What about Ute Strength of Schedule

[KillerDog]

Utah fans have been spending a lot of time talking up their strength of schedule this year. I think that has been warranted but I just noticed that Utah's best win, according to the RPI, is their home victory over BYU. I find it interesting that their best RPI win is against their hated rivals despite the talk of how great their schedule is. Utah, just like other MWC teams, is really getting a boost this year by playing in the MWC.

So, who has the best out of conference win this year? UNLV with their win over RPI 12 Louisville. UNLV's head scratching losses are killing them because they have some great wins and would be a lock without those complete lapses in concentration.

[cougjunkie]

Utah fans have been spending a lot of time talking up their strength of schedule this year. I think that has been warranted but I just noticed that Utah's best win, according to the RPI, is their home victory over BYU. I find it interesting that their best RPI win is against their hated rivals despite the talk of how great their schedule is. Utah, just like other MWC teams, is really getting a boost this year by playing in the MWC.

So, who has the best out of conference win this year? UNLV with their win over RPI 12 Louisville. UNLV's head scratching losses are killing them because they have some great wins and would be a lock without those complete lapses in concentration.

The wins over Gonzaga and LSU were both at home. The win over Oregon means nothing now. Also the fact that the SEC is really down doesnt help Utah either. But with an RPI of 11, somebody likes what they have done.

On an unrelated note I read that Dave Rose said we would have a few marquee names coming to the MC next year anybody know who that is?

[jay santos]

Utah fans have been spending a lot of time talking up their strength of schedule this year. I think that has been warranted but I just noticed that Utah's best win, according to the RPI, is their home victory over BYU. I find it interesting that their best RPI win is against their hated rivals despite the talk of how great their schedule is. Utah, just like other MWC teams, is really getting a boost this year by playing in the MWC.

So, who has the best out of conference win this year? UNLV with their win over RPI 12 Louisville. UNLV's head scratching losses are killing them because they have some great wins and would be a lock without those complete lapses in concentration.

I love a tough schedule. Utah's tough schedule did two things for them IMHO

1. Toughened them up, prepared them, so that they were actually a better team going into conference vs if they had gone 11-1 vs patsies. This goes against the theory that teams will get beat up playing tough teams and do worse in conference. That is my most hated pet peeve argument about scheduling. Yes I'm looking at you, Indy.

2. Got their team known nationally and boosted their RPI which will help them come NCAA pairings.

Utah vs BYU SOS is not that drastic of an example as BYU had some good OOC games (just not as many). But compare Utah to USU. USU beat Utah, but Utah at 19-7 has a better NCAA resume than Utah State at 25-3.

[SeattleUte]

Utah fans have been spending a lot of time talking up their strength of schedule this year. I think that has been warranted but I just noticed that Utah's best win, according to the RPI, is their home victory over BYU. I find it interesting that their best RPI win is against their hated rivals despite the talk of how great their schedule is. Utah, just like other MWC teams, is really getting a boost this year by playing in the MWC.

So, who has the best out of conference win this year? UNLV with their win over RPI 12 Louisville. UNLV's head scratching losses are killing them because they have some great wins and would be a lock without those complete lapses in concentration.

How can it be their best win when they beat LSU, ranked no. 18 and creaming the SEC, by 30? They also beat Gonzaga, another ranked team. Has BYU been ranked?

[SeattleUte]

The wins over Gonzaga and LSU were both at home. The win over Oregon means nothing now. Also the fact that the SEC is really down doesnt help Utah either. But with an RPI of 11, somebody likes what they have done.

On an unrelated note I read that Dave Rose said we would have a few marquee names coming to the MC next year anybody know who that is?

How many ranked teams has BYU beaten at home or on the road?

[KillerDog]

How can it be their best win when they beat LSU, ranked no. 18 and creaming the SEC, by 30? They also beat Gonzaga, another ranked team. Has BYU been ranked?

Like I said, best win according to RPI. LSU and Gonzaga have worse RPI than BYU. LSU played a patsy non-conference schedule except for Utah and the SEC isn't pretty this year. LSU isn't even the best RPI in the SEC. Gonzaga is ranked but their RPI isn't special at all. Right now, according to RPI, Utah's marquee win is BYU.

