One game.
One goal.
One team.
One victory.
It's simple, Saturday afternoon Utah will begin its march toward victory down in Provo. They will leave LaVell Edwards Stadium doing something nearly every Utah team has done since 1993, defeating the Cougars on their home field. Only once, in that span, has Utah been defeated down there, that will not happen Saturday. The Utes will win.
Utah will win because its coach knows the importance of this game and every player knows the importance of beating BYU. Utah will win because they will outplay the Cougars, just as they have the past five contests. Utah will win because history is on their side, as BYU has won but once in 14 years in their home stadium. Utah will win because their defense is like no other the Cougars have seen this season. Utah will win because I can't fathom a loss and would never enter this with the mindset that it is a losable game. Because it isn't, Utah will win, that's just how it is. Deal with it.
Am I nervous? Hell yeah I am. Every rivalry game makes me nervous, but it's a confident nervous. It's the type of nervous I had heading into the 2004 Holy War -- though I don't expect near the same result. Frankly, Utah has appeared nearly unstoppable over the past seven games. Their closest contest, against TCU, wasn't really all that close. The Utes have won their past three games by a combined score of 105-13, yup, Utah will win.
Not that I'm overlooking BYU, because they're a very good team, but Utah will win. Utah win because last year BYU, with its best team in 10 years, rolled into Salt Lake and played a Utah team with an inconsistent offense, an up and down defense and still barely won. Well this ain't last year's Cougars and surely this ain't last year's Utes. Utah will win.
This Saturday the Utes will leave LaVell Edwards Stadium with a victory, an 8 game winning streak and a possible top-25 ranking. They'll also leave BYU emotionally shattered on their home field, just as they did in 2005. Why? Because Utah will win.