Is Utah overrated?
by JazzyUte on Oct 5, 2010 12:58 AM MDT
in Football
Email
PrintI think it's a legitimate question. Utah is a top-ten team right now and their wins aren't all that impressive. In fact, you could make the argument they've faced three of the worst teams in college football. That isn't much of a hyperbole.
However, does that make them overrated? This early in the season, it is pretty difficult finding a large enough sample size to determine which team is over-ranked and under-ranked.
In fact, when it's all said and done, the Utes will have a pretty respectable strength of schedule. They still face two teams currently ranked in the top-25 (Air Force and TCU), one that's currently ranked in the top-five (TCU) and seven either on the cusp of .500 play, at .500 or above .500 on the season.
Their schedule in 2010 will, when it's all said and done, closely mirror their schedule in 2008, with Pitt potentially being the difference maker - depending on how they finish.
Personally, I don't see anything from a lot of top-ten teams that suggests Utah doesn't deserve to be there. Certainly Alabama looks like the best team in the nation, but even the second best - Ohio State - had issues last week.
The good news is that I believe this Saturday will tell us if the Utes are deserving of their ranking. Iowa State isn't a great team, but it's against the BCS and on the road. A true top-ten team wins these types of games. If Utah is a true top-ten team, they'll do just that.
What do you think?
22 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
GO UTES!!!
I definitely think this is a valid question. In fact, forget Air Force and Notre Dame and even Pitt, this was the game I had circled on my calendar. This is an Iowa St. team that knocked off Nebraska in Lincoln last year. They are coming off an impressive win at home again Texas Tech.
This is a must win for Utah and should give them the confidence needed to move forward and prepare for the brutal stretch against Air Force, TCU, San Diego St., and tds.
GO UTES!!!
let me first say i think this game will be close. the nebraska game you mention was lost b/c of 7 or 8 turnovers by......
the cornhuskers in that game. very few teams could win with that turnover margin but utah has turned the ball a few times and at critical times this year so again i think it will be close but utah wins by a td and a win is a win especially on the road vs a bcs team that is 3-2. that would make 2 this year and 20 or 21 overall. bcs wins since the bcs was implemented.
I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. Glory favors the bold. Chance favors the prepared mind. Luck, well i have that too. University of Utah goes to the Pac-12 conference in 2011. I expect them to compete immediately for the conference CG. Brock Lesnar will defeat Cain Velasquez. The most hated and misunderstood person on the MMA blogs.. Utah and Boise take care of business in week one. Don't be surprised if they both go undefeated.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Oct 8, 2010 1:08 AM MDT up reply actions
Coaching will make the difference
This is the type of game where coaching will give the edge to Utah. I watched the ISU game last week and they looked good. However this is a Utah team that does not seem too intimidated. As is typical with the Utes I expect them to start slow until they get a feel for the cyclones and their fans. This will be a close one but the utes will prevail.
Given who the Utes have played so far...
I don’t see how anyone can say with certainty that this is a top 10 team. I really don’t know if they are or not. And I doubt this week will convince me either. I don’t think we will know ’til after the TCU and Notre Dame games if this team is for real or not.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Greetings from Clone Chronicles
Sean was kind enough to answer this question for me when I interviewed him. You can see his answer over at http://www.clonechronicles.com/2010/10/5/1731781/interview-with-utah-blog-writer-sean-reynolds
About the only thing I’m 100% sure about is that this weekend should tell us a lot about both Utah and Iowa State! Cheers!
Who knows?
This is certainly a legitimate question. I sure hope they are. If the Utes can win convincingly in Ames then I think we know they deserve to be there. If the eek out a win, the jury is still out. We won’t really be tested for a few more weeks one way or another. Either way, I can’t way until they kick off. Bye weeks are torturous. GO UTES!!!
by IdaUTE on Oct 5, 2010 10:55 AM MDT via mobile reply actions
The record is iffy, but...
I think there are two things that make this team top-10.
First, they have been shockingly dominant against terrible opponents; it isn’t easy to put up 45 or 50 points, even when you completely over-match your opponent athletically and scheme-wise. To pick a team with a dynamic, sparkling offense at random: Michigan has scored more than 50 points only once. Even more impressive is to hold a team to 14 or fewer points with that kind of score, because you are giving the opposition the ball over and over again. With so many possessions, it takes a dialed-in and superior defense to keep a team down below two touchdowns.
