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5 thoughts on Utah's Sugar Bowl win over Alabama
Foxnews ^ | January 3, 2009, 2:52 AM EST | CollegeFootballNews.com Pete Fiutak

Posted on 01/03/2009 12:25:39 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach

1. Utah ... national champion?! Why not?

I still don't believe this is the best team in America, but without a playoff, it's all about the résumé.

This wasn't a fluky win and this wasn't a case of Alabama coming out flat. Utah straight-up whipped the Tide on both sides of the ball, and remember, this was against a team that was No. 1 for most of the year and was a quarter away from playing for the national title. This was a great, great 'Bama team, and Utah beat it like a drum.

This isn't 1984 BYU; that Cougars team didn't beat anyone as good as the 2008 Oregon State team, much less a TCU or an Alabama. This isn't 2004 Utah or 1999 Marshall or 1998 Tulane. So where, really, should Utah be put in the final rankings? If you're going to say No. 1, no matter what happens in the BCS championship game, it's hard to argue. Utah has to be ranked ahead of USC (on the deserve factor, although I still think USC wins easily on a neutral field) and I still want to see the Fiesta Bowl and the national championship. But even if Texas does what everyone thinks it's going to do and beats Ohio State, then Utah can't be any lower than third behind the Florida-Oklahoma winner and Texas. However, if Florida wins, then you could argue that Utah's win over 'Bama was more impressive than Florida's win in the SEC title game (even though Andre Smith was missing from the Sugar Bowl), and that the Utes deserve to be first over the Gators. If OU wins, then maybe No. 3 ... at worst. At the very least, the Mountain West needs ......

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.foxsports.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: alabama; bcs; beatbama; bowlgames; collegefootball; sugarbowl2008; utah; wareagle
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

March Madness is a huge deal each year and earns millions for the NCAA. If it works so well for college basketball, why not college football as well? You don’t have to get rid of the Bowl games, you just have to structure them as a championship series. Market it right, and it likely would be bigger than March Madness. Until then, the BCS Championship will be about as legitimate as appointing Caroline Kennedy and Al Franken as Senators.


21 posted on 01/03/2009 12:50:23 PM PST by Reaganesque (BCS - The "C" is silent)
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To: Reaganesque

“Until then, the BCS Championship will be about as legitimate as appointing Caroline Kennedy and Al Franken as Senators.”

Great line and so true!


22 posted on 01/03/2009 12:52:19 PM PST by Comparative Advantage
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Lots of long faces around here today, lots of noses out of joint.

All it took was one season for all the Bama arrogance and entitlement to return....too bad. It was nice to be without it for a while.

23 posted on 01/03/2009 12:52:39 PM PST by WarEagle (Can America survive a President named Hussein?)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
It was a David vs Goliath game, but the Vegas bookies got it wrong.

The Goliath should have been Utah on the point spread.

24 posted on 01/03/2009 12:54:29 PM PST by Flycatcher (Strong copy for a strong America)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

With all of the “go ahead and crown ‘em now” talk during the pre-game show and that s#!+ talking of the Bama player right after the coin toss, I was really hoping for a solid Utah win. What a great game!


25 posted on 01/03/2009 12:56:37 PM PST by Future Snake Eater ("Get out of the boat and walk on the water with us!”--Sen. Joe Biden)
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To: Terpfen

exactly correct..bama thought they’d win because, well, they’re bama and who the heck is utah? what I saw was one team who thought they had it in the bag, and one team who was focused and there to win..

hats off to utah..


