I know for a fact that this opinion piece will not be popular, but I don't care......I feel the way I do and I can't help it.

This whole week, I have heard people say that Utah "needs" Arizona State and UCLA to lose this weekend.  If you were to couple these two things happening with Utah beating Colorado, you will see Utah in the Pac-12 championship game.  Seeing as how this will be the first conference championship game ever, that would be cool.

But I don't want it for Utah.  

Sure, we have found some momentum and we are finding ways to win.  Our confidence is sky high right now.  A win over the Buffs would give us an 8-4 record in the regular season and a winning record in conference play, which is pretty darn good, all things considered.  

Let's say we make it to the Pac-12 title game.  In all likelihood, that puts us on the road at Oregon.  

Are we ready to compete with Oregon?  Could we make it respectable?  

Maybe.  But I doubt it.

Oregon knows that if they lose that game, they have 3 losses and they are not going to the BCS.  They are going to come in to that game looking to make a statement.  And I'd rather have someone else be the sacrifical lamb.

Think about it.  We beat Colorado, we are 8-4 and on a five game winning streak.  We have momentum and confidence.  At that point, we have done all we can to qualify for a good bowl game.  Merely going to the title game will not increase our spot on the ladder.  If we get blown out (likely in my opinion), we go into the bowl game with low confidence and we could get beat twice by Oregon (for an example of what Im talking about, see 2010 season, TCU and Notre Dame).  

If someone else goes in, we go into our bowl game as a hot team AND we get a manageable opponent, which we could beat and then set the stage for a great 2012 season.  

Additionally, going to the title game just seems hollow to me.  I want to go there when we earn it.  I don't want to go because two other teams lost on the last day and another team is on probation. With four conference losses, as good as the last four games have been, we don't deserve it.  

Could we win against Oregon?  Sure.  Anything is possible.  Is it likely? No.  In my mind, we aren't even likely to make a game of that.  I would just as soon let someone else take that bullet and we can go to the Alamo or Holiday Bowl with our confidence intact.  

Thoughts?