BYU/Utah common opponents

[smokymountainrain]

common opponents - UNLV, Wyoming, AFA, TCU

Utah (3-1)
points for - 103
points against - 86

BYU (2-2)
points for - 97
points against - 93

I am the first to admit scores against common opponents can be virtually meaningless, but as we look forward to the utes vs Cougars, at this point it's really all we have in terms of a point of comparison between the two teams.

Again, it may not tell us much, but looking at how both teams have performed against the same competition, this year's game in Provo may not be the slam dunk for Utah most fans (BYU and ute fans alike) thought it would be a few days ago.

Based on these numbers and the overall picture this season, I think it would be silly to argue that Utah is not a better team than BYU, but this does give me some hope as a BYU fan, that BYU, if they play well, has a chance to pull the upset on the 27th.

[hostile]

common opponents - UNLV, Wyoming, AFA, TCU

Utah (3-1)
points for - 103
points against - 86

BYU (2-2)
points for - 97
points against - 93

I am the first to admit scores against common opponents can be virtually meaningless, but as we look forward to the utes vs Cougars, at this point it's really all we have in terms of a point of comparison between the two teams.

Again, it may not tell us much, but looking at how both teams have performed against the same competition, this year's game in Provo SLC may not be the slam dunk for Utah most fans (BYU and ute fans alike) thought it would be a few days ago.

Based on these numbers and the overall picture this season, I think it would be silly to argue that Utah is not a better team than BYU, but this does give me some hope as a BYU fan, that BYU, if they play well, has a chance to pull the upset on the 27th.

I have been hesitant to make any sort of prediction on the rivalry game this year. My feeling has been that Utah has been good, sometimes great, against inferior competition. BYU seems to be righting the ship after a tumultuous first part of the season. The only time I have felt that the rivalry game would be a slam dunk in Utah's favor was 2004.

[DU Ute]

I have been hesitant to make any sort of prediction on the rivalry game this year. My feeling has been that Utah has been good, sometimes great, against inferior competition. BYU seems to be righting the ship after a tumultuous first part of the season. The only time I have felt that the rivalry game would be a slam dunk in Utah's favor was 2004.

I'm glad BYU fans are getting their hopes up. It will make the beatdown later this month much more enjoyable.

[U-Ute]

Again, it may not tell us much, but looking at how both teams have performed against the same competition, this year's game in Provo may not be the slam dunk for Utah most fans (BYU and ute fans alike) thought it would be a few days ago.

This year's game is in RES.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Utah is the better team, I don't think you can reasonably argue otherwise (despite cougjunkie's best attempts). Even though Utah is the better team, upset can happen and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that BYU beats Utah. This isn't like the 2004 or 2008 game. I'm pretty confident though that Utah pulls out this victory. I think the last time that Utah was favored and didn't win (and they might not even have been favored this year) was in 1996. Not to mention BYU has a freshman QB that is playing his 1st rivalry game. That isn't really a good way to win the game.

[Sizzle]

I'm glad BYU fans are getting their hopes up. It will make the beatdown later this month much more enjoyable.

If BYU takes care of business against CSU and New Mexico they are playing with house money essentially against Utah, with nothing to lose. I really dont remember the last time that happened. It does make the next two weeks very important though.

[YOhio]

If BYU takes care of business against CSU and New Mexico they are playing with house money essentially against Utah, with nothing to lose. I really dont remember the last time that happened. It does make the next two weeks very important though.

I'm kind of worried about the next two games, especially CSU. These are the type of winnable games that bad BYU teams tend to lose.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Utah is the better team, I don't think you can reasonably argue otherwise (despite cougjunkie's best attempts). Even though Utah is the better team, upset can happen and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that BYU beats Utah. This isn't like the 2004 or 2008 game. I'm pretty confident though that Utah pulls out this victory. I think the last time that Utah was favored and didn't win (and they might not even have been favored this year) was in 1996. Not to mention BYU has a freshman QB that is playing his 1st rivalry game. That isn't really a good way to win the game.

I don't know where you find historical lines, but there is 0.0% chance that Utah was favored in the 1996 game. BYU was in the top 10 when that game was played and had been destroying people.

[TripletDaddy]

I'm kind of worried about the next two games, especially CSU. These are the type of winnable games that bad BYU teams tend to lose.

Byu will destroy new Mexico at home.

At CSU...that's another story. I'm sipping very tiny droplets of blue kool aid lately so I will predict a road win and another step forward with Jake Heaps.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I'm sipping very tiny droplets of blue kool aid lately so I will predict a road win and another step forward with Jake Heaps.

landpoke or SU would be better at answering this, but I think those are called shots. Not tiny droplets.

[smokymountainrain]

This year's game is in RES.

Damn - I thought I edited that.

[Top Ute]

Utah is the better team, I don't think you can reasonably argue otherwise (despite cougjunkie's best attempts). Even though Utah is the better team, upset can happen and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that BYU beats Utah. This isn't like the 2004 or 2008 game. I'm pretty confident though that Utah pulls out this victory. I think the last time that Utah was favored and didn't win (and they might not even have been favored this year) was in 1996. Not to mention BYU has a freshman QB that is playing his 1st rivalry game. That isn't really a good way to win the game.

2000 was the last time Utah was favored vs. BYU and lost outright.

[Top Ute]

I don't know where you find historical lines, but there is 0.0% chance that Utah was favored in the 1996 game. BYU was in the top 10 when that game was played and had been destroying people.

Line was BYU -6 in 1996.

[shoganai]

Utah is the better team, I don't think you can reasonably argue otherwise (despite cougjunkie's best attempts). Even though Utah is the better team, upset can happen and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that BYU beats Utah. This isn't like the 2004 or 2008 game. I'm pretty confident though that Utah pulls out this victory. I think the last time that Utah was favored and didn't win (and they might not even have been favored this year) was in 1996. Not to mention BYU has a freshman QB that is playing his 1st rivalry game. That isn't really a good way to win the game.

BYU was a pretty solid favorite in 1996. Utah was favored by 3-6 points in both 1998 and 2000 and lost.

I posted a study on this on CB back a couple of years ago, but in the last 15 years, the two teams actually have very close records against the spread when playing each other.

There is a certain belief out there that Utah always plays better in the rivalry game than BYU. In isolated cases that has been true, but it's not as pervasive as the myth implies.

[woot]

I'm not concerned at all with Utah right now. I figure BYU will probably lose that one, but there's a lot to learn about both teams before then, so speculating now seems premature. I'm pretty anxious to see what happens at CSU next week.