January 10, 2009

A win for one is a win for all!

The first Saturday of the down season and Playoffs have already been discussed.

(Before a single bowl had been played I thought it would be great to see Utah host Boise State for the right to face Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and Florida play Texas in a Wild Card Game. The Fiesta Bowl and Wild Card Game winners would face off in the National Championship Game. Sorry USC, you did not win all of your games nor build enough consensus to avoid having a gap form above you in the BCS standings.)

What else is there to do but review this season before moving on to anticipation for next year? It is understandable that several people may be ready to move on already, but for those outside the BCS conferences it was a landmark year, and not just for Utah.

Where better to start than with a series I posted on this topic at Block U starting even before the season?

The season started off with a feeling that this season was going to be special. Unlike 2004, where the magic feeling was contained to Utah, this year was going to be much more of a broad sweep. Somewhere I around here I even raised the possibility of two non-BCS teams making it to BCS bowls. I raised the possibility of a non BCS national champion, but only BYU and Fresno State had a chance. All others, including Utah, were eliminated before a single kickoff.

With all the excitement leading into the year, the first week was no disappointment. 6 BCS conference teams lost to BCS outsiders. Michigan, Virginia Tech and Rutgers were among the fallen. An unprecedented 3 outsiders claimed top 25 spots after week 1, and the unprecedented rise up the charts would continue all season.

The next week a return to normality was in the cards. West Virgina and and Washington fell, though the latter would turn out to be more of a liability than an asset. With 4 teams in the top 25 and SEC and BIG 12 dominance the thought of 2 BCS Busters gained some weight.

Week 3 featured the fall of the PAC 10. 3 games vs MWC teams, three losses. USC helped undermine the BIG 10 by taking out Ohio State, so I thought. I also counted out the ACC prematurely. While Wisconsin took out title contender Fresno State, BYU broke into the top 12, the required ranking for a BCS buster that would not be relinquished for the remainder of the season. Boise State was unranked and had a big game on the horizon. I had a feeling about this game...

Week 4 featured Boise State hitting their mark. The ACC begain its slow crawl back to legitimacy. With the year so far, hope began building for what had been an unthinkable win. Hope for the one game, more than any other, that could have opened a door for Utah in the national championship game.

Week 5 was the final round of significant out of conference play. Oklahoma humbled TCU. If a miracle had happened and TCU had won this game, I can only imagine how differently the polls would have played out in the end. The USC loss to Oregon State dominated the talk of the day, and lay foreboding for one of the top ranked BCS outsiders.

Conference play was kind to the outsiders as top 25 teams from BCS conferences got knocked out by league play and outsiders rose up to fill the gaps. Utah's win over Oregon State gave the MWC a 6-1 mark in the regular season over the PAC 10. They would end the season with a 10-5 mark against all BCS conference teams. 3 teams ended the week in the top 14, with BYU riding high.

While more top teams fell in week 7, BYU's championship hopes were put to rest, assuring all BCS outsiders were now out of title consideration.

Top 25 stability dominated week 8. Several large top 25 games the following week loomed large to open windows.

But it was not to be. This week and the lack of non conference play left little to be said and my interest in the series died off. It became increasingly more obvious that Ohio State was not going to get a loss needed to knock them out of the top 14. We were one Ohio State loss away from seeing two BCS outsiders break into BCS bowls, but it would not come.

Though Boise State was one spot higher than Ohio State, Ohio State was selected for the money they bring to the table. Boise State and TCU brought the Poinsettia Bowl twice as much money, if not more, as they had ever seen and more viewers than the Orange Bowl.

End of the season
Who, other than me, could have imagined that a legitimate claim for two outsiders making a BCS bid could have been made? Not two, but three teams from outside of the BCS conferences ended in the top 14, one with two losses.

Alabama was the heavy favorite to put down Utah's claims. After the game perception had changed. More than in 2004 and 2006 an outsider had made a statement that they deserved consideration. Based on the AP Poll, 25% of us agree.

I would ask anyone to seriously compare your own perception of the gap between Utah and Alabama before the Sugar Bowl to your perception of the gap between Utah and Florida now. Would you not agree that the latter is smaller than the former?

The Utah win was enormous for its program. It was big for the MWC. But when it comes to bringing a change of attitude for the BCS outsiders, and maybe even calls for a new system,

A WIN FOR ONE IS A WIN FOR ALL!!

