BYU v Utah the 2nd Best National Rivalry?

[Sizzle]

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefoot...photo=21998303

According to this link they are.

If you are looking at how close the game have been over the last decade, I think you can make the case. Just about every game since the mid 90s has been memorable for one reason or another, starting with those damned 34-31 games. Since then memorable games have included:

1998: Kanishero "Doink"
2000: Last Miracle for Lavell
2001: Staley down the sideline
2003: 3-0
2004: First BCS Buster
2005: Overtime
2006: Beck to Harline
2007: 4th and 18
2009: George still open

2002 I remember very little of. 1999 was a good game too, and 2008 was still a decent game given the 8 TOs Max Hall had (as my memory remembers it).

Not sure I would call it the 2nd best rivalry, but it sure is a great one. Too bad it is moving to September starting next year. I think the end of season finality definitely adds to the intensity. It has also helped that either, if not both BYU and Utah have been nationally relevant in just about every one of those games.

[TripletDaddy]

One thing I don't understand: why do Ute fans refer to this game as The Holy War? I can see why zoobs refer to it as The Holy War, but why would Utes?

ps SC is the only school to appear twice on that list. Also, it says that neither SC nor ND are ranked, which is patently untrue.

[Indy Coug]

Do they call the Utah-TCU rivalry the Booby War?

[woot]

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefoot...photo=21998303

According to this link they are.

If you are looking at how close the game have been over the last decade, I think you can make the case. Just about every game since the mid 90s has been memorable for one reason or another, starting with those damned 34-31 games. Since then memorable games have included:

1998: Kanishero "Doink"
2000: Last Miracle for Lavell
2001: Staley down the sideline
2003: 3-0
2004: First BCS Buster
2005: Overtime
2006: Beck to Harline
2007: 4th and 18
2009: George still open

2002 I remember very little of. 1999 was a good game too, and 2008 was still a decent game given the 8 TOs Max Hall had (as my memory remembers it).

Not sure I would call it the 2nd best rivalry, but it sure is a great one. Too bad it is moving to September starting next year. I think the end of season finality definitely adds to the intensity. It has also helped that either, if not both BYU and Utah have been nationally relevant in just about every one of those games.

It seems to me that this rivalry is generally underrated by the national press, but I don't know if I'd go that high. That list is heavily weighted toward recent games, however, so maybe in that context I'd agree.

[Indy Coug]

It seems to me that this rivalry is generally underrated by the national press, but I don't know if I'd go that high. That list is heavily weighted toward recent games, however, so maybe in that context I'd agree.

The two big things that keeps this rivalry down in the rankings are

1. The lack of significant national presence of both programs over the decades

2. The market size associated with BYU, Utah and the WAC/MWC.

[U-Ute]

Do they call the Utah-TCU rivalry the Booby War?

I will if we can make it a tradition.

[Indy Coug]

I will if we can make it a tradition.

They have at the Indy 500.

[Commando]

2009: George still open

With all due respect, I believe "George is Still Running" is the catch phrase for this game, which I think bites unnecessarily from "Harline is Still Open" and really doesn't make that much sense. Yes it was a long untouched run. But was it so long as to declare that he's in fact still running? We can do better.

[Top Ute]

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefoot...photo=21998303

According to this link they are.

If you are looking at how close the game have been over the last decade, I think you can make the case. Just about every game since the mid 90s has been memorable for one reason or another, starting with those damned 34-31 games. Since then memorable games have included:

1998: Kanishero "Doink"
2000: Last Miracle for Lavell
2001: Staley down the sideline
2003: 3-0
2004: First BCS Buster
2005: Overtime
2006: Beck to Harline
2007: 4th and 18
2009: George still open

2002 I remember very little of. 1999 was a good game too, and 2008 was still a decent game given the 8 TOs Max Hall had (as my memory remembers it).

Not sure I would call it the 2nd best rivalry, but it sure is a great one. Too bad it is moving to September starting next year. I think the end of season finality definitely adds to the intensity. It has also helped that either, if not both BYU and Utah have been nationally relevant in just about every one of those games.

The 34-31 games were classic by any measure. One was decided with a FG kicked outside the LES zip code, the other featured two ranked teams for the first time in rivalry history and was a back-and-forth affair where home field was the difference. This is a rivalry that has given far more than anyone could ask for over the last 20 years.

[Top Ute]

Having looked at the list, I think it's great The Holy War is on it, much less being as high as it is. But the list is so scattershot (Clemson-USC? UCLA-USC?) that it's almost lacking in credibility.

[Sizzle]

With all due respect, I believe "George is Still Running" is the catch phrase for this game, which I think bites unnecessarily from "Harline is Still Open" and really doesn't make that much sense. Yes it was a long untouched run. But was it so long as to declare that he's in fact still running? We can do better.

You're right.

I think the game should be called "the Classless" game.

[il Padrino Ute]

One thing I don't understand: why do Ute fans refer to this game as The Holy War?

Because the majority of Ute fans are LDS too. The alleged war is between those of the same faith.

Personally, I think it's a dumb name for the rivalry.

[Flystripper]

You're right.

I think the game should be called "the Classless" game.

or the He Hate Me game...the XFL isn't collecting royalties anymore is it?

[U-Ute]

I will if we can make it a tradition.

Well, seeing as our tradition is stealing traditions, this has the making of win!