YOU KNOW WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BEING A FOOTBALL PLAYER AT UTAH?

’06 Razorback sideline shot.

You know why I really went here?

I couldn’t hack it in the SEC.

What is a yute?

47-28 Crazy sack of weasels whacking the Pirate? WTF?

also, oh noes!

Ole Miss smashing the previous high of points scored against TT this year. maybe daCoachO can recruit after all…

…..ceptin’ for Oklahoma, of course.

So now can the Big 12 shut up about “their prolific offenses” now? It helps to try to play defense……and Ole Miss is the 3rd best team in the SEC…..
Wait til Oklahoma gets a load of the Gator offense….Whoaaaa Nelllly……
Chances are, in the NFL, most of these Big 12 QB’s will be facing corners and LB’s that are from the SEC, not the Big 12….therein lies the difference in the conferences….I betcha Giggety hangs 50 on ’em….

Oh, and Alabama will send these faggety Utes back to the compound with a bonafide processed ass whippin…..

the 2 utes walk into the sack o’ suds…

(MY COUSIN VINNY’D)

Orson, as often as you make me laugh, you just as often completely freak me out.

No comment on a truly classic halftime observation from a certain KY head coach: “More points. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.”

Awesome!

Live blog tonight?

Nick doesn’t have time for the statue and ring shit.

BIG MAN FUCKING TRUCKED HIM….damn it i want to turn off the liberty bowl

It’s not lost on me, given the premise of this post, that Utah chose tails.

The Liberty Bowl doesn’t have time for this shit.

So I don’t think Saban was ready for this…

@17

Nope… I don’t think he was…

I knew Utah would be good as soon as they beat my Frogs…

Man that was a helluva first drive by the Yutes.

Bama Bang Power: Activate!

7-0 Utes. It’s early, but I’m positively giddy!

Ute this!!

That’s the old Sarah Jessica Parker we know and love.

Damn, those Ute receivers can catch!

Hruk?

MWC SPEEEEEEED

They just can’t keep up with that Emmm-Duyba-Seeee speed!

Weeeee! Schadenfreude!

Bama is getting Mormon slapped.

Utes up 14-0. Huh.

The two old guys with their fists up are John Carlos and Tommy Smith (likely they weren’t in the same room because they hate each other) but other than the obvious ones like Jeter, Wade and Ali, I have no idea who those other people are.

The Cotton-Pickers from Alabamaa’m are playing like menopausal dames down two td’s in the first qtr.

Saban is already chewing out his boys, what a no class son of a gun.

I know it’s still early, but I feel like I should point out that I said over a month ago that the loser of the UF-Bama game would have its hands full with Utah because of the disparity in motivation.

Harris – The girls were Kerri Walsh-Jennings and Misty May-Treanor, the best Beach Volleyball team in history.

Oh, and Dr. J. I didn’t mean to leave out Jesus of South Philadelphia.

24 & 25

Beat me to it, but it bears repeating:

EMMMMMM DUBYA CEEEEEEEEEE Speed!

Bill Russell is also in the ad.

I am so glad to see my old buddy “The REAL John Parker Wilson” show up for the game.

I’ve missed him since he’s been handing off all game and having easy play action looks.

Him throwing a lame duck to the dead center of the field cuz a big scary blitzer spooked him was a nice reminder.

who’s gay?

bama should put in the varsity team now, like, right now.

Anybody else guessing that Utah got a good scouting report from Meyer?

Announcer – “I think their struggling a little bit with Utah’s quickness”

This guy obviously is not schooled in the proper conference stereotypes.

Can’t blame the announcers; they’re too busy madly rewriting their pregame scripts right now.

Shit head, that’s Bill Russell, not Dr. J.

I’ll defer to your expertise, Studley. I know little and care less about women’s beach volleyball that doesn’t involve firm-bottomed Brazilian giantesses glistening in the sun from a thin sheen of sweat . . . I’m going to need a moment.

Charissa Thompson looked like she had more than a few late nights and Hand Grenades in the Quarter. (Oh, to have been there with her.)

This is getting interesting.