Comments:

A win for one is a win for all!
The first Saturday of the down season and Playoffs have already been discussed. (Before a single bowl had been played I thought it would be great to see Utah host Boise State for the right to face Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and Florida play Texas in a Wild Card Game. The Fiesta Bowl and Wild Card Game winners would face off in the National Championship Game. Sorry USC, you did not win all of your games nor build enough consensus to avoid having a gap form above you in the BCS standings.) What else is there to do but review this season before moving on to anticipation for next year? It is understandable that several people may be ready to move on already, but for those outside the BCS conferences it was a landmark year, and not just for Utah. Where better to start than with a series I posted on this topic at Block U starting even before the season? The season started off with a feeling that this season was going to be special. Unlike 2004, where the magic feeling was contained to Utah, this year was going to be much more of a broad sweep. Somewhere I around here I even raised the possibility of two non-BCS teams making it to BCS bowls. I raised the possibility of a non BCS national champion, but only BYU and Fresno State had a chance. All others, including Utah, were eliminated before a single kickoff. With all the excitement leading into the year, the first week was no disappointment. 6 BCS conference teams lost to BCS outsiders. Michigan, Virginia Tech and Rutgers were among the fallen. An unprecedented 3 outsiders claimed top 25 spots after week 1, and the unprecedented rise up the charts would continue all season. The next week a return to normality was in the cards. West Virgina and and Washington fell, though the latter would turn out to be more of a liability than an asset. With 4 teams in the top 25 and SEC and BIG 12 dominance the thought of 2 BCS Busters gained some weight. Week 3 featured the fall of the PAC 10. 3 games vs MWC teams, three losses. USC helped undermine the BIG 10 by taking out Ohio State, so I thought. I also counted out the ACC prematurely. While Wisconsin took out title contender Fresno State, BYU broke into the top 12, the required ranking for a BCS buster that would not be relinquished for the remainder of the season. Boise State was unranked and had a big game on the horizon. I had a feeling about this game... Week 4 featured Boise State hitting their mark. The ACC begain its slow crawl back to legitimacy. With the year so far, hope began building for what had been an unthinkable win. Hope for the one game, more than any other, that could have opened a door for Utah in the national championship game. Week 5 was the final round of significant out of conference play. Oklahoma humbled TCU. If a miracle had happened and TCU had won this game, I can only imagine how differently the polls would have played out in the end. The USC loss to Oregon State dominated the talk of the day, and lay foreboding for one of the top ranked BCS outsiders. Conference play was kind to the outsiders as top 25 teams from BCS conferences got knocked out by league play and outsiders rose up to fill the gaps. Utah's win over Oregon State gave the MWC a 6-1 mark in the regular season over the PAC 10. They would end the season with a 10-5 mark against all BCS conference teams. 3 teams ended the week in the top 14, with BYU riding high. While more top teams fell in week 7, BYU's championship hopes were put to rest, assuring all BCS outsiders were now out of title consideration. Top 25 stability dominated week 8. Several large top 25 games the following week loomed large to open windows. But it was not to be. This week and the lack of non conference play left little to be said and my interest in the series died off. It became increasingly more obvious that Ohio State was not going to get a loss needed to knock them out of the top 14. We were one Ohio State loss away from seeing two BCS outsiders break into BCS bowls, but it would not come. Though Boise State was one spot higher than Ohio State, Ohio State was selected for the money they bring to the table. Boise State and TCU brought the Poinsettia Bowl twice as much money, if not more, as they had ever seen and more viewers than the Orange Bowl. End of the season Who, other than me, could have imagined that a legitimate claim for two outsiders making a BCS bid could have been made? Not two, but three teams from outside of the BCS conferences ended in the top 14, one with two losses. Alabama was the heavy favorite to put down Utah's claims. After the game perception had changed. More than in 2004 and 2006 an outsider had made a statement that they deserved consideration. Based on the AP Poll, 25% of us agree. I would ask anyone to seriously compare your own perception of the gap between Utah and Alabama before the Sugar Bowl to your perception of the gap between Utah and Florida now. Would you not agree that the latter is smaller than the former? The Utah win was enormous for its program. It was big for the MWC. But when it comes to bringing a change of attitude for the BCS outsiders, and maybe even calls for a new system, A WIN FOR ONE IS A WIN FOR ALL!!