26 posted on 01/03/2009 1:06:14 PM PST by GeorgiaDawg32 (A democrat will break your leg, then hand you a crutch and take credit for your being able to walk.)
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To: Terpfen
It’s automatically second-rate ball compared to the NFL

I used to think the same thing, but in the past year, have come to realize that, at least with college football, both teams play to win.
I can't really say the same thing about the NFL anymore. Too much money, too much corruption (the Patriots), too much on the line. Wouldn't doubt if some games are as rigged as pro wrestling.
27 posted on 01/03/2009 1:10:40 PM PST by jrg
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Utah just like FL exposed Bama for the fraud that they are. They are completely 1 dimensional on offense and cannot defend the pass. Same w/most SEC/Big 10 teams. Stop the run and they got nothing to fall back on. All they got is East Coast Bias. Pac 10 5-0.

GO Ducks


28 posted on 01/03/2009 1:13:58 PM PST by bray (Is Rezko Singing God Bless America?)
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To: Corporate Law

Cinci, Cleveland and Detroit all have smaller payrolls than SC.

GO Ducks


29 posted on 01/03/2009 1:15:21 PM PST by bray (Is Rezko Singing God Bless America?)
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To: Reaganesque

Exactly right, w/o a playoff its just Fantasy FB.

GO Ducks


30 posted on 01/03/2009 1:17:29 PM PST by bray (Is Rezko Singing God Bless America?)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

So, if Alabama played in the Mountain West, they would probably be the third or fourth best team in the conference. The SEC is obviously weak and so going undefeated or having one loss should not automatically get them into a BCS game.


31 posted on 01/03/2009 1:18:29 PM PST by Tramonto (More broker for you money.)
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To: bray

There are a lot of high school football teams who are more professionally run than the Bungles.


32 posted on 01/03/2009 1:21:12 PM PST by Corporate Law (Palin/Jindal 2012)
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To: Corporate Law

“There are a lot of high school football teams who are more professionally run than the Bungles.”

Maybe even in the city of Cincinnati. There’s some fine HS football programs there.


33 posted on 01/03/2009 1:22:49 PM PST by Comparative Advantage
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To: dfwgator
Apparently Bama fans are whining because they think Urban Meyer gave Utah some tips on how to play Bama.

Well, if Urban Meyer told them to put up three touchdowns in the game's first ten minutes, then those fans may have a point...It looked to me as though Utah won because their execution was excellent all around, their pass rush was effective, and the QB was really, really sound.

34 posted on 01/03/2009 1:47:27 PM PST by NittanyLion
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Ever see an Oklahoma game this year...they are awesome!

I did see them play Texas Tech and Texas. However, now that Tech and OSU lost, and Missouri needed OT to beat Northwestern, I'm inclined to believe the Big 12 is composed of good offenses and terrible defenses. I think UF and USC are the total package.

35 posted on 01/03/2009 1:52:29 PM PST by NittanyLion
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To: jrg

Patriots aren’t in the playoffs this year, so who cares?

And I never said college teams don’t play to win. They do. I’m saying the quality of play in the NFL is superior.


36 posted on 01/03/2009 1:53:01 PM PST by Terpfen (Ain't over yet, folks. Those 2004 Senate gains are up for grabs in 2 years.)
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To: VaRepublican

No, it’s actually a very true thing to say.

If the 2007 LSU Tigers played the 2007 New York Giants, are you seriously expecting the Tigers to come out on top?


37 posted on 01/03/2009 1:54:39 PM PST by Terpfen (Ain't over yet, folks. Those 2004 Senate gains are up for grabs in 2 years.)
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To: Terpfen

Even the Detroit Lions would destroy the 2007 LSU Tigers. It wouldn’t even be close.


38 posted on 01/03/2009 2:10:23 PM PST by dfwgator (I hate Illinois Marxists)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

You can’t spell BCS without BS.

I’d vote Utah just to spoil the process.

If I were Brown & Carroll, I’d be vocally criticizing the BCS every time a mike was pushed in my face.


39 posted on 01/03/2009 2:32:32 PM PST by CriticalJ
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To: dfwgator

Exactly.


40 posted on 01/03/2009 2:43:31 PM PST by Terpfen (Ain't over yet, folks. Those 2004 Senate gains are up for grabs in 2 years.)
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