21-0 now. Shades of West Virginia-Georgia 2005 here…

Greatest first quarter ever. Bama will go the Oklahoma/Georgia route in climbing back but falling just short to Boise State/West Virginia.

This is now starting to look like the start of the Bama-UGA game. (If Utah = Bama and Bama = UGA).

ROLLED TIDE!

holy shit…did Alabama even show up for this game? UTAH?!!!!!?? hahaha, Lord Saban….

If ’Bama’s not careful, they’re going to be supplying the butt in this game. Utes definitely came ready to play.

That Cotton-Picker Saban will quit Alabama and try to get back to the Dolphins, probably before the game against Joe Pesci’s Utes is ovah!

SEC Speed….haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we’re banning the SEC from the BCS now, right?

Looks like Andre Smith wasn’t the only Bama player enjoying the NO nightlife. It is an unfair advantage to play a Mormon team in New Orleans. One team has to drink and play well. The other just has to practice.

Sarah Jessica Parker Wilson, on his back faster than Kim Cattrall to close out the first quarter.

With the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Andre Smith, Offensive Tackle, Alabama.

I’m glad to see FOX hasn’t forgotten to show the crowd and bands like last year.

Yes I know the stadium is filled with people cheering how about you show me the guys playing?

FOX College Football makes me count the days till twwl broadcasts the BCS again.

If Utah holds on, Ohio State beats Texas, and Oklahoma wins the BCS title game, we’ll have nicely destroyed any notion of conference superiority (well, the Pac 10 may say something, but that’s it…).

Someone tell the Bama fans not to jump up and down and make noise when their offense is on the field and they are having false starts.

Seriously.

JPW post sack on 3rd and 8… (lips moving during close-up)
“WOW”…

Well said John Parker, well said.

How in the world can the Utes, a team that gets sloppy seconds or thirds in the H.S. recruiting world, and located in the desert with no alcoholic libations allowed, be beating the Taad this badly?

If Bama loses, heaven help the agent who spoke to Andre Smith. The Bama AG will be seeking the death penalty.

No wonder JPW is out of sorts. That headset is mussing his Bama bangs.

@51

bama is playing well? fuck, is bama playing at all?

Fourth quarter, Utes up by 20.
11 minute, 55 yard drive by the Tide, only to fumble at the 4 yard line.

You heard it here first

So how soon is some asshat going to fire up “www.FireNickSaban.com?”

Newsflash – 2008 Alabama is the SEC equivalent of 2007 Kansas; great on one side of the ball, rolled through the weak division of a big-name conference, lost pretty convincingly when they ran up against the big boy from their conference. Only Utah’s better than last year’s Virginia Tech team, so they’re going to lose their bowl game, too.

Utah is sticking that good dick in ’bama right now

The Taad, at this rate will have 12 points by the fourth qtr. Field goal kicking freaks.

TO: Auburn University
FR: Schadenfreude
RE: University of Alabama football team

Dear Sirs,

We have received your request and are currently processing delivery. Please turn your television to your local Fox affiliate.

Sincerely,
Customer Service Department
Salt Lake City, Utah

So, if Utah blows out Bama, shouldn’t they be the national champs, being undefeated and all….

In the context of this post, hearing Kenny Albert talk about a gaping hole for Mark Ingram just reaches a whole new level of wrongness.

This just came through the AP Wire:

People are calling 911 in Birmingham, Alabama are reporting “tremors” and “earthquakes”. Police were dispatched and apparently found the epicenter. Elmwood Cemetery. Yep, the Bear is SPINNING IN HIS GRAVE!!

“Honk if you’d sacked John Parker Wilson” Bumper Stickers: Not Just for Barners Anymore!

#55: I was in Knoxville this season when Bama came and took up around 1/3 of Neyland Stadium, and they were also good then about standing up and yelling when their team had the ball. Thanks!

In Bama’s defense tonight I will say the refs are being incredibly generous with Utah’s WR’s lining up illegally on most of their pass plays. The flankers are so close to the line they are covered up and, thus, ineligible.

Javier Arenas just made this interesting again.

Welcome back, Bama. Take that special teams 6 and put some more on the board.

I guess they are not going to call that block in the back.

