Sorry Sean, but the Utah's of the world cannot compete week end and week out with the SEC, ACC, Big 12, Big 10, PAC 10. They can probably get by for a couple of games, but they do not have the team to stand in with an SEC type schedule. I dare think that if USC, Oklahoma or Auburn played Utah this year, Utah loses by 3 to 5 touchdowns. Sorry, as a 54 year observer of SEC and Big 10, old Southwest Conf. football, Utah does not match up at all.
I don't know about the SEC, ACC, Big 12, and Big 10, but the PAC 10 is well-known and oft-played in these parts, and we (meaning Utah and other other top rank MWC teams) just aren't intimidated by them week in and week out.
Regardless of conference, when the mighty fall, they seem to fall hard--witness Nebraska, Washington, Penn State.
For that matter, BYU beat Notre Dame this year, and BYU's program is sucking wind.
It would be fun to find out.
Utah's offense is first rate, and can compete against anyone in the country. Utah will score at least 30 points against any team in the country. On the other hand, Utah would struggle defensively against a team that has a strong running game complemented by tall outsized receivers. Even at that, the defensive secondary are fast and have good hands (which has helped the Utes achieve a remarkable turnover ratio). If Utah scores 30 points, you're saying they would lose 51-30 or 65-30.
Those kind of lopsided scores would require a weaker Utah defense than it has and a lot more turnovers than its offense is accustomed to giving up. I don't see it. A more likely score would be 35-30.
Just three weeks ago everyone was talking about what a juggernaut Wisconsin was. In retrospect, a lot of that was reflected glory from the fabulous history of its conference.
I'm not saying the SEC, ACC, Big 10, and Big 12 aren't great, tough conferences. They certainly are. But I think there's a lot of wasted talent on some of the teams, too. And sometimes the hype about particular teams is just that: hype.
They don't match up because the playing field in Div 1 football is not set up fairly. The BCS schools get the cream of the crop because they have a shot at a National Championship, the non BCS schools don't. Why would a kid go to New Mexico if he is being recruited by Oklahoma? If Auburn is so s@#t hot why do they schedule cream puff schools on their non-conference schedule? Why not sack up and play Utah, Fresno State, or Boise State. I know why, because they have seen Wisconson,Kansas State Texas A&M, and North Carolina get whacked by these guys in the past!!!
Untill there is a real Div 1 playoff that includes all conference Champs it's all crap and speculation.