't have won the NC that year. I'm Not a BYU fan but, under that system, they deserved it that year. I still think the 2004 Ute team could have taken them as I don't think that was the best BYU team. That honor goes to the team that destroyed us in RES with Ronnie Jenkins rushing for about a 1,000 yards(I don't remember the exact year). that was a balanced offensive team with a great defense. and it was vastly underrated. D&C 133:48

hey byu fans | 2:15 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

College Football News released their 2008 bowl projections. They have BYU playing in the Las Vegas Bowl!!!

Their projection for Utah this year, what was that- the Corn Chip Party Bowl, or something like that. I don't exactly remember.

Fully Invested | 2:29 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

SoCalUtahFan, I noticed that you failed to bring up the score of the UCLA game,as well as the fact that BYU beat USU by 20, not 10. You also failed to mention that Utah played Weber State and USU. Who cares what the scores were. By your logic, Utah is about as good as UW. Look what Stanford did to OSU and UW. You may as well put away your logic and SOS; after all Utah and BYU get to settle this thing on the feild.

Lehi cougar fan | 2:58 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

CBS sports has BYU in the Sugar Bowl versus LSU.

ESPN: Mark Schlabach - BYU in Sugar Bowl vs. Alabama

ESPN: Bruce Feldman - BYU in Fiesta Bowl vs. OU

re: hey byu fans | 3:00 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

look man let me correct your unclear mind, was it perhaps the TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL, I THINK SO hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

GO UTES
GO KING LOUIE
GO KILL WYOMING
THE MUSS rocks cause im in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thomas | 3:04 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

The only way a school from a non-BCS conference will play in the NC is to go undefeated for 2 years and that will still be iffy. It all depends on who they play out of conference, how good the OOC opponents are, and last, but not least, there really is no effort to keep non-BCS conferences from ever winning a national championship.

Actually | 3:15 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

Actually I'm relieved. I thought we'd drop much farther. I thought that Georgia and Florida would move ahead of us because of that lackluster effort in Logan.

I'm actually pretty happy we just dropped by one spot.

And Ute fans, I know Wyoming is terrible, but they're going to be fired up this week and Laramie is a tough place to play.

I don't think you're going to lose, but I don't think you'll drop 44-0 on them. Not that you're not good enough to do that at home, because you certainly are. Just you're playing in a tough place against a team that has every reason to hate your guts.

Be wary. You guys could come out of this week looking like BYU did against Utah State.

Re: hey byu fans | 3:21 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

So, the media has BYU rated in the top 10 and all you Ute fans think it is bogus. Yet one random magazine predicts Utah will go to the Fiesta Bowl and all of a sudden they are prophets. Typical thinking from Ute fans.
Here's a question for Ute fans posting here. Can't you think of something original to put at the end of your posts? Go Utes!, how unique. Blah Blah Blah, Go Utes. BYU stinks, Go Utes. SOS, Go Utes. BYU over-rated, Go Utes. We are insecure, Go Utes. Try something else, I dare you.

BCS... | 3:28 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

When the BCS comes out you will be ranked lower than you are now, so I agree Cougar fans... Just wait till those polls come out, these ones dont mean anything

BYU Overrated | 3:36 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

Utah has beaten 4 top 50 teams, more than ANYONE in the country. BYU's highest win was vs UCLA ranked 74th. Weber St is ranked higher than EVERY other team you beat including Washington. You have beat NOBODY and struggled with Washington who is horrible. Weber St would kill them. Kinda funny how the tables have turned

Re: To all Ute fans | 3:36 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

"Pop in the mouth?" Is that supposed to be some sort of threat??

(Snickering)

Works both ways | 3:45 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

Re: San Diego Ute Fan 12:37 p.m.

Calm down buddy! You are so typical of the many ugly Ute fans that pollute this forum. Relax, enjoy the ride, and let the Utes & Cougars settle it on the field. Jeesh, you people are so classless! Jerks like you give our rivalry and conference a bad name.

JMT | 3:47 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

This is reminding more and more of the NFL when it comes to BYU's schedule.

In the NFL a good team (not great) gets a really weak schedule. They do incredibly well against this really weak schedule then get into the playoffs with a 13-3 record, then get stomped in the playoffs.