DAMN! Come on, PUNTER! Step up and make the tackle!

That’s why you’re not real football players.

Arenas was fightin and clawin on his previous returns too he just couldn’t get loose.

He’s the only member of the Tide who came to play so far. But it does look like their secondary is starting to adjust to that MWC speed.

Ole Miss spotted TT a 14 point lead, maybe Bama thought that was a good model. They can’t afford any more mistakes from here out.

Refs are fucking Utah hard. Blown block in the back on the punt return, now this.

has FOX never broadcasted football before? what is with the fucked up camera shots?

So, the 2nd best team in the SEC is just able to get a field goal and a luck punt return against a team from a weak conference! Haaaaaa!

Not an Auburn fan, but am amazed at the lack of “War Eagles” heah

Unbelievable; I’m utterly shocked the refs didn’t try to give Alabama yet another undeserved break on the last play of the half.

So Bama kicks off from what, the 20, to start the 2nd half?

Coffee is playing damn hard, too.

Re: Hoolio’s fashion statement. Has he always worn houndstooth gloves?

AHHH! So many bangs!!!!

Has anyone ever actually seen Barry Switzer’s eyes?

Charles @63: 100 cocktails to you sir, that was laugh-out-loud funny! In the spirit of this thread, I feel compelled to declare that “cocktails” mean drinks.

Hey bama fans:

BEAR BRYANT WORE A FUCKING CHECKERED HAT!!! Where the hell did this houndstooth shit come from anyway? Did some douchebag with a patent on houndstooth convince the bama nation that was what Bear Bryant was wearing despite the fact you morons have countless pictures of him hanging on your walls???

@83

jerry jones kept em

Bama definitely won the Battle of the Bands…

FYI, at the university of utah you can ride your bike or ski.

@81

well, then everyone is going to come away with winning something tonight arent they?

Looks like the Notre Dame of the South (Awabama) is imitating the Irish. Bootlegging it to a major bowl game, and then making a crap sandwich for its fans to feast upon.

(ND beating Havaii does not count. – whack job bowl game for 6-6 teams.)

so i guess now you’re allowed to blow up people from behind after the play is blown dead?

always thought that was a penalty

very generous spot there; refs are keeping ’Bama in the game.

so i guess now you’re allowed to grab a lineman’s feet as he’s running away to make a tackle and trip him?

always thought that was a penalty

You can really hear the “Voice of the Superdome” (PA Announcer Jerry Romig) very clearly tonight.

Is there anything more hillbilly than bama fans with their t-shirts stuffed into their jeans?

It’s a t-shirt, don’t try to church it up boy.

Like eating Sloppy Joes with Asparagas on the side

@#81 – Studley

At least Romig is making calls better than those maroons from Fox.

Sorry…meat @ #88. Too much vino…

It would have been nice to see Goose on the sidelines instead of Myers. That would have livened things up a bit.

I could have sworn I just heard one of the bands Fox showed again, the "Gator Bait’ song

Did Fox slip Tebow’s picture into the lineups tonight?

Bama resembles a typical Big 10 team, in the Rose Bowl.

Man on man, this is crazy. CyberTyde must be having a system breakdown.

CyberTyde demands championships, or else utter defeat.

Aww that’s so cute the Utah fans are making a “U” sign with their hands

I’m trying to be a good SEC guy and pull for the conference, but it’s just too goddamn hard to root for Alabama. So fuck ‘em. Keep bringin’ it, Utah!

@28 regarding the Gatorade “G” commercial….

From what I can recall, the others that haven’t been named in previous posts are Serena Williams (first), Candace Parker (I believe, of the WNBA and Tenn.), Mohammad Ali, and I’m pretty sure that the narrator is Maya Angelou.
What Maya Angelou has to do with Gatorade or sports is beyond me.

@LitiG8r: Maya Angelou be rymizatin’ 2 da extreme, yo. She totally needs thirst quenching after droppin’ that hot free verse on the people, ya heard?

@98

I thought I saw Suzanne Yoculan in one of them, too. Pretty eclectic crowd, there.

G commercial: did anyone mention Chaz Ortiz? He’s the little shaved headed kid — great skateboarder and only about 14.

