I'm still trying to really take it all in. There was no doubt I felt Utah could win this game, however, never did I believe they would dominate pretty much from start to finish. To say Utah played their best game ever in the biggest game ever would be an understatement. They stepped up, smacked Alabama around, took the Tide's best shot and went back to smacking them around again. Alabama can use all the excuses in the world, but it doesn't change the final outcome, a 31-17 Utes' victory.
So what does it all mean? Well for Utah, they become the first team in the BCS era to have two undefeated seasons. They're 13-0, have the nation's longest win streak and nation's longest bowl win streak. They just defeated the 4th ranked team, one that spent five weeks ranked first nationally and will most certainly own two victories over two top-ten teams when the season officially ends Thursday night. If that is not the resume of a national champion, then please, show me one.
Of course, resume isn't everything in college football and that has been proven in the past. But it doesn't mean Utah's win wasn't significant and won't be used as justification for a playoff.
There has not been a victory like Utah's since the BCS was created that demonstrates just how utterly flawed the system is. This is the BCS nightmare, because no one can make a legitimate excuse for keeping Utah from winning the championship. They went undefeated, they beat four ranked teams, two top-ten teams and dominated the 4th ranked Tide, who were a quarter away from playing in the national championship only a few weeks prior.
But if they want to debate that Utah does not belong or the Utes should not be in the national championship picture, then the debate needs to come back to a playoff. Because speculation and subjective analyzing is no way to decide a national champion. With that said, there is no current playoff and with the system as is, Utah still did more than any other team in college football. They proved it on the field every single week by winning all their games, while the winner of the BCS National Championship will have failed at doing that.