BYU has the tools but are not mean enough to close the deal. And by not being forced to pick it up I think they stand to stumble when it counts.

The first big test is TCU. If BYU beats them on the road, then they are legit. If they bury TCU then we should get excited about busting the BCS wide open. If they squeak by, we keep chugging.

I do not want BYU to pull a Hawaii. I would hate to see us get into the Fiesta against Alabama or Georgia or something and get stomped. I'm not into moral victories. "Either your first, or your last" - to quote a great competitor.

Really | 4:02 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

What did you think they were going to do with USC after their game yesterday?

I'll still sleep this weekend.
BYU is TOP 10.
U of U... NOT.

Now, quit parking in front of my house, and use the bathroom at the stadium.

BCS vs Non-BCS | 4:08 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

I don't believe there is a bias against non-bcs teams. The reality is that teams in the mwc do not have to face the same kind of competion on a weekly basis as Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Missouri, ohio state, Alabama, USC (well this year may be an exception).. if those teams played the same schedule as the mwc teams they would go undefeated too. Their only competion would be utah, byu and tcu... and we all say what oklahoma did to tcu...

Even bronco said recently (I'm paraphrasing so forgive me if not exactly accurate)..."on any given saturday byu can play with those teams, but to play their schedule week in and week out would be daunting..."

this is a true statement for the utah's, byu's, tcu's, bsu's

when the texas and oklahomas beat up on each other a loss will not hurt them as much as a loss will hurt a non-bcs team... their sos' will just keep getting higher as they play each other... so it won't be surprising to see a 2 loss team above an un-defeated non-bcs team.

Go 2seasons backtoback, start ranked in top 10 2nd yr and hope for a bunch of 2loss team...maybe

Anti-PC Infidel | 4:11 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

BYU played what for them was a rather mediocre game against a bad team that played above themselves, so it's not strange that they slipped a rank, but Utah moving up? Sure they won, but other than the end of the game, they looked bad most of the time. As in REALLY bad. And they really need to find a quarterback somewhere. He was okay at the end, but he's consistently erratic.

Woody | 4:15 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

I have always been a BYU fan, died hard fan but I'm believing that it just may be true about Utah being more centered on proving they belong with the Big Boys. I still think there will not be any teams in the end with loosing records and if BYU dosen't take care of business, it will likely be them with the L. Hopefully they can right the ship but their going to have to put in some overtime.

Not Done Dropping | 4:18 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

If you dont think that Florida, Georgia, and Ohio State will all jump BYU before its all said and done you dont have a Clue!!! All 3 of them would kill BYU, and they play way better teams give it 2 weeks and BYU will be out of the top 10.

Crazy!!! | 4:19 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

All you Cougar fans are crazy if you honelsty think a non BCS team will ever play for the NC. The system will not ever allow it to happen. Utah and Boise State are prime examples. They were given mediocre opponets so if they won, it was not a big deal and if they lost it would be proof they don't belong. Hawaii shot us all in foot when Georgia blew them out. The system is broke and the "little guy" (regardless of how good we are the non bcs are the little guy) will never be allowed to play for all the marbles. Additionaly we (BYU and Utah) need to hope and pray for a Boise state loss because if they run the table they will get the bid.

GO UTES!!!

AZ Cougar | 4:25 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

When the Utes barely beat a lowly 1-AA school, Weber State (37 vs 21) at home, they jumped two places in the AP poll. A couple of weeks later BYU beats a 1-A school, USU, at USU by 20 and BYU drops one place in the AP.

You have to love the polls!

NY | 4:28 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

I am a BYU graduate and a lifelong BYU and Utah fan. But I must say that it is puzzling that with Utah's strength of schedule that they are ranked lower than BYU. The fact is, we just don't know how good BYU is at this point. They haven't played anybody. Utah has played a much tougher schedule. Fortunately, it will all be settled on the field. BYU, Utah, and TCU all play each other. I hope they all stay healthy. There are some great games to look forward to.

Re: JMT | 4:33 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

Do you realize that you quoted "Ricky Bobby"?