@98 – IIRC correctly, it’s a male narrator, certainly not Maya Angelou.

Well, it’s possible that Maya Angelou has also sacked JSJPW.

The narrator is Lil Wayne, whoever the hell that is.

CyberTyde will initiate a nuclear annihilation program and wipe Tuscaloosa off the map, while planting the seeds of Crimson Life so that Alabama may resurrect and become ever more powerful.

I suspect a Saban-Bear Bryant hybrid will emerge from CyberTyde’s DNA storage and proceed to execute the Resurrection program.

@104 – Lil Wayne is a rapper…certainly not Maya Angelou.

Why in the world is Saban having hissy missy fits on the sidelines? His team is still in the game – barely – by his Grecian formula hair colored hair.

He’s pissed because even if they are in the game, they aren’t in the game — can’t tackle, can’t block, etc. All the things he thinks are important and just drive him crazy if they don’t do them. He’s pissed because everything that they’ve done to be successful this season they haven’t done tonight.

Is it just me, or is ’Bama holding like crazy on every offensive play?

Why doesn’t Fox combine their shows together into: “Lie to Me for 24 Hours: The Bobby Petrino Story” ?

Wow, Saban doesn’t even wait for his DB to get up from the tackle to start screaming at him.

with the number of times bama has straight mugged utah’s d-line without penalty, that hold was pure bullshit

It’s not just you, PortTrojan. The one time Utah tried the same thing, they got flagged.

15 yards because he flipped the ball forward? Holy shit, that’s a terrible, terrible call.

Boom!

And that’s gotta hurt.

Back to the Wild-Injun.

jesus christ these refs are doing everything they can to keep bama in the game right now

You can’t spell second best conference without SEC

Anyone see the 40ish female bama fan with the beat up face???

The Urban Meyer Pass-Flip. Awesome timing.

I’m hammering the expired equine here, but the officiating tonight has been especially awful. When there’s a mixed bowl game, they should really take half the crew from a non-BCS school or something. If Alabama weren’t butting it up, I’d expect we’d hear a lot about it tomorrow.

up 11 and they run the patented MWC hook an ladder?

So, assuming Utah hangs on, what is the value of this win? The are the only undefeated team in the country and they handled Bama a bit better than Florida did… Is there even a case for #1 and if not, why are they even playing?

As a fan of the SEC, I would like to make it known that I bet my father $20 that Utah would win, and I am unashamed.

As much as I would like to see the SEC get two BCS wins this year, I’m just as content seeing Alabama get outplayed by Utah who wasn’t given a whole lot of credit coming into this.

a FG with 2:49 left… Utah are just running up the score now

Damn, those Utah cheerleaders were hardcore. They look like they could cut a bitch.

@101, that’s Jason Mcelwain, the autistic kid from a few years ago that dropped 20 points in a hs basketball game in like 5 minutes.

Flashbacks to when Syracuse football was good…sigh.

And since that game is being mentioned now…

FUCK YOU PAT DYE

It’s time to just admit that Alabama is just not all that great. Their best game was a loss in taking Florida to the fourth quarter. The best team they beat was probably ’Ole Miss.

Any team that starts John Parker Wilson at QB is not gonna do well if they are trailing.

Not to take a thing away from Utah. They have been polished all game long. But it’s still not over.

I think every resident in Utah has sacked JPW tonight.

Barring any craziness in the last two minutes here, I’d like to note that seasons like this are why the ‘pure plus one’ model is nearly useless. Utah, USC, the BCS title game winner, and possibly Texas will all have a good case that they belonged in the ‘plus one’ game.

Well played, Utes.

Meyer to ND; Whittingham to FL. Book it.

Next Thursday is going to be the most meaningless NC ever. Congrats OU and Fla, you will not win the AP national championship nor will anyone view you as legit. An empty BCS championship.

Aaaaaand, now it’s over.

Only fitting to end with a JPW pick.

Oh yeah, Bama, you got every call this game, and you still got manhandled.

Big Ten South?

