Anyone else hate really late starts? While it's nice to get to watch actual games before the Utes take the field, I really don't like the wait. Especially when it's this late of a start. By the time the Utes take the field tonight, most of the games across the nation will have already wrapped up or will be in the process of doing so. Which is good and bad, I guess, depending on how the game goes.
If the Utes struggle - or even lose - much of the media will have already clocked out for the night. A loss will certainly make some noise, but a close and sluggish win surely would fly under the radar.
However, if the Utes do dominate, no one will know. No one is going to be watching and they might not get their due respect for doing just that. If the score is even similar to last week's USC-SJSU game, I'm guessing the win gets hardly any attention.
Oh well. I'm sure neither will be an issue, as I expect the final outcome to fall somewhere in the middle. The Utes won't look amazing, but they won't look bad, either. Well at least I hope they don't because with how this season has already progressed, I don't think I could tolerate a week two loss to San Jose State.
Beyond all that, did anyone catch the CU-Toledo contest tonight? I guess CSU's victory over the Buffs doesn't look nearly as good as it did 24 hours ago. In fact, Toledo abused Colorado more than the Rams. Which means maybe all the CSU hype this week was just that - hype.
Some games to follow today and tonight:
Purdue @ Oregon - This game will go along way toward telling us what to expect next week. If the Ducks struggle with an unproven Purdue squad - a team Utah is most likely better than - it could mean good things for the Utes up in Eugene. If Oregon comes out and plays balls to the wall good, well we might have a problem. Especially if Utah struggles against the Spartans.
Texas @ Wyoming - I don't think the Cowboys stand a snow balls chance in hell of winning this one, but they might give the Longhorns a game. And by game, I mean they're only down 14 or so entering the fourth quarter.
TCU @ Virginia - The Frogs are an unknown, since they had a bye week to start the season. Virginia looks horrible, losing at home to FCS William & Mary last week. But the Cavs have been up and down in the past and though Al Groh might be the most inconsistent coach in America, he is great in rebound games. Remember, this is a team in 2007 that opened the season with a 23-3 loss at Wyoming and then ran off 7 straight and 9 of 10.
Oregon State @ UNLV - I was not impressed with the Rebels last week against Sacramento State, so I'm not sure if they're good enough to upset the Beavers. But the Beavers have struggled recently in out of conference road games and this could be an upset that jumpstarts UNLV's season and pushes them toward the school's first bowl berth in nearly a decade.
Air Force @ Minnesota - The Gophers open their new stadium against Air Force and this is a winnable game for the Mountain West. If the Falcons lose, it could mean they're far from contending with the top-three. A victory, though, might suggest they're better than originally thought.
Outside of that, New Mexico hosts Tulsa, which is a huge game for two non-BCS conferences (MWC & CUSA). The Lobos looked atrocious in their opener against the Texas A&M Aggies, but a victory here would be huge. Especially after losing 56-14 to them on the road last year.
I'll toss up the gameday thread a bit later today. Hopefully it's a good day of college action.
Utah football: Utes take show on the road - Salt Lake Tribune
College Football Free Play: Utah at San Jose State
No. 17 Utah Looks to Extend Winning Streaks - NYTimes.com
Deseret News | Utah Utes football gameday
Deseret News | Utes, Cougars can't take foes lightly
College Football Odds: Utah vs. San Jose State - TheOnlineWire.com