Utah-Texas Fiesta Bowl?

by JazzyUte on Nov 30, 2008 3:49 PM MST in Football Comment 8 comments

The new BCS rankings are out and the Utes remained sixth, while Texas, who had occupied the 2nd spot last week, dropped to 3rd. That means, unless Oklahoma loses to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship, Texas will not be playing for the national championship. Since their ranking pretty much guarantees them Oklahoma's spot in the BCS if the Sooners play for the championship, it's very likely Utah faces Texas in the Fiesta Bowl.

Now this isn't set in stone and it's possible the Fiesta picks Ohio State over Utah, since their fans always travel well, but right now, it appears this could be more likely than Utah playing the loser of the SEC Championship in the Sugar Bowl. Personally, playing Texas in the Fiesta would be a pretty great get for Utah, since the Longhorns have been one of only handful of teams to really dominate this decade. But it also would pit the Utes against a program that was unjustly snubbed from the national championship. That might not be a great mix for the Utes, since you never want to play an angry team, especially when they want to take their anger out on you.

Of course, a victory over Texas would be monumental and well worth the risk of defeat. Add in the fact Utah could get a great number of fans to Glendale and it's probably the best scenario for the Utes.

It'll be interesting to follow this the rest of the week, since now I'm starting to think the Sugar Bowl is becoming a less likely destination for Utah. Even if Oklahoma were to lose to Missouri, I think they would still pit the Utes against the Tigers in the Fiesta, move Oklahoma over to the Sugar to play either Alabama or Florida, while Texas gets into the national championship.

But we'll see. Thoughts?

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hope to see the Utes in the Fiesta

hey Jazzy, this is from Austin, hope to see you in glendale…. i’ve watched the utes play a couple of times this year and they will be a good opponent – if it works out that way

by sixto5 on Nov 30, 2008 4:54 PM MST reply actions

Thanks.

I’d love to play Texas, even though I know the Utes would be underdogs. But I mean, you can’t help but get excited for playing a team that really had a shot at the national championship.

Realistically, though, there is a possibility its Texas-Ohio State in the Fiesta and Utah-Alabama/Florida in the Sugar. While both bowl games would provide Utah with an amazing opponent, with Utah drawing 50,000+ to the Fiesta in ‘04, I’d like to think playing there again would make it less of a home field advantage for Texas. In the Sugar, though, it’d probably be 20,000 Utah fans and 60,000 Alabama fans.

by JazzyUte on Nov 30, 2008 5:53 PM MST up reply actions

Just as long as it isn't the Orange Bowl.

Both the Fiesta Bowl and the Sugar Bowl are likely to give the Utes a good match-up. It will be a team from college football royalty, and a very good team. Utah will almost certainly be the underdog in either game. Texas is a great team, and I hope the Utes can make a good game of it.

Whittingham does tend to prepare well for games when he has time. I expect that he’ll have a good game plan put together and I hope the bowl streak can continue.

Go Utes!

by Ute in DC on Nov 30, 2008 6:09 PM MST reply actions

The Orange Bowl would be a disaster for all parties.

A) No one would watch Utah take on Cincinnati, so ratings would probably be worse than the Fiesta Bowl in 2005.

B) No one would travel to watch Utah take on Cincinnati, so attendance would probably be the worst ever.

C) Utah won’t gain anything from a victory, but it would be an embarrassing loss.

D) Cincinnati won’t gain anything from a victory, but it would be an embarrassing loss.

Of course, insert ACC team for Big East team if you must. Even Virginia Tech wouldn’t travel well there and Utah definitely wouldn’t.

by JazzyUte on Nov 30, 2008 6:24 PM MST up reply actions

Orange bowl would be ACC champ

Not “if you must”. Orange Bowl HAS to take the ACC champ. So the only way we get to the Orange Bowl is if someone picks Cincinnati over us. That’s . . . unlikely.

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Dec 1, 2008 8:47 AM MST up reply actions

Give me NOLA!

New Orleans is a much much better destination than Tempe. I’ll take the Sugar in a heartbeat. How much fun would it be to play Nick Saban and Alabama?

by sancho on Dec 1, 2008 10:37 AM MST reply actions

Well it's Glendale now, not Tempe.

by JazzyUte on Dec 1, 2008 12:57 PM MST up reply actions

Win-Win

I don’t think this could have worked out any better for Utah. this It looks like they are set to get either the second team out of the SEC in the Sugar Bowl or the second team out of the Big-12 in the Fiesta. Both match-ups would have Utah coming in as the underdog, but I think they would match-up well and it would be a great game either way. Oklahoma (baring a Missouri upset), Texas, Alabama, or Florida? Definately the match-up they want to be able to prove themselves against the best in the country.

by Keola10 on Dec 5, 2008 6:09 AM MST reply actions