Janus -

Bearing in mind that Ole Miss just handily beat TT, I’m not sure that’s a huge knock against ’em. I also know that we turned out to be a bust, but the rain of awesomeness and pain that Bama handed us in Athens was something to behold.

I think one of the things to remember SEC homers… is you can discredit the game and accomplishments of Alabama based on the season and who they beat and shit… but there wasnt a single one of you who felt in your heart of hearts that Utah would win this game…

Can this please put an end to the conference pissing contests? SEC you arent that great, regardless of what kind of number Florida hands on OU.

The conferences are not significantly better than one another, TEAMS are better… and theres as many good ones playing “little” ball as there are teams that claim to have 1381752 national titles playing down in Dixie…

Hey now, Bama didn’t do that bad against Utah. They only scored 6 points fewer than Michigan did.

I can’t hear the SEC chants, why?

Bama wasn’t ready for the MMMMMMMMMMMMMWWWWWWWWWCCCEEEEEEEE SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED

Suuuure they won the game, but if they played in the SEC they’d be lucky to go 8-4. Isn’t that the refrain?

I hope somebody has dispatched the ambulance to the cabin of cowboyintn1979.

That is all. good night.

If Florida wins, do you vote them ahead of Utah? Do you think Utah loses more than one game against Florida’s schedule? I’d put the +/- at 1.5, maybe even two. But they have a few decent wins. I think it’s easier to make a favorable comparison for Utah against Florida than Oklahoma, since the common opponent comparisons look better.

Didn’t Utah really struggle with NMU, TCU (who choked big time…), and Michigan?

I think this game, like all the other bowl games, really shows how much motivation and emotion matter in bowl games. If you pick the team that’s excited to be in their bowl game over the team that’s disappointed, you’d do better than going with Vegas.

Look at the games today, TTU was upset about being left out of the BCS and Alabama was thinking about the BCS title game and what might have been. Makes me appreciate Petey even more, since they gotta be sick of the Rose Bowl.

beckett929:

I did.

Read comment #100. I even used the term “SEC homer”. And this game came down to the motivation disparity I talked about.

PortTrojan – it’s true, Utah would need to be lucky to go 8-4 in the SEC this year. It’s just that their luck would need to be all bad.

Half the state of Alabama is in shock after finding out what a ‘Ute’ is.

The other half is laughing its ass off.

War Damn UTEs!

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer
You just got beat by…..

The UTES???!!!!

Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!!

It’s time SEC fans face up to it: they simply don’t have the athletes to compete with elite teams in the MWC. I know this because one SEC team lost to one MWC team, and therefore it holds true for all teams in both conferences. Utah State would win the SEC, Florida would be lucky to finish fifth in the MWC.

Auburn living vicariously through Mormons in 3… 2… 1…

I’m SICK TO FUCKING DEATH of Steve-o’s argument about motivation and who wanted to be there and who didnt…. ONE MONTH to prepare.. ONE MONTH to get the fuck over not playing for the national title…

its an EXCUSE and not the REASON they lost…

Given the Mountain West’s record against the Pac 10, I’m not sure I’d be casting stones. Besides, we SEC homers only say that USC would go 8-4 in the SEC — Utah we’d probably rate at 9-2.

steve-o

Your a dipshit. That is all.

Oh, and Alabama will send these faggety Utes back to the compound with a bonafide processed ass whippin…..

Comment by Mr.Pelican Pants

Well, well, look who’s silent now. I didn’t catch the ass whippin, looked like Bama was too busy choking on their own crimson. It’s too bad we won’t see what USC or Utah would have done against Florida because they got lucky and drew Oklahoma.

steve-o

Your dipshitiness is wearing off on me, for I can no longer know the proper location of this thingy…’…

Somewhere Mike Price is laughing hysterically- while slipping a $20 into the g of a girl wearing a Utes jersey.

ROLLED TIDE, ROLLED

As a Florida fan I have to say that I would not be upset over a split national title, no matter the outcome of the title game. Utah proved they belonged with the big boys, and Alabama looked unprepared.

I wanted Bama to win, but I love the BCS looking bad. It is a win/win.

Baconboy,

SC would go 11-1 in the SEC after an early season loss to Miss. St.