Re: not done dropping | 4:37 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

I think BYU would kill Florida, Georgia and Ohio State! See I can play this game too!

re AZ cougar | 4:38 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

you are right about the movement in the polls, but first you need to consider all the UPSETS that happened that week to teams ahead of the Utes. byu didn't even play and moved up, don't forget to include that.

The Great Thing... | 4:50 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

About all the smack going on is that it will settle itself out in the coming weeks. Just like the BCS scools have to play each other now, the MWC teams do just the same.

Over the coming 4 weeks, we will see how good both Utah and BYU really are. All the smack about SOS and a BCS bowl game will settle itself out. All BYU and Utah need to do is win all their games...just that simple. Keep the smack to a dull roar till then if you can hold it!

Cougar fan | 4:50 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

ESPN's Craig James was popping off about BYU and UTah and how they wouldn't be anything if they played in the SEC. What a jerk. I think he's still hurting from the 46-45 game. I do believe the SEC is the best confernece, but to say Utah and BYU would be beat up in that or any conference is stupid. I think BYU and Utah are both very good teams this year. Too bad UNLV has stunk it up the last 2 weeks. The BCS is fun only because it's like a season within a season. In the old days it would be just a battle for the Holiday Bowl (Las Vegas Bowl for MWC) and none of the BCS types would have come to play the WAC/MWC winner. Bowls don't like BYU due to the type of people that go. Not a lot of beer being sold. It is what it is. GO COUGARS and UTES until Nov. 22. Craig James is a jerk.

Bottom Line | 4:51 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

The only thing that any smart person would realise from this season is that any team can win on any given Thursday-Friday-Saturday. I'm just excited to hopefully see both U-blah and BYU undefeated at the end of the season just so I can see my cousin Harvey run over that safety from Utah. Yeah, if you don't know what I mean, just look at the highlights of the game winning touch down last year when Harvey gets into the endzone. It's too bad that my other cousins had too go to U-blah (too much).

Re: FullyInvested | 4:58 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

My mistake about 10-pt win over USU --it's 20.
Utah's schedule is ranked 49th --what helps Utah's schedule strength is that OSU beat USC, Michigan beat Wisc.
None of BYU's teams so far has any impressive wins yet. UW does not even have 1 win (I don't get what you're trying to say about standford since they also lost to ASU, TCU, Notre Dame --these are the minuses)
Utah played USU also, but won 58-10 (margin of 48) so USU does not hurt Utah as much.
Just think about why BYU won by 20 over USU but drops below Utah in Sagarin computer ranking even though Utah only won by 3 over OSU...it's because OSU is much higher ranked than USU (plus other factors such as how their opponents did over the weekend). Simple. But I hope you get it.

To add...ELO_CHESS (used by BCS) ranks Utah as #5, TCU 25 and BYU 41.

Well, at least you get 1 thing correct: BYU and Utah get to settle this on the field Nov 22.

SoCalUtahFan

Ute fans acting like Aggies | 4:59 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

Its funny how they think that BYU isn't deserving since BYU didn't exactly blow out the Aggies. But your win against Weber State wasn't that impressive or even the Oregon State game. Don't act like you guys can beat USC now. If you guys had played at Oregon State like last year you guys would have gotten smoked but thats just me and I'm just keeping it real. And the other thing Brian Johnson still sucks. He'll be a good scout team player on some arena football team, you know the semi pro teams. Max will show him how its done come November.

Jeff Sagarin | 5:00 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

tds' schedule strength is 126.
With only 119 D-I teams, there are I-AA teams with a tougher schedule than the cougarettes!
the BCS is in no mood to move hawaii, i mean tds up the rankings! The tds should be elated about their ranking, the deserve to be much lower.

Could byu and utah compete | 5:09 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

in the so called big conferences (excluding acc and big east)... not yet. Yes on any given saturday... but if both teams joined one of the bcs conferences it would take a few years of recruiting before either could consistantly compete... but no questions both could once they stopped losing recruits... both currently lose recruits to bcs teams just because of the conference and lack of bcs alliance....and that would change..

Until both teams change conferences or somehow the mwc is awarded an automatice bcs birth we are both going to be disgruntled fan bases, when our team(s) are having the kind of seasons we are having this year... and utah had in 2004... could utah have beaten one of the big boys... I would venture a yes.. but unfortunately we never got the opportunity.

