Best game of 2012

It's never good when you can count your total wins on one hand and need two for the losses (unless you're a freak).

Thank goodness for that Northern Colorado game or we would have had an even more abysmal record.

Unfortunately, because there were so few wins, the bad moments far outweigh the good. In ten or fifteen years from now, I doubt anyone will remember with great detail what happened in Utah's thrilling victory over the Colorado Buffaloes - nor should we ... it was an abomination of a game.

But since we've missed out on the postseason for the first time in a decade, there has to be some good we can take away from this season ... even if it's just one victory.

You know, it's interesting - I like to often read back through old posts I've done here on Block U and I remember coming across one I wrote prior to the 2009 Poinsettia Bowl. In the post, I discussed how important a victory was because the season, if it were to end in a bowl loss, would feel absolutely uninspiring. That year, the Utes lost to Oregon, TCU and BYU - their three premier games of the season. And it was my thinking, without a meaningful bowl victory, the season would feel somewhat lost.

Boy how do I feel differently now. I'd take a bowl game, even against a mediocre MAC team, right about now.

It's just not fun watching all these teams prepare for their bowl game knowing we have nothing to look forward to. Sure, had Utah eked its way into a bowl berth, they would've been stuck most likely playing Nevada in the New Mexico Bowl - but isn't that infinitely better than what we're doing now?

I've said it before, and I think it bears repeating, I hope the players and coaches remember this feeling of exclusion the remainder of their days at Utah. Not making a bowl game, when the whole system is saturated with bowls, is pretty damn pathetic. Hell, we even had the luxury of playing a FCS team and it amounted to nothing in the end.

As you can tell, I'm still bitter.

But whatever. Move on ... right?

So, we will. What do you consider the best victory of the 2012 season?

Utah beats BYU 24-21

This was a pretty exciting entry to the rivalry and will probably be remembered years from now for how it ended. The Utes jumped out to an early lead, looked like they were going to blow open the game in the second half and then watched, haplessly, it felt, as the Cougars clawed their way back into it. In the end, Utah won - three times, in fact - and ran their streak over BYU to three straight. This win enabled a late-season charge toward a bowl berth ... even if, in retrospect, the attempt was futile. Had the Utes lost this game, and the season feels far emptier than it eventually did.

Utah loses to USC 28-38

I added this game even though Utah lost because of just how entertaining it was. The Trojans had yet to implode, so, they entered with a high ranking and Utah was still looking for that showcase Pac-12 win. After they jumped out to a 14-0 lead in a mere minute or so of play, I think everyone in the stadium started to believe. When that lead stretched to 21-10, it became real and then, just as quickly as it started, it all fell apart and the Utes lost. It was a pretty devastating defeat considering Utah led for huge chunks of the game. Had they held on, not only would it have given the team one of their best regular season wins in school history, it would have also, as we later found out, been enough for bowl eligibility. And who knows - maybe a victory there alters the season dramatically and the Utes, who came close to beating UCLA a week later, manage to do just that and then win out - winning the Pac-12 South.

Utah beats Cal 49-27

I don't think anyone saw this one coming. After a three-game losing streak, and on the ropes, the Utes bounced back nicely in the annual blackout game against the Golden Bears - all but sealing the fate of Cal head coach Jeff Tedford. It was a great win that gave us hope of a postseason bid. Especially after...

Utah beats Wazzu 49-6

This was clearly the best two-week stretch Utah football has ever seen in the Pac-12 (yeah, only two years, but so what?). The Utes decimated the Cougars and pulled themselves back from the brink. Two straight wins, all by impressive fashion, had fans believing a bowl bid was for the taking. As we later found out, however, that wasn't the case. Utah, who looked damn near unbeatable during this stretch, absolutely flopped in a must-win home game against the Arizona Wildcats. That was the season.

Utah beats Colorado 42-35

LOL jk

But I guess if you're big on revenge, this might top your list as the best win of the season. I certainly don't see it that way ... especially when you realize, a week later, Colorado would fire its coach for barely losing to Utah, even though they were a 20-plus point underdog.

Ouch.

So, who gets your vote?