Ah, yes, SEC superiority!!!
Bama defeats Georgia and LSU, yet loses to Florida, and the entire SEC nation thinks it deserves to be in the elite of this country. They got their asses handed to them tonight.
Say goodnight Nick.
Now if the OSUe can take care of Tejas and the gators can play the most boring, uninteresting football next week – well, just sayin’!
USC & Utah #s 1&2, piss on the rest of you!

Team A has a 12-1 record.
Team B has a 13-0 record.

Team A beats Team C by eleven points in a neutral stadium that is slightly closer to Team C than Team A.
Team B beats Team C by eleven points in a neutral stadium that is much, much closer to Team C than Team A.

Who should be voted number one?

Do the right thing, AP voters.

Strike 153…
Team B beats Team C by fourteen points in a neutral stadium that is much, much closer to Team C than Team A.

Port Trojan— 11-1 in the SEC would get SC the same undeserved MNC berth Florida got, so it would work out.

Mrs DC Trojan, re: a “dancing” Utah cheerleader pogo-ing next to a grooving Utah player – “That girl has never had sex, I’ll guarantee you that much just looking at her move.”

Wahh, wahh, I want to really believe that Boise St. and Utah would really go undefeated in good conferences. I mean they play their road games in front of 18k fans that have been drinking decaffeinated Dr. Pepper since 8:00 am, and evenyone knows if you don’t bring your A-game every week in the WAC and MWC, San Jose St. or NM St. may drop 50 on you.

Look at Utah’s resume. It’s the best one a mid-major has had in the BCS era. You’re seriously telling me that the weeks when they played poorly, say NMU, they’re really going to win if it’s a road game at South Carolina or Nebraska?

They’re just flat-out not going undefeated in the Big XII or SEC this year.

Utah beats Oregon State 31-28 in a home game.

Utah beats Alabama 31-17 in a road game/de facto Alabama home game.

…Oregon State beats Alabama by eleventy billion points!

PAC 10 DOMINANCE. (Pac 10 2008-9: Winning Bowls That We’re Not Even In.)

Porttrojan, I assume you mean Ole Miss and not Miss. State? Real expert on those SEC teams, I see.

The Mountain West Conference vs. BCS teams in 2008:
1-0 Against the Big 10
6-2 against the Pac-10 (who won every bowl game they played in)
2-0 against the SEC
1-3 against the Big 12

10-5 overall

Three ranked teams (more than the ACC or Big East).

And still no respect

Also, the Bama fans did the same sort of moping-around, feeling sorry for themselves bullshit that happens every time a big favorite falls behind in a BCS game. They weren’t making any noise when Utah had the ball.

It was far easier to hear the Utah fans even though they were outnumbered more than 2-1.

It’s great when games like this make the BCS look stupid, in that it is now obvious that Utah had no chance to win the title before the season even started. Whatever genius designed such a system must be very proud. On the other hand, in the pre-BCS days there was no way in hell a team like Utah would ever have gotten a Sugar Bowl invite in the first place, so I guess we do have to give some thanks for the BCS even though they had to be dragged into doing it kicking and screaming.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Oklahoma already beat the best team in the MWC by three or four TDs back in October.

Can I get a list of the MWC v. BCS conference games from someone? I know Utah beat Oregon St., Michigan, and ‘Bama. TCU lost to OU. Arizona lost to someone, and BYU beat UCLA. Can I get a list, because the record is impressive, but I’d like to see the matchups?

Welcome to the big stage Bama. That is all.

yeah right Steve-O….. undefeated maybe not…. but I think tonight’s game comes closer to telling us Alabama are a 7-5 MWC team

Also, if you want to make a point, stop word for word regurgitating Colin Cowherd…

SEC junk, meet non-BCS foot.

Steve-O

You think TCU is the best team in the Mountain West?

Why are you even in this conversation? You don’t know anything about the team that just stomped ’Bama.

’Bama’s best win at this point was probably ’Ole Miss and then Georgia. They have beaten TWO teams in the top 25 currently. Utah took out ’Bama, Oregon St. TCU and BYU. All in the top 25.

