Anyone claiming that Utah gets killed by either of these teams

[DrumNFeather]

College football or any sport for that matter is all about peaking at the right time. Utah is peaking at the right time. Sure, they had a few close wins, but a close win is far better than a loss at any point.

From what I saw last night and through the bowl season, it is straight foolishness to pretend that Utah cannot play with anyone in the country. Does this mean they "deserve" a national championship? I don't know...but what it does mean is that they've earned the right to play for one or at least be in the discussion.

I don't think we can pick and choose which team we think will show up when evaluating their chances to win a game. Could the USC team that lost to Oregon St. beat Penn St.? Probably not, but we're not evaluating what a team did in October or November, we're evaluating a whole season and where they are right now, and right now, there are few, if any, teams playing better than Utah. Red goggles or not.

[ERCougar]

College football or any sport for that matter is all about peaking at the right time. Utah is peaking at the right time. Sure, they had a few close wins, but a close win is far better than a loss at any point.

From what I saw last night and through the bowl season, it is straight foolishness to pretend that Utah cannot play with anyone in the country. Does this mean they "deserve" a national championship? I don't know...but what it does mean is that they've earned the right to play for one or at least be in the discussion.

I don't think we can pick and choose which team we think will show up when evaluating their chances to win a game. Could the USC team that lost to Oregon St. beat Penn St.? Probably not, but we're not evaluating what a team did in October or November, we're evaluating a whole season and where they are right now, and right now, there are few, if any, teams playing better than Utah. Red goggles or not.

"peak" implies a general trend towards a maximum performance. The Utah team who played Alabame were completely unlike the Utