SB Nation User Blog: JazzyUte

Univeristy of Utah junior quarterback Corbin Louks is set to inherit the starter's role

JazzyUte — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:21:14 -0000

Univeristy of Utah junior quarterback Corbin Louks is set to inherit the starter's role

The Deseret News has a good article up on likely 2009 starting quarterback Corbin Louks.

He's gained some weight, but kept his speed as he prepares for fall camp.

Go Vote Utah

JazzyUte — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:25:39 -0000

Go Vote Utah

But before you do, get an idea of what the outside world thinks of the Utah-BYU rivalry.

The Utes will win down in Provo, right? Well let's show 'em. (right now, they're getting their clocks cleaned).

The face of non-BCS football (2009 edition)

JazzyUte — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:52:05 -0000

Last year I presented a similar case establishing the face of non-BCS football. I came to the conclusion that Boise State, two seasons removed from its Fiesta Bowl victory, had clearly -- and dominantly -- established itself as the face of the non-BCS teams.

Well today, College Football News asked the same question. Their consensus seems to be that Boise State is that face, though they even concede it's easy to make a case for Utah, BYU and TCU.

But since much has changed over the course of a year, I thought it would be interesting to reestablish these rankings.

This time last year the Utes had yet to even claim a share of a conference title since the Urban Meyer era and that obviously hindered their prospects in the rankings. BYU, though, appeared poised for a BCS berth and we all know how that ended.

With that change in mind, I also believe it's appropriate to alter the original list of non-BCS teams I listed.

Here are the teams I listed last year:

Boise State
Brigham Young
Fresno State
Hawaii
Texas Christian
Toledo
Utah

Out of this list, Boise State, BYU, TCU and Utah are no-brainers. They remain.

That leaves Fresno State, Hawaii and Toledo.

Fresno State was coming off a 9-4 season in 2008, however, followed that up with a rather lackluster 7-6 campaign.

In fact, they haven't really been relevant on the national stage since their game against USC in 2005.

That's quite a few years ago.

So we'll remove them.

Hawaii had just gone 12-1, but I mentioned back then that prior to 2006 and then 2007, they hadn't really done anything. Their two-year run was solid and they deserved mention, but they seem to have returned to mediocrity. Because of this, I don't think I can justify putting them on the new list.

Then there is Toledo. This is one isn't hard at all. In 2008, they went 3-9, their third straight losing season. They're gone.

That leaves us a list of:

Boise State
Brigham Young
Texas Christian
Utah

Now are there any teams that can make a legitimate claim to this list? Maybe Navy prior to Paul Johnson leaving for Georgia Tech, but I have a hard time putting them on the list now.

Ball State? They finished last year 12-2, but fizzled at the end and then lost their coach. Outside of that one season, though, they haven't done anything impressive. Beyond the teams listed in the revised list, no other non-BCS program finished in the top-25.

So I think that seems like a good starting point. Which explains why CFN admitted any of those four programs have a legitimate claim here.

But I do believe there are varying claims and that's what I want to explore.

I'll do this through my new and improved 2009 list, ending with -- in my opinion -- the face of non-BCS football.

#4. BYU:

This is actually a pretty far fall for the Cougars, who were ranked #2 on my list last year. But they did finish 10-3 and with this race extremely tight, any slipup can send a team tumbling back.

Last year I said if BYU managed to make a BCS bowl game, they'd shoot to the top of the list. They didn't and they also failed to win the Mountain West. That neutralizes their amazing two-year stretch in 2006 and 2007.

#3. TCU:

The Frogs have the best record of any non-BCS team to never play in a BCS bowl game. Gary Patterson is a fine coach, who has established a great power in Texas, but there is that one nagging issue: he's yet to guide them to the elite of elite.

That isn't to say they haven't been close, but every year where it looks like they may just bust into the BCS, there is an inexusable loss along the way. For the Fort Worth faithful, they're hoping that changes this season. If it doesn't, you've got to wonder if the Frogs will ever make a BCS bowl and if they don't, can they ever really be considered the face of non-BCS football?

#2. Boise State:

Last year's #1 falls a bit after an undefeated regular season. This isn't a knock on Boise State, though, rather a statement of how impressive the #1 team actually is. Anything short of perfection and a BCS bowl victory would have kept the Broncos in the #2 slot with all Utah managed to do.

#1. Utah:

The Utes were #3 last year and managed to climb to the top-spot with another BCS bowl victory. They're the only team from the non-BCS to not only play in two BCS bowls, but win two BCS bowls. They're also the only team in college football to go undefeated twice in the BCS era. That has to count for something, even if the years between 2004 and 2008 were hardly great.

These results will probably change next year, especially if Boise State is able to go undefeated again and win a BCS bowl.

But until then, Utah is clearly the #1 team. I'm open to debating this, but I think you'll lose.

Best team in state history...

JazzyUte — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:11:10 -0000

Best team in state history...

Do I have impeccable timing or what? Just a couple days after asking this, ESPN decided to make it official.

So now the official poll is up.

Go vote.

Right now, 2008 Utah is winning nationally and locally.

While you're there, also vote for Urban Meyer/ Ron McBride over LaVell Edwards. Why? Because.

Greatest team in Utah (state) history

JazzyUte — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:53:52 -0000

ESPN College Football Live is running a special on all 50 states, specifically college football in each state. Though they haven't done Utah yet (I'm sure that comes later this summer), it's interesting to look at the poll questions they'll be asking. Each state is pretty much given the same polls, dealing with anything from best coach, best player and best team.

Now I thought best team would yield an interesting result, because the state has provided a few really great teams throughout its rich college football history. Of course, it's all subjective and when this poll question is really asked by ESPN, I'm guessing Utah fans will vote for the Utah teams listed and BYU fans will vote for the BYU teams listed. As for the rest of country? Hard to say.

But instead of waiting until then, I thought we could get a little sneak preview and do the poll ourselves. Obviously the results will be slanted in Utah's favor, since this is a Utah blog, but I think this could lead to a good and healthy debate.

So what is the greatest team in Utah state history?

Well for starters, I think you have to establish what makes a great team.

That is more difficult to figure out, since Utah, under Ike Armstrong, had some truly solid football programs. Then you have the Aggies, who while not good right now, were a fairly solid program in the 60s. How do you rank them?

Well we'll choose teams that finished the season in the top-25.

In this regard, BYU will have a larger pool to choose from, since they were consistently ranked in the top-25 throughout the late 70s, all throughout the 80s and part of the early 90s. Of course, only a handful of those teams were considered great. Many were very good and finished with only a couple of losses, but you'd be hard pressed to call them great teams, let alone the best and greatest in state history.

So with that established, here are the teams I put up for nomination, listed by each program:

BYU:

As mentioned, the Cougars have produced some really good teams over the years. They've had 14 teams win 10-games or more, Four that finished with only one-loss and one team that went undefeated. Since I don't think you can consider a 2 or 3 loss team as great, we'll begin with those teams that went undefeated or finished with no more than one-loss.

They are:

1979: These were the first true great Cougars. They finished the season 11-1, won the WAC and pretty much rolled through their season and finished the season 13th.

Best win: Texas A&M (6-5)

Worst win: Weber State (non-1A)

Bowl result: Lost to Indiana in the Holiday Bowl

This is probably one of the most deceiving teams in BYU history. They finished with a great record, but hardly faced anyone of consequence. Texas A&M only went 6-5 that year and their toughest opponent -- Indiana -- was a game they lost. So while this makes the list, I find it extremely hard to take them seriously.

1980: A year later and BYU again dominated their way through the season. They did have a slipup at the start of the year, which cost them any chance at a title, but that didn't stop them from winning 12-straight.

Best win: SMU (8-4)

Worst win: UTEP (1-11)

Bowl result: Beat SMU in the Holiday Bowl

Better than 1979, but again, we're looking at a team who rolled through a rather easy schedule. 1980 provided LaVell Edwards his first bowl victory with the Cougars (one of only a few), which came in dramatic fashion over the Mustangs of SMU. That victory would go down as one of the greatest in bowl history, unfortunately, it doesn't help that the team couldn't beat anyone with more than 8-wins.

1983: This was the team that really positioned the Cougars for their title run a year later. They would finish 11-1 and 7th in the nation -- higher than their ranking in 1980 (highest in school history at the time). The season, like '80, started with a loss and ended with a win streak that the Cougars would carry into the 1985 season.

Best win: Air Force (10-2)

Worst win: UTEP (2-10)

Bowl result: Beat Missouri in the Holiday Bowl

Again the Cougars win the Holiday Bowl and finish with one-loss. This team actually had a better schedule, but it's hard to excuse that early season loss to a mediocre Baylor team. With that said, up to this point, the '83 Cougars were the best team program history.

1984: This team claimed the 1984 national championship. They went undefeated and did so in style. Not much to explain about this one.

Best win: Air Force (8-4)

Worst win: Utah State (1-10)

Bowl result: Beat Michigan in the Holiday Bowl

BYU wins the national championship after going 13-0. The Cougars have officially arrived as a 1980s power. Unfortunately, they weren't really tested as their schedule was fairly light. Still, undefeated is undefeated.

1996: My belief is this was the best team in BYU history. They finished the season with 14-wins (then an NCAA record) and ranked 5th in the nation. If it weren't for an early loss to Washington, it's extremely likely the Cougars win their 2nd national championship in school history. Which is interesting, since their 1984 title came at the expense of Washington.

Best win: Kansas State

Worst win: Hawaii

Bowl result: Beat Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl

These Cougars were good. Really good. Unfortunately, in their biggest test, they lost to Washington three weeks into the season. That probably cost them a shot at being the greatest team in school history (maybe state history).

So there are the nominees for the Cougars. If I had to pick, I'd say 1996 and 1983 were actually better than 1984. However, you can't beat undefeated and the '84 Cougars most certainly should get the nod for their title as the best team in BYU history.

But does that make them the best in state history?

Utah State:

Utah State really doesn't have much of a football history, so this list won't be nearly as extensive as BYU's.

In fact, only one team really fits the rules I set for the Cougars: 1961.

1961: These Aggies finished 9-1-1 and 10th in the nation. Not bad for a program that has only finished ranked in the top-25 twice in school history (they'd return to the polls again a decade later, for the last time). They would lose to Baylor and Wyoming.

Best win: Utah (6-4)

Worst win: Colorado State (0-10)

Bowl Result: Lost to Baylor in the Gotham Bowl

The Aggies only will have one team on this list, so there won't be a debate as to whether they were the best in school history.

How do they stack up against the best Utah and BYU teams? You decide.

Utah:

The Utes had early success under Armstrong and then decent amount of success until about the 1970s, when the football program essentially died. Under McBride, they didn't really reach greatness level, but came close once, so Utah's list won't stretch through three decades like BYU's. With that said, I am going to bend the rules just a bit and include one team that finished the season with two-losses. I do this because no BYU team that finished with two-losses sniffed where Utah finished the 1994 season when they went 10-2.

And that's where we'll begin.

1994: These Utes are the biggest What If team in Utah history. After starting the season 8-0, Utah slipped up two weeks straight and had to rebound to finish the season 10-2. In the final poll they were ranked 10th.

Best win: Oregon (9-4)

Worst win: Idaho State (non-1A)

Bowl result: Beat Arizona in the Freedom Bowl

This team isn't the greatest, though it had the potential to be the greatest team in school history.

2004: The true first great team in Ute football history. A moment where Utah took to the Big Stage and established itself as one of the elite non-BCS teams in the country. They became the first to bust the BCS, first Utah team to go undefeated and finished 4th in the nation.

Best win: Pittsburgh (8-4)

Worst win: UNLV (2-9)

Bowl result: Beat Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl

This team, like the Cougars in '79, '80, '83 and '84, were plagued by a rather mediocre schedule. While they did beat five bowl teams, there were zero wins over schools with 10-wins or more and only one victory over a team ranked, Pitt.

2008: The most recent and the most improbable. Utah won a school record 13-games, finished undefeated for the second time in four years and dominated its way to a top-2 ranking.

Best win: Alabama (12-2)

Worst win: SDSU (2-10)

Bowl result: Beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl

Unlike in 2004, this schedule was actually difficult. The Utes beat three teams with 10+ victories (TCU, BYU and Alabama), dominated the Sugar Bowl, beat Michigan on the road and then defeated Oregon State (9-4). If they aren't the greatest team in state history, they sure have the greatest schedule in state history.

These are the Utah nominees. In my mind, you've got to go with 2008. 2004 may have been a better team, but they didn't do what these Utes did. Which is similar to the 1984/1996 BYU debate.

So that would give us the 1984 Cougars, 1961 Aggies and 2008 Utes.

BYU might have won the national title that year, but I think we all know who the greatest team in Utah state history is.

And I'll leave it to the Deseret News to tell us why.

With that said, this is a poll and I'm going to have you vote on EVERY nominee.

Who do you believe is the greatest team in Utah state history?

Poll

Who is the greatest team in Utah state history?

Are the Utes overrated?

JazzyUte — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:20:12 -0000

It's not a surprise the Utes are receiving a great deal of preseason praise, I mean, they did just finish the best season in school history. However, how much of that praise is realistic and can Utah live up to these lofty goals?

To show that I am not completely biased as a blogger, I'm going to play the devil's advocate here and find out whether Utah's preseason rankings are a tad bit optimistic.

Firstly, let's start with those rankings. According to Stassen (a great site, by the way), the preseason consensus puts the Utes at 23rd. That actually isn't entirely bad. In fact, it's probably where they will start the season. And if you believe Utah is likely to go 10-3, with losses to Oregon, TCU and BYU, it's probable they finish the season there, too. So in this regard, I actually believe the Utes aren't overrated. In fact, it seems rather believable and realistic to put them 23rd to start the season.

For comparison, BYU is 22nd and TCU 19th -- so an obvious logjam between the three.

Yet if you look at the conference predictions, not just the top-25 rankings, you see a different story.

Here the Utes are predicted to win the Mountain West, with TCU and BYU closely behind. Of the magazines listed, Utah is predicted to finish first by Athlon and The Sporting News, while second by Lindy and third by Phil Steele. As more magazines are added, I do expect these numbers to change, however, for the moment, Utah is sitting at the top of the conference.

And when the conference media poll comes out later this summer, it's probable the Utes find themselves at the top of that one, too.

So we have a top-25 team according to predictions and a probable favorite to repeat as conference champions.

How believable is this?

Well, as I mentioned, it's not very difficult to see Utah finishing the season 23rd, but as we know, preseason polls aren't necessarily a prediction of where a team will finish and more a starting point. So it's very likely these same predictions expect Utah to finish higher than that as the season ends.

To expand on this, we'll address Athlon's ratings. I said they have Utah 1st, but they also put Utah 21st in their preseason top-25. That isn't far off from their average, but how likely is it for Utah to finish 21st in the nation if they win the Mountain West next year? Not likely at all.

Which means we're running into a contradiction here.

A 10-3 Utes team is definitely going to finish anywhere from 25th to 20th, but it's difficult to see them finishing higher, especially if one of those losses comes to BYU, the second to last game of the season (if you include the bowl).

How is this a contradiction? Well if the Utes go 10-3, with two of those losses coming in conference play, they're not winning the Mountain West. Since 2004, every champion has gone undefeated (Utah, TCU, BYU, BYU and Utah). A two-loss champion seems extremely unlikely.

So how can Utah finish around 23rd and then be picked to win the Mountain West, when the consensus has TCU and BYU ranked ahead of them? Well they can't. Which means the Utes will not be the consensus favorite to win the Mountain West. And that really isn't a surprise.

The Utes do lose most of their offense, have had some coaching changes and three extremely tough road games (two of which are in conference play). That's almost a complete 180 from where they were this time last year and even then, they weren't picked to win the conference. A repeat performance is very questionable.

In that regard, I do not believe Utah is overrated and they're definitely not underrated. That puts them at about the right spot. Surprising, since most preseason magazines put them in the 30s last year.

Secondly, let's look at the possible BCS busters. Here Utah isn't a favorite, but they're still batted around as a possibility. I've aready discussed this earlier, but even I conceded in that piece it would require more than Utah might be able to put forth this season for them to bust the BCS again.

Yet their name is still mentioned, even though it would require what appears to be a set of improbable events.

Like finding an offense that can at least somewhat perform at the level as 2008.

And then winning on the road against Oregon.

And then following it up with a road win over TCU.

And finally, winning in Provo.

These are a string of events that just a year ago seemed impossible, but with the glow of last year's 13-0 campaign still bright, it does seem at least a bit realistic, for now, anyway. But that, too, seems to be a bit of an overreaction to last year's events.

Which, in the end, means that I do not believe Utah is being overrated by the media. Ha! Maybe I am too biased to play devil's advocate here, especially when you consider the 2005 season. That year, as much as we'd not want to think about it very much, does seem to be hauntingly familiar.

Utah was coming off an undefeated, BCS busting season.

They had just lost some coaches.

They were the favorites, again, to win the Mountain West.

They had road games against TCU and BYU.

What happened? They went 7-5. Not quite the position they were thought to be in at the start of the season.

Of course, this isn't 2005. Utah still returns its head coach, which can't be downplayed, a solid defense and seems to have far more depth than that season. Even then, the Utes weren't all that bad in 2005, losing every game in the fourth quarter. Had they just been able to line up for a field goal, punched it in on 4th and goal and not lost their composure in a game most thought was a sure-win, they would've finished 10-2. You could even throw in the New Mexico game as a should-have-won and it's an 11-1 finish.

Not bad.

So if 2005 could come close to finishing 11-1, it's not hard to believe these Utes could actually do it.

Hell, maybe they are being underrated.

Boylen linked to USC job

JazzyUte — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:28:47 -0000

Boylen linked to USC job

It's unlikely to happen, since the USC job is a mess right now. But I thought i'd post this news, anyway.

Big East Versus the Mountain West Conference through the eyes of ESPN. So, whose conference is...

JazzyUte — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:14:25 -0000

Big East Versus the Mountain West Conference through the eyes of ESPN.

So, whose conference is better?

I think, from top to bottom, it is the Mountain West. Maybe a couple years ago the Big East had a case, but West Virginia and Louisville have fallen off the radar.

It'll be interesting to see how things shake out this season.

Thoughts?

Uhm, AWESOME! Though the ratings are a bit off. However, the end zones are painted. How sweet is...

JazzyUte — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:27:43 -0000

Uhm, AWESOME!

Though the ratings are a bit off.

However, the end zones are painted. How sweet is that?

The Pac-Ten continues to cut off its nose to spite its face

JazzyUte — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:37:45 -0000

It isn't a surprise that the Pac-Ten has once again rejected the possibility of expanding into Utah. They've been fairly consistent in their wanting to keep the ten-team structure. Unfortunately, whether they want to admit it or not, that structure continues to cost the conference in both national success and perceived standing.

The problem with the Pac-Ten is that not many programs recently have been able to carry their own weight. Instead, the perception around the nation is that the conference is USC and Those Other Guys. That works for USC, to an extent, but how much does that actually benefit the conference? I think if you look at the past few seasons, you'll see the answer is not much.

It doesn't help because the other Pac-Ten programs outside of USC just don't have the clout at the national table to bring the needed respectability to the conference. So when the Trojans do lose a game, they're instantly removed from the national championship picture, even though an SEC or Big 12 team is still well-positioned after their first loss.

We saw first-hand last season at just how big of a disadvantage a program like USC is when fighting other one-loss teams for a spot in the national championship game. Right now, whether the Pac-Ten schools really want to admit it, their conference is no more respected on the national stage than the Big East and ACC.

Much of this has to do with the fact that there has not been a consistent second team in the Pac-Ten since the Trojans began their dominating run in 2002.

It's true programs like Cal, Oregon and Oregon State have been able to rattle off a few 10-win seasons, but their inability to really push beyond that and contend for a championship themselves really has hindered the entire conference. Because of this, when USC does lose to a conference foe, they take a harder hit than if Oklahoma, Texas, Florida and even Ohio State would when they lose in conference play.

So what does this have to do with Utah and possible Pac-Ten expansion?

Well one way to undo a negative perception is by changing that perception. The Pac-Ten needs more talent at the top to really balance out the struggles of Washington State, Stanford and the Arizona schools. Frankly, right now, there just isn't enough outside of USC to really elevate the conference.

Of course, I understand it isn't that easy. I get that the Pac-Ten doesn't feel expanding is viable at this point and I don't like pimping the Utah program out knowing full well most Pac-Ten fans don't want them in their conference. It's a harsh reality and I get it. I get that that they would easily rebuke my claim by pointing to the fact that the conference is extremely rife with parity and bringing Utah into the fold would only add to it. It's something I actually agree with. Outside of USC, there is extreme balance between the likes of Cal, Oregon and Oregon State. But I think that speaks more for the current state of each program than the future prospects of the Pac-Ten.

On a whole, I do believe the Utah football program is well positioned to succeed at a higher level. The transition might take a couple of years, but in a half-decade, it's not hard for me to see the Utes as a consistent threat to USC. Now let me make this clear, I am not suggesting Utah could dethrone the Trojans, but I do believe they would be well suited to contend for an undefeated season and a national championship. The last time a team not named USC did that in the Pac-Ten late into the year was Oregon in 2001, quite a while ago.

I guess what gets me the most is that the Pac-Ten, specifically the Trojans, make a big stink about constantly being marginalized by the other BCS conferences and yet they don't seem to want to do anything about it. Instead, they expect those other conferences to change, conforming more to what they've established and it just isn't going to happen.

The lack of a conference championship really hinders the conference when it comes to laying a foundation for a national championship berth. Now the Trojans do face UCLA during the first week of December -- generally around the time of the SEC championship game, however, that doesn't really get to the root of the problem. The SEC championship acts as a thirteenth game for a team that might be in line for the championship. Their opponent also is generally higher rated and more respected than the current Bruin program. Now obviously USC can instantly boost its stock if their crosstown rival becomes good again, but that still doesn't account for losing an extra game. And whether they want to believe it or not, 13-0 or 12-1 looks better than 12-0 or 11-1.

If the Pac-Ten is realistic about reshaping its image, and who knows, maybe they're not, then they're going to have to address the possibility of expansion. An expansion that includes Utah will instantly bring a program that already could outperform Washington, Washington State, Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State and dare I say both Oregon schools. That most certainly would bolster their standing nationally and provide true competition for the Trojans, who are sinking in the pool of perception under their current structure.