Also, if Utah were in the SEC, then they could schedule a horrifically weak non-conference schedule. That would be nice. Heeellllooo Sun Belt.

#162
BYU beat Washington and UCLA, but lost to Arizona
Colorado State lost to Colorado and Cal
New Mexico lost to Texas A&M, but beat Arizona
SDSU lost to Notre Dame
TCU beat Stanford but lost to Oklahoma
UNLV beat Arizona State and Iowa State
Utah beat Michigan, Oregon State, and Alabama

Air Force and Wyoming did not play any BCS/ND teams.

1. —

Wyoming won AT Tennessee

You don’t think TCU is the best team in the MWC? I mean, things will change after this game, but the Sagarin predictor had them substantially (more than a FG) higher than Utah before the bowl games. Also, they lost a road game to Utah by less than one score after missing a couple of kicks. I’d say they’re pretty evenly matched, but yes, TCU is better. Their bowl win was about as impressive, and they only had one close victory all year before that, IIRC.

A lot of Big 12-SEC types ripped on Matt Leinart for saying “I still think we’re a better team. They [Texas] just made the plays in the end.” After the events of tonight, they now seem to have the same sort of mentality.

Thanks 166.

For the most part, it looks like the better MWC teams got wins against the worst BCS conference schools, That said, I still don’t have a problem with a Utah MNC. They went 13-0 against a respectable schedule.

But for those who think motivation doesn’t matter, or that teams should be able to overcome it, didn’t you ever play one-on-one basketball against your younger brother/neighbor? You screw around until they actually have some success against you and/or talk shit, then you start trying. Sometimes, it’s too late. I’m not saying ‘Bama was better than Utah, just that teams don’t bring their A-games every week. It’s a lot easier to go 13-0 when you need to survive a scare in Albuquerque instead of Columbia or Lincoln.

But the high point of the game?

At the 6:30 mark of the 4th quarter (if you still have the game DVR’ed), Saban practically went postal on his DB who was still on the ground after giving up a 10-yard out pattern. I’m surprised he didn’t kick him in the ’nads.

OK, I agree that you could absolutely make a case for TCU being better than Utah. But their bowl win was not as impressive. They won a barn burner against Boise St. and Utah (kinda sorta) dominated ’Bama.

I think its not out of line to say that Utah could get thru the SEC (with an especially candy ass OOC sked) with 1 loss or in the case of last year 2 losses.

Why is everyone so quick to cast aside the motivation argument? You don’t get over blowing your chance to play in the MNC game in a month. Why would you? Bama’s players (and Saban) packed it in after they lost to Florida— they didn’t care about this game as much as Utah did. Andre Smith’s agent situation is evidence of at least one player whose mind was focused on next season (albeit in the NFL) instead of on bowl preparation, since they were basically playing for 4th or 5th place in the final rankings, which sucks when you’ve spent the 5 previous weeks at number 1.

This is not to disparage Utah in any way. They are an excellent team. In fact, I think they could’ve beaten UF too had UF lost to Bama in the SECCG.

Hey John, I have the weird mentality that the USSR was better than the ‘80 USA hockey team, that Georgetown was a better team than ’Nova, and that OU was better than Danny and the Miracles in 1988. It doesn’t make the upset victories illegitimate, just upsets.

Just because it’s unbecoming to say, “Even though we lost, we’re still better,” it doesn’t make it untrue (although sometimes it is).

Janu09, you’re right that TCU’s victory wasn’t as impressive. I should have said they beat a team of comparable quality to Alabama (IMO). They didn’t beat them as soundly.

Assuming both teams are properly motivated and no All-American players are suspended for the Tide, Utah loses to Alabama 7 out of 10 times. Neither condition was met tonight.

Utah would probably go about 5-3 in the SEC and play in the Cotton Bowl or somesuch. Very good, but not 13-0.

Steve-O

Yeah, it’s very unclassy to pull the Matt Leinart “I think we are a better team…” but as it was in the Rose Bowl then, it is often the unfortunate truth.

HOWEVER, I do not believe that Alabama is a better team than Utah. ’Bama has been ridiculously overrated all season and beaten teams when we thought they were good and later found out they were not so great.

