I think Utah is right where they should be, but after reading various articles over the past week from national pundits (and historical precedence) I really thought the Utes would be a lot lower. Good to see some respect thrown their way.
I remember just before the Sugar bowl kickoff, Barry Switzer said (best recollection) “No disrespect to Utah, but there’s not a starting player in the Utah squad that would make the Alabama team.” Making that particular win extremely satisfying.
I think we’re slowly developing a brand, which is starting to connect nationally, where there’s a lot of entrenched bias. But we still struggle against teams with long-standing cachet like Oklahoma, Georgia, Nebraska, Florida, et al…
Having Urban Myer as a national sports pundit has been a boost which can only be enhanced by winning out
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We don’t have the craziest of paths to a CFP spot when you think about it. Just win out and let some other carnage happen above us, which is likely. How much those teams get punished for it is out of our control. And even if we lose a PAC12 title game to Oregon, odds are we’re in the Rose Bowl. Hard to whine about that.
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One of my favorite Utah football memories is watching Switzer eat crow at half time of that game when we got back from NOLA and watched the DVR. My favorite memory was being there in person.
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He didn’t eat enough crow IMHO.
Seems to me he blew it off: supporting the “They didn’t want to be there” mantra.
As if the Sugar Bowl wasn’t enough stature.
Hubris
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I think the entrenched bias cuts both ways though, now that we are in the P12, I think if we can sustain success for several more years, and IF we can get into the CFP at least once, we might actually earn some of that entrenched bias. I think about a team like UNLV in bball, how many years did they suck, and yet still there was an implicit tendency to overrate them. Nebraska is football is same way, no matter how bad they suck, all they have to do is show the least bit of promise, and they are immediately anointed. I want me some of that.
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Bozo the Switzer’s comments still bother me. Didn’t like him at OU, absolutely didn’t care for him as the Cowboys HC, and he’s not improved with age. Football, both pro and college would be better off without him. Just my $.02 worth.
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I lost 10 bucks cause my guess was 12th… Presently surprised
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My feelings are win out and we are in. They positioned Us and Oregon at such a point where if both teams win out who ever wins the PAC12 championship game is gonna be in the playoffs.
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Some things have to erode in time. Nebraska has been mediocre for years. Texas isn’t even ranked and hasn’t been much for years. Anyone remember DePaul in BB? Ray Meyers left and so did their reputation.
Exactly right. Utah earned the spot ahead of Oklahoma. So worse case scenario Alabama or LSU go undefeated they are in, Clemson undefeated goes in, Ohio State undefeated or PSU and they are in. The fourth spot is set-up for P12 if they run the table from here. 1 loss team from the other three will start the chaos. My money is on chaos.
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