But we all know this isn't true. He isn't alive. I mean, no one who fought in the American Revolutionary War could seriously be alive today and I know for a fact Steve Fisher was there.
He's there...somewhere
Of course, we know Fisher more for his coaching of the San Diego State Aztecs. They're Utah's next opponent. A team that has, over the last few seasons, established itself as one of the better programs in the conference. Which is remarkable, considering prior to Fisher's arrival from the Springfield Retirement Castle, they were nothing. A program destined for mediocrity and he has proven that yes, you can win in a sun soaked coastal town with buxom beauties and sandy beaches. Who would have thought? I know!
But he has. And the Aztecs are once again making noise this season. Though you've got to think they lost some luster with their defeat to Wyoming on the road. The Cowboys offer up a probable-win for nearly any champion contender and without it, San Diego State is now faced with the daunting task of knocking off either Utah in Salt Lake, BYU in Provo or New Mexico in Albuquerque. Three of the toughest places to play in the conference.
That challenge begins tonight against the Utes. Utah, on the other hand, will be looking to build on their win against the Rebels in Las Vegas Saturday. It was an impressive win - but we've seen those this season. What hasn't been impressive has been the Utes' total lack of building on anything remotely positive. They knocked off Illinois and then lost to Weber. They knocked off Michigan and then lost to Illinois State, at home! It's those losses that has reigned in any potential optimism.
A win here, though, could begin changing things. For starters, it would put Utah at 3-1 in Mountain West play. That's not a bad start for a team that entered it with some inexcusable losses. But moreover, it would set a winning tone instead of the one-step forward, one-step back mentality we've seen throughout the season.
Of course, this game will be challenging. The Aztecs are still good and capable of knocking of Utah. With how they can play erratic at times, a loss would not be surprising in the least. Especially when you consider San Diego State probably realizes this is the easiest of those three contests. A win here and they're back to challenging for the crown. A loss doesn't bode well for them, however.
Hopefully it's another complete effort and the Utes pull out the win and begin making some more noise in Mountain West play.