Give me that bowl ten times and Utah pulls our the victory at least 5-6 times.

They had some rough calls go against them at very bad times and also played too conservative when clock killing. They coulda won by a lot more.

Baconboy,

You didn’t get the joke. Perhaps not being a Pac 10 expert you don’t realize that SC has a habit of losing to shitty teams in conference. Continue taking yourself and your conference too seriously.

bacon, @159. I believe port trojan meant mississippi state. I think he was trying to make fun of USC’s recent history of losing to terrible teams, (stanford, osu, ucla) and beating the good teams.

Porttrojan, you are right, I did miss the joke and it is actually pretty funny. Thought you were talking about the Gator’s loss this year, not the USC propensity to lose to crappy teams, though I think MSU would be beyond even the ability of USC to lose to.

So to summarize, the SEC sucks because Utah beat ‘Bama. The Big 10 sucks because USC beat PSU. The Big 12 sucks because Ole Miss beat Texas Tech. The ACC sucks because LSU beat Georgia Tech. The Pac 10 sucks because of it’s season long record against the MWC. All of the mid-majors are underrated and, if given the chance to play in one of the big six, would run the table, year in, year out.

What am I missing?

#203

The Big East sucks because they don’t even get mentioned.

The Big East sucks because Cinci lost to Virginia Tech, but didn’t suck last year because West Virginia beat Oklahoma.

CyberTyde has now launched nuclear hell on Tuscaloosa.

Good job Utes! Looks like somebody followed thru with their quests.

Now we just need tOSU to beat Texas to fuck the year up…ahhhhh, sweet chaos

Totally forgot about the Big East, but I suppose that’s understandable.

With all of this terrible football, I’m not even sure why I pay attention…

To: Andre Smith
From: Alabama Fans

Thanks for leaving us high and dry. And your replacement got hurt early, leaving us to shuffle in a FRESHMAN. Utah would like to thank you also, since half the time they were in JPW’s grill all night, turning our offense into a disaster, since JPW is not Tim Tebow and cannot carry a team to victory…..
Hope you like Detroit and going 0-16 again next year….
Coach Saban would like to thank you and your family rep and the agent for the big ass DISTRACTION, as if being in New Orleans wasnt enough.

In the spirit of this post:

We’re here! We’re queer! Get used to it!

Good job Utah, SEC speeed!

Hey Steve-O – That’s why the play the games. Bama got rammerjammered by the Utes! Motivation my arse. If Bama wanted to prove a point, they sure did it tonight. Good teams show up and win. Especially teams that want to claim that their one loss was a fluke. Saban’s bunch got punched in the mouth after hanging out on Bourbon Street all week and didn’t know how to respond.

As for TCU, we held every team on our schedule to their lowest point totals of the year (Wyoming was the only exception – gave up 7, they got shutout elsewhere). #1 defense in the country – played four teams that were top ten at the time (OU on the road, Utah on the road, BYU @ home, Boise Bowl).

Utah deserves a #1 vote – they beat three or four ranked teams (Bama, TCU, BYU, Oregon St), Michigan at their house (not that it says much this year). What else can you ask of them???? What is OU’s resume in comparison (TCU, Cincy, Tech, loss to Tx)? Florida’s? Cmon!

Going to Baton Rouge was real tough this year – Troy should have won there. Croom? Vandy? Kentucky? Those are better teams than Air Force or Colorado State this year? Unlikely. Hell, the Mountain West’s worst team (Wyoming) went into Tennessee at the end of this year and won. Maybe the fans are greater in number, but that doesn’t mean the product on the field is superior. Certainly not in the case of the Big East, ACC, or Pac-10 this year. Big 10 for that matter, too.

There are 3 things I am pretty sure of:

(1) JPW lived down to all of the expectations anyone ever had of him. He was a “manager” – not a QB. He’s the offensive version of a “prevent defense.” It never works. He had the best wide receiver in the SEC and still couldn’t win. (Hey Julio – want to transfer?)

(2) Defenses really do win championships.

(3) I would HATE being a returning player at Alabama next spring.

Junction Boys part II

DC Trojan @ 176: + Infinity.