As you can see, the Utah-BYU rivalry is only one of many. This email photo came from a guy I work with who loves Ohio State. As you can see..............the Michigan Wolverines are his favorite target. I thought it was pretty funny..............if Michigan inserts her into the lineup for the rivalry game, they just might win.
And speaking of targets..................I went to Izzy's house to watch the BSU-Utah game yesterday. I don't think I've ever seen Utah dominated like that..............not since I was a teenager anyway. Either Boise State is awfully powerful, or Urban Meyer is sorely missed. I didn't expect that at all, especially after Boise struggled to win by 7 in Laramie.
Merland, we might be seeing a Rutgers-Boise State BCS game in late December or early January! I will be oh so curious Thursday to see which team is angrier and who plays harder, TCU or the Utes? I have a feeling it will be Utah....................
Ted Capener
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Well, McBride was fired because he couldn’t take us to the next level. So, Urban comes and takes us to the next level. Now, we have regressed all the way back to Jim Fassall. I don’t see any signs of Urban Meyer at Utah anymore. Where is the shovel pass? Where are special teams? Where are end arounds with a receiver? No where to be found.
Have you seen what Crowton is doing at Oregon as the offensive coordinator? 5-0 baby! They man handled Arizona State at Tempe! This guy will get another chance as a head coach if he wants it and soon. The fans at Oregon are giddy that Mike Bellotti shipped Andy Ludwig off to Utah and hired Crowton. –Garth-
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Yes, I think it's a classic case of someone better suited to be a specialized assistant rather than head coach. If good head coaches are smart enough and lucky enough to have excellent assistants..................then they can simply "oversee", much like LaVell did. Too, in Crowton's case, he has much more speed and athleticism at Oregon than he ever had in Provo. When he did inherit speedy and athletic Doman and Luke Staley.............he was able to win 12 games..............and it went steadily downhill from there. I'm happy for him.....................it has to be wonderful vindication of his abilities as a so-called offensive genius.
And poor Whittingham has to be feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders.............he desperately needs a win over TCU or it could be a nasty season. I, too, have wondered about their lack of misdirections, end-arounds, crazy special teams, 12th man, etc. Much has been made of Ratliffe's great numbers last year vs. anemic ones this year. I know BYU's secondary last year was absolutely horrible......and I know that Georgia Tech, after beating Miami and Auburn on the road, was extremely disappointed to draw a MWC team on the left coast and probably didn't show up with a lot of motivation or even preparation............still.........Ratliffe played great, and that can't be discounted.
The most surprising thing to me.................Whit has always had such stout defenses.........always. 10 plus years worth................yet UCLA and BSU moved the ball with ease. Remember Carson Palmer and USC racking up, what...............7 points vs. Whit's defense in the Vegas Bowl? What has happened to that D? And why was the DB who stars at Florida now benched last year? I don't get that. Shoot, last year BYU played anybody with a heartbeat and two legs.
I read some of the profanity filled message boards of the Utes. The comments were worse than McBride days.....................Urban M. created a monster.................and it needs to be fed.
The sad part in all of this....................from a national perspective? I recall after the 1984 National Title how many discounted BYU and their abilities. Then, every game since then, every big game that they lose (and it has been many)..............the national voices take glee and say, "See, we told you. They were pretenders". Which is patently unfair. Kevin Feterik and John Walsh were not Steve Young and Robbie Bosco. To compare teams minimizes being fair. Same with the Utes. That Alex Smith team that steamrolled everybody.............was so much better than what the Utes have now. Yet, many national "authorities" quietly agree that Utah was lucky, or undeserving, whatever. Not fair. That team was unstoppable and to diminish their accomplishments based on a UCLA or Boise State loss, 2 years later, isn't even reasonable.