Second is the eyeball test; this team just feels like they belong with the best. We are fast, athletic, and strong. We have NFL-caliber(or too small but perfect for college ball) players in enough key positions to be difference-makers. We have one of the best coaches in the country, and we are playing locked in (after a weak start on ST) on all three sides of the ball.
I think we can all agree that TCU is a top 10 team, and I also think most people are starting to feel like we are going to give them a run for their money in RES. Here in the mountains, the only team in the country I’d expect to beat us by more than a touchdown is Alabama, and I’m pretty sure Alabama could hand the Detriot Lions their ass, so they don’t count.
No, Not even close
Only because I am morally opposed to anyone being ranked until the season is at least half way done. But even considering that, I don’t think the Utes have been tested yet, and Pitt was the 1st game of the season, with both teams still working out their issues.
I think Pitt would be a top 25 team if they didnt lose their 2 all-americans – So the team Utah played was a legit top 25 team IMO, so we should at least be ranked.
I also think Air Force and TCU are both very legit, and wins over them would justify a top 5 ranking (assuming still undefeated).
I think the only legit top 5 teams right now are Alabama and Oregon. Everyone else who is 5-0 should be lumped from 3rd to 15th right now, especially considering the slew of cream-puffs the majority of them played in their first 3-4 games. I see no difference between any of them until about 7-8 games into the season.
I don't pour beer on Max Hall's family often, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.
I agree
With one exception. I think Boise is deserving of the 3 spot after Alabama and Oregon. As much as it pains me to say it, their 2 wins over VaTech and Oregon State are only going to look better with time. But after that, 4-15 are a toss up.
4-14 Should Be a Toss-Up
LSU should be 15
by kadoogan on Oct 5, 2010 7:03 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
I think they are overrated slightly
But that’s mostly due to the way the polls work..
They’re sitting at #10, Sagarin’s ELO-Chess (based on just W-L) has them 15th, and his predictive model has them 13th, so to me they’re the 13th best team. What that tells me is based off of resume, they don’t look that strong, and they look better based on various inputs Sagarin uses.
The thing is, especially over the last several years of college football, you have the top couple of teams, then everyone from #2 or #3 to #50 or so are somewhat equal. If you look at the predictive model, Utah would only be a couple of point dog against most of the teams ranked ahead of them in the polls at a neutral site, a pick ’em at home, and a 5-7 point dog on the road…. But thing is, same could be said about a team that is 10 spots below Utah in the polls too.
We are as legitimate as any other team that would be considered to be 10th.
I think it is too early in the season to know who is top 10. Only time will tell.
new ute fan forum
if jazzyute this isn’t allowed delete it but here is a new ute forum i discovered:
http://www.uteredzone.com/forum/
Maybe..
Who knows, you could also ask this same question for a lot of teams.
#10 is more about respect at this point than anything else...
…. so, ENJOY!
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar... S. Freud
The problem for me is not figuring out how good Utah is, but figuring out how good all the other contenders are. My gut instinct is that Utah isn’t a top 10 team in a typical year. However, this isn’t a typical year and there seems to be a lot of mediocrity out there, so maybe Utah is a top 10 team.
WEAK
The Utes are a bunch of pansy-asses. I dont blame you, you bad excuse for a BCS school to drop my Broncos from your schedule. FEAR THE BRONCOS!!! WE WILL DOMINATE YOU!!!
lol a Zoobie wannabe!!
Do you feel scared? To feel so much? To let somebody touch you? So hot, so cold, so far so out of control! Hard to come by and harder to hold! -- TSoM
Belts and buckles and zips and chains, passion and poems and sex! --Shreikback
Eros, Ares, Apollo, Zeus, DIONYSUS, Priapus
It's official!
BSU fans are as lame and goofy as their team’s field and uniforms. I will now always root against them. Ignorant loudmouths from a half-assed school that relies on blue grass and gimmicks to beat quality opponents; there really is no good reason to cheer for, respect or fear them.
by FeloniousMonk on Oct 9, 2010 8:01 AM MDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
- Urban Meyer
"Wow. Wow. Wow."
- Daryl Johnston after Utah took a 21-0 lead on Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl
Related FanPosts on Block U
Related FanShots on Block U
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
