The Morning Blitz: Daily Utah links
by JazzyUte on Oct 7, 2009 3:05 AM MDT
in Football
8 comments
As the Utes enter conference play, have expectations really changed much since the beginning of the season? I think most of us would take a 3-1 start, knowing that it probably meant they lost in Eugene against the Ducks. With how Oregon has looked post-Utah, that loss doesn't seem all that bad now. In fact, the way the Utes played suggests they might be better than we gave them credit for shortly after that loss.
But does this mean they're capable of running the table and finishing 11-1? I think it's possible. Obviously these next few games, especially road contests against the Rams and Rebels, will decide the direction Utah takes before their big showdown with TCU. But since that hasn't happened yet, we don't know quite what to expect. Will Utah enter that game at 8-1, ranked in the top-fifteen (maybe even pushing the top-ten) and potentially playing for the conference championship? I think it's probable. Probable because none of the teams between now and that game in Fort Worth strike fear into my heart. They are beatable. They should be defeated. Now while that doesn't mean Utah will win them all, it does mean they should win them all.
Should because you'll find that they'll be favored in every game from now until Nov. 14th. That's a good position to be in and it means they have a good chance of rattling off a decent winning streak (that'd be six if you're counting), which ultimately would give them momentum prior to TCU. And they'll need it.
Which brings us to the all important question: can the Utes take care of business against lesser opponents? Prior to 2008, that had been a problem for Whittingham and though that hasn't been an issue this year, a loss Saturday would certainly fit that trend.
My hope is that these guys are finally over those struggles. But we'll see.
Utah football: Utes searching for efficiency - Salt Lake Tribune
UC could get Utah-ed | Cincinnati.com | The Cincinnati Enquirer
Utah football: Kruger eager to live up to family name - Salt Lake Tribune
Mountain West Conference 2009 Power Rankings – Week Five | Bleacher Report
Deseret News | Utah Utes football notebook: Backup QB Wynn's still a candidate to redshirt this year
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schedule works out nicely
Dido. The schedule couldn’t be better for the Utes. The middle tier of the MWC is as bad as I’ve ever seen it, and Utah has most of those games at home. Utah should definitely head into Ft. Worth 8-1 which is great for this team. Hopefully that momentum will help them for that game and Cain will continue to progress. Who knows, TCU may implode like they do ever other year and the MWC crown (not looking like such an achievement this year) will be ours for the taking.
by GodisBrianJohnson on Oct 7, 2009 1:37 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Utah does have TCU's number...
Even in our worst year under Whittingham (2006) we beat them soundly (and that team went 11-2!) .
So I like our odds against the Frogs. I think they’ll be fired up to play us, but they don’t have much of a home-crowd advantage and unlike in 2005, the heat won’t be an issue because it’ll be further into the month of November.
Which makes wonder…what if TCU beats BYU and cracks the top-five by then. Would a Utah victory be enough to push them an at-large bid to the BCS if they win out?
by JazzyUte on Oct 7, 2009 3:53 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wonder.
If Utah is 11-1 with a win over top-5 TCU and top-25 BYU, that would make us 24-1 over the past two years and 33-5 over the past three years. That seems like a pretty worthy BCS team, especially considering last year’s results. If Oregon wins the PAC 10 that would probably do it, although it won’t put us above BSU unless BSU loses one.
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
by displacedute on Oct 7, 2009 4:20 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wonder if this is the year they take two non-BCS teams...
That would be the only chance because I don’t see Utah jumping BSU. TCU could jump BSU, but we’re too far back for that.
by JazzyUte on Oct 7, 2009 4:30 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
It would depend on the loss and where we're ranked when it happens.
Let’s say the next few weeks go down like this:
Week 6
Utah beats CSU and is ranked #25
Boise has a bye, falls to #7 when USC leapfrogs them (and LSU doesn’t fall below them after losing to UF)
Week 7
Utah beats UNLV, moves up to #22
Boise beats Tulsa, stays at #7
Week 8
Utah beats AF, moves up to #19
Boise beats Hawaii, falls to #8 after being leapfrogged by TCU who just beat #15 BYU
Week 9
Utah beats Wyoming, moves up to #17
Boise beats SJSU, stays at #8
Week 10
Utah beats New Mexico, moves up to #16
Boise beats LA Tech, stays at #8
Week 11
Utah beats #6 TCU on the road, jumps to #10
Boise beats Idaho, stays at #8
Week 12
Utah beats SDSU, moves to #8
Boise loses to USU, falls to #15
There you go, Utah continues to win out, gets the auto BCS bid at 11-1
Boise goes 11-1 with a loss to USU, ends up losing to TCU in the Poinsettia bowl again.
Are there some assumptions in that scenario, sure. But they’re not that far-fetched. And if Boise’s loss comes to USU or SJSU, they can’t use the “we beat Oregon” card because we can just use the “we beat USU/SJSU” card to counter it.
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
by displacedute on Oct 7, 2009 5:28 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
I just don't want to bank on USU beating Boise State.
You know, AFA really needs to step it up.
Had they won their two OOC games, they’d certainly be ranked or on the cusp of the top-25. That would help SO much right now.
by JazzyUte on Oct 7, 2009 6:20 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
And it isn't like their two losses were to great teams.
Navy is so-so and Minnesota, while BCS, isn’t elite.
by JazzyUte on Oct 7, 2009 6:20 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
2 teams is not going to happen.
For that to happen their need to be two dominant BCS conferences hogging the top spots. This year their is only 1, the SEC, with most of the others having three or four teams near the top 15.
Last year was only one Ohio State loss to anyone but Michigan State from seeing two teams happen.
If Utah wins out and Bosie State drops one we should pass them. Winning out should allow us to pass BYU and TCU as well.
Another loss puts us out of the top 25 for good I think, unless it is a close loss to TCU.
It will be interesting to see if the MWC can end up with 3 teams in the final BCS top 25 again.
by utesfan100 on Oct 9, 2009 2:34 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
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