Ladies and Gents, I don’t post here much. But this past week has made me realize something important. Since Pac-12 day I think we’ve all been wondering what would happen to our rivalry. Who would care about us? Could we really leave the Zoobs in the rear view mirror?
I think at first we all wanted our new rival to be USC. Who wouldn’t want that? But USC and its fans have been too gracious, too kind, and their team has consistently humbled us in the Coliseum. We have work to do there before counting them as a true rival. The conference wanted our rivalry to be with Colorado. But they’ve been a dumpster fire for 9 of our 10 years in the conference. No rivalry feeling there. Other than the Pac-12 year 1 loss I have nothing for them.
But over the past few years we have discovered a new evil rising from the South. These ASU Sun Devils have made it easy to hate them when their wrist-band wearing former coach started stealing signs and acting like a jack ass. They produced Vontaze Burfict - need we say more? Well, yes, there’s more… They injured Huntley last year, putting our season in jeopardy. They stole a QB recruit from us last year as well.
But after this weekend we are official. It is on ASU. Cheap shots on our kid from Arizona on kick offs? Check. Launching helmet first into our GOAT Ute running back? Check. Injuring QB1 again? check. S*** eating grin on your coach’s face the whole time? Check.
I don’t care what he said post game, he’s no idiot and know how to work the media. No kid is gonna dare take that kickoff cheap shot without being told to. Where’s the suspension? Discipline? None, he was just following orders. So this is it. I’ve found a reason to move on. TDS is Arizona State now. They can keep doing their thing down at flight attendant State. I’m looking forward to having a team and a fan base to hate.
On that kickoff where Solomon Enis got hurt, they sent THREE players (including TWO STARTING LINEBACKERS) out there to blast our kickoff line. That type of thing doesn’t happen without the coaches’ approval.
■■■■ like this is the reason why kickoffs are going to get discontinued sometime soon, and the ‘receiving team’ will just start from their own 25.
ASU doesn’t consider us a rival at all. They think we are an inferior team who was lucky to get a few wins against them. We are 3-6 against ASU since joining the P12. In my opinion, we are going to need to beat them several more times to earn their respect as a rival.
I agree with everything else you said. They are a dirty team with despicable fans. I hate them as much or even more than BYU, but that doesn’t mean they are our rival.
I’ve long hated ASU for reasons I’ve gone into many times on Ufn, but it’s nice to see the rest of our fan base jump on board. The reddit game thread was chippy as hell, and got downright ugly toward the end. Screw those pricks. Colorado will never be a rival, no matter how hard the PAC-12 tries to force it, so just go with it man.
Our rival will be the team that we most often compete with for the south title. I expect that will be USC more often than any other. Likely, we will become the team for USC to beat for the same. I takes more than a year or two but we are currently headed that direction.
As to who we dislike the most, that is a different thing. ASU is way out front as the one most disliked, but there are others and there can be more than one. Still, in the Pac the level of dislike will generally be low by national standards.
ehhh, you can have them. I don’t think of them as a rival, and would rather not have them as one either, but that’s just me. I honestly don’t care much about the whole rival thing and generally think it’s more unhealthy than it’s worth.
As for 'sc same thing, rival or not, I don’t really care except that I have to endure weekly ribbing about how they beat us and it’s driving me up a wall. Can we please beat them in L.A. for once? It’s tough enough going around a town filled with them, much less the smug look that creeps across their face when they spot me wearing my Utah gear.
ASU is definitely the easiest PAC school to hate. The kickoff was a cheapshot, all because Enis didn’t go to ASU?
Bobby Hurley is just too easy to hate as well.
Eff the scum devils.
yup, took the words out of my mouth, I can’t stand Hurley as well. I agree with most of all the above though - would trade any other win this year for a win over SC in the Coliseum. But ASU just ticks me off. With USC its more admiration for their ridiculous - albeit constantly mismanaged - elite talent level.
For me, “the team to hate” and “rival” aren’t necessarily one and the same. In the MWC days, I always considered TDS to be our rival. And while I’ve always loathed them and their fanbase, I also hated Wyoming and their godawful fans. Later on, I grew to hate TCU. But I never considered either of those teams as rivals.
Since joining the PAC, I’ve grown to dislike several teams, or at least take a great deal of pleasure in seeing them lose to us. But a decade into it, I still don’t feel like we have a rival. I do agree with an earlier poster in that the closest I feel to that is USC.
Everyone hates ASU.
USC is always close and we respect them and their coaches and media respect Utah.
Colorado is a natural peer school and I have seen people pushing for the annual Rocky Mountain Cocktail Party each year.
Being a rival can be a better experience than the soul sucking hatefest that BYU was. Don’t fall into the same pit with rope jeans frosted tips types. You can hate them without giving them your biggest mindshare. Let’s choose something better.
True, but we are 3-4 over the last 7 years and 2 of their wins were 20-19, and 19-13 (OT). Could just as easily be 5-2 for us. And we remember how last year went with all our injuries and ALL the lucky breaks bouncing their way.
Duhwayne - you are a better person than I am. I might need ongoing pep talks the more we play ASU. I do like the idea of a Rocky Mountain Cocktail Party type rivalry. I’ll be designated driver.
bASUra is universally despised in the PAC 12 because of their douche factor. As a conference rival, their going full-Burfict on Saturday may bring an interesting response next season in Tempe. My hope is next season’s Utes drop another domination on them in their house. If that happens, things could get hot enough to spur some rivalry talk. Until then, I would hold off on crowning them the new rival.
U$C has a track to be that team only because beating a team rolling out with 105 players who were HS All Americans every season plays well to our base. Beating them has a nice social catharsis. When you think about it, in a way Utah has become a yardstick for the Trojans coaching staff. Their “sour grapes” attitude at a minimum makes it entertaining for us. Truth is they will also be our yardstick going forward. To generate a rivalry, we need to take something away from them they really want. Winning the PAC 12 would be a good start.
Colorado, looking at their future scheduling is looking East to revive their program through games with traditional rivals, Buff fan has proven they will fill the house for CSU and Nebraska. They have never gotten close to filling their house for a Utah visit. The re manufactured “Rumble in the Rockies” simply has not developed the cachet it had half a century ago. Maybe it reheats, but it is going to take a key moment.
fUCLA is not a football school. They have had talent, but the coaching has been spotty at best. They live in the shadow of U$C. They are a basketball school. No rivalry potential or option.
Arizona is a basketball school. They are spending money to play football, but they only fill their stadium when ASU comes to town, and it’s ASU fans filling the house. In 2017, the Utes had almost as many fans in their house as they had. No rivalry potential or option.