[KillerDog]

I love a tough schedule. Utah's tough schedule did two things for them IMHO

1. Toughened them up, prepared them, so that they were actually a better team going into conference vs if they had gone 11-1 vs patsies. This goes against the theory that teams will get beat up playing tough teams and do worse in conference. That is my most hated pet peeve argument about scheduling. Yes I'm looking at you, Indy.

2. Got their team known nationally and boosted their RPI which will help them come NCAA pairings.

Utah vs BYU SOS is not that drastic of an example as BYU had some good OOC games (just not as many). But compare Utah to USU. USU beat Utah, but Utah at 19-7 has a better NCAA resume than Utah State at 25-3.

I agree with Boylen's scheduling efforts. I prefer a tough non-conference schedule. That said, I find it ironic that according to RPI, Utah's best win was in conference.

[Senioritis]

I think Utah's RPI is due to a few things.

1. The Southwest Baptist loss doesn't count. Sure, it COUNTS, but it doesn't count.

2. Utah has beaten five teams that are currently leading their conference. Two of those teams are in the Top 25. They aren't all big conferences, but the winning percentage helps.

3. Utah's losses that count, save Idaho State, have been to pretty darn good teams. Oklahoma on the road, Cal (3rd in the PAC) at home, Utah State on the road, SDSU on the road (when Boylen made the box score), and UNLV on the road. I would like to state, on Idaho State's behalf, that they only lost to Washington State by 19, Arizona State by 35, and BYU by 20, and a squeaker to Kansas State by 26. I still don't get this loss. Blaming it on the absence of Drca is Wk.

4. The MWC ain't half bad, and Utah leads it. Utah's also the only team this year to beat WYO up where the air smells like money and the women are as cheap as the beer. My nether-regions are a tad shrivelled by the prospect of the next three games, but I figure if the Mighty Utes win tonight, they get a share of the title. That's pretty solid.

5. I think the biggest thing is the expectation thing. The schedule seemed a lot tougher looking forward through the lens of 6-5 with two really girly losses. I think a lot of these wins have surprised a lot of Ute fans, and the relative strength of the schedule vs. the perceived strength of the team is what causes some of us to be a little too excited about the schedule.

That said, Utah's been freaking good this year. I can't quite wrap my head around that, and I have a large head.

[SeattleUte]

I think Utah's RPI is due to a few things.

1. The Southwest Baptist loss doesn't count. Sure, it COUNTS, but it doesn't count.

2. Utah has beaten five teams that are currently leading their conference. Two of those teams are in the Top 25. They aren't all big conferences, but the winning percentage helps.

3. Utah's losses that count, save Idaho State, have been to pretty darn good teams. Oklahoma on the road, Cal (3rd in the PAC) at home, Utah State on the road, SDSU on the road (when Boylen made the box score), and UNLV on the road. I would like to state, on Idaho State's behalf, that they only lost to Washington State by 19, Arizona State by 35, and BYU by 20, and a squeaker to Kansas State by 26. I still don't get this loss. Blaming it on the absence of Drca is Wk.

4. The MWC ain't half bad, and Utah leads it. Utah's also the only team this year to beat WYO up where the air smells like money and the women are as cheap as the beer. My nether-regions are a tad shrivelled by the prospect of the next three games, but I figure if the Mighty Utes win tonight, they get a share of the title. That's pretty solid.

5. I think the biggest thing is the expectation thing. The schedule seemed a lot tougher looking forward through the lens of 6-5 with two really girly losses. I think a lot of these wins have surprised a lot of Ute fans, and the relative strength of the schedule vs. the perceived strength of the team is what causes some of us to be a little too excited about the schedule.

That said, Utah's been freaking good this year. I can't quite wrap my head around that, and I have a large head.

Excellent, funny analysis. But I don't know how good I can call them until the next four games are over. They have had a scheduling break that has created the illusion that they're running away with the title when they're not. They need to win the next two, because they won't win the conference in the pit. At least I cant' wrap my head around that. The Idaho State game haunts because this team is capable of real flakiness and they've been thriving on close calls and some luck.

[Mormon Red Death]

Excellent, funny analysis. But I don't know how good I can call them until the next four games are over. They have had a scheduling break that has created the illusion that they're running away with the title when they're not. They need to win the next two, because they won't win the conference in the pit. At least I cant' wrap my head around that. The Idaho State game haunts because this team is capable of real flakiness and they've been thriving on close calls and some luck.

You've got a big head too..

[creekster]

You've got a big head too..

But its far too hard to wrap around anything.