ESPN Gameday crew predicted Boise would beat Utah..............but then went on to say that even if the Broncos go undefeated, they won't get nor will they deserve a BCS bowl bid. Say what? That Boise team is solid from top to bottom and if they finish out................I think they deserve a spot. Notre Dame, by contrast, even if they lose 2 more games.................will have numerous supporters clamoring for them to go to the Sugar Bowl. I'd love to see Notre Dame travel to Boise State.........they would have their hands full, for sure.
What kind of a crowd do you expect Thursday?
Eddie Johnson
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Your observations are on the mark (Thomas). The funny thing about Crowton is that he has the Urban Meyer play book and he executes it better than anybody. I know all you guys love College football but your comments regarding Boise State and the BCS from game day knuckleheads is exactly why I like the pro game and am turning more of my attention to the pros and depending on the outcome on Thursday I may forego this college season for the pro game. My reasons for following the pro game:
Playoffs, playoffs, playoffs. No BCS horse crap! The best teams keep on playing.
The best athletes to play the game are on the field.
Games can start and end in 3 hours even with playback reviews and 2 minute warnings.
Almost every game is competitive. No real mismatches like you see every weekend with the college game.
The revenue is spread around evenly from team to team. No pity poor kids in the neighborhood like the SEC vs Mountain West. I have the privilege of paying $92.00 a game for two chair seats in RES to watch a poorly executing team play in an absolutely crappy conference.
I don’t follow a specific team. It is the individual coaches and players that I am interested in. My two cents about pro football.
My favorite comment from the USC-Utah football game in the Las Vegas bowl came from a sports writer for the Las Vegas Sun. He wrote that Utah’s defense made Carson Palmer (QB for USC) look like Arnold Palmer!
Also, I wonder what Michael Young (U of U Pres) is thinking this morning. Two years ago when he took the reigns at the U he said that the football team would remain the dominating force in the Mountain West. I think this would put Kyle on a short timeline. The crowd Thursday will be large (no sell out) and short tempered. The problem with charging so damn much money to watch college football is that the fans get angry knowing they are paying out the nose to watch a poor product.
–Garth-
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What are you saying BYU got a national title in 1984? I missed the 80s.
-Bruce
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All,
Here is a letter I submitted to the SL Tribune:
Dear editor,
I think U fans (and maybe even BSU fans, who expected a better game) deserve an apology from the U coaching staff for that horrifying loss on Saturday. That game set us back 17 years in statistics, and I don't believe that it is due to a lack of player talent, but more due to leadership and coaching error, for two reasons. One, last year this team beat BYU, and two, they beat a ranked team in a bowl game after that. I can remember Coach Meyer giving everyone an apology for a "coaching error" after a loss to New Mexico in 2003. That was a loss, not a blowout, therefore an apology from the entire staff is due to us, from top to bottom. Especially after we sold out our stadium in expectations that were completely thrashed. I'm not mad --just looking fo a bit of coaching and leadership integrity-- that's all.
Tijs Limburg
Chairman and CTO of DMX - Digital Media eXceleron, Inc.
Get eXcited!
www.dmxed.com
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Nice, Some things to think about. It sure seemed like everything went wrong for the Utes. I wonder what their plan really was. I can't believe they would be that flat by accident.
- Bruce
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My 2 cents on the pro game: The players don't care unless they are either 1) up for a new contract or 2) in the running for the big money playoffs. I can't stand the NFL and frankly, can't even tell you who the Steelers beat in last years SB. After attending a few Charger games in San Diego and watching a blue collar drunken riot laced with tattoos and knee deep in gin and hookers, I concluded that I will gladly stick with the college educated crowd complete with a band and cheerleaders that work for free tuition. Oh yea, and the players are out there trying hard because they are ambitious and not yet rich knuckleheads. There is just a "spirit" at college stadiums that doesn't exist at Qualcomm (which it does when the Aztecs are playing).
Sorry. You can't give me NFL tickets.
Ci Vederemo dopo il partito il jovedi.
Ciao Ciao
Nathan, "I fall down, out of bounds, with the basketball" Marshall
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