All we can do is play within the rules we have been given... go undeafeated and go to a bcs game... and win... show we belong (don't pull a Hawaii)

Typical Yewts | 5:26 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

Are the Yewts so concerned with BYU that they have to read every article that talks about the Cougs. Cougs are #1. NUFF SAID!

Fully Invested | 5:35 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

CRAZY!!!!!,you are crazy. If BYU or Utah win out, along with BSU, there is no way BSU jumps them and goes to a BCS game. Since I am tired of explaining this to you, read my former post. If you can't read, the just go away.

Lehi cougar fan | 5:39 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

RE BCS -

"...Just wait till those polls come out, these ones dont mean anything"

FYI, the Coaches poll is 1/3 of the BCS rankings (so it does matter), the Harris Poll is another 1/3 and then the six computer rankings are the final 1/3. BYU is higher than Utah in both the Coaches poll and Harris poll and even though BYU's strength of schedule right now is poor, by the time BYU finishes beating TCU, Utah and the rest of the MWC, they'll still be in the top ten BCS and will be going to a BCS game. BYU's offense puts too many points on the board combined with a defense that allows very few points, equals a team very difficult to beat. With Utah, B. Johnson is a mediocre QB and BYUs D-line will eat him up just like Oregon State's D-line did on Thursday night. I agree that Utah is good against the run, but their secondary was getting burned left and right by OSU's QB, who was an average passer. Utah hasn't faced a good throwing QB yet like Max Hall and when they do, they'll get torched.

USC jumped us? | 5:41 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

Yeah in the AP poll which doesn't count in the BCS rankings. They're still one spot behind us in the poll that DOES count, the USA Today poll.

So utah struggled to beat an unranked Ore State at home and they got moved up. We'll remedy that situation on Nov 22.

It | 5:56 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

looks like BYU was "Over-rated" they were really 9th not 8th :) .

So embarassed to have my alum USU students chanting over rated. Football has become that of hatred rather than competitive sportsmanship.

OK cougars, when BYU blows out USU next year in Provo are we going to chang Sub-Division, Sub-Division?

Go Cougars!

anysmartperson | 6:24 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

andy smart person would also realize you misspelled "realize"

I called it | 6:26 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

Someone posted a comment a while ago about how only undefeated teams are ahead of BYU, which sets up nicely for them to make a run to the BCS, even possibly the national championship...

Then i commented that a guarantee some team, or teams, will pass BYU and/or Utah while having one loss...there might even be some 2 loss teams that pass them up if they play and beat some other good teams...

It just shows that the BCS is completely flawed...

I dont care if BYU beat USU by only 3 touchdowns, or that Utah pulled out a lucky win against OSU, the fact of the matter is they both still won and are undefeated...

If they can stay undefeated by the end of the season, then they deserve to have a chance to play in the BCS against a quality opponent...

BCS should realize that USC is just the best team in a conference that has been dominated by the MWC...and they were beat by a team that just lost to Utah

The Real Test | 6:28 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

I think everyone just needs to chill out. The real test for both BYU and Utah will come when they play TCU. That will give everybody a good idea of what's really going on.

re: re: not done dropping | 6:33 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

really byu would kill flordia, ohio state, or georgia. if you think that your an idoit! look i am a byu fan to but let's not be insane! i think it would be kind of close but to say they'd kill them is a big fat joke!

AK Cougar | 6:38 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

Rankings early are hilarious, but they do add credibility to the recruiting. The bowl invites will be fun when they come out, but it is way too early to tell. Anyway, I still do NOT buy tostitos.

Casual Observer | 6:40 p.m. Oct. 5, 2008

To Annonymous 11:28 am; I'll tell you what's funny is the way you and those of your ilk obsess over this stuff. Aggie fans go out and enjoy a football game, see their team do better than expected, chant OVER RATED at the opposing team and go home happy. You guys lose two nights sleep and write long dissertations about what is going to happen in the coming weeks. AND you make your predictions during General Conference. Now, THAT is funny!! Sad, but funny!!!!!

Add your comment

Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.

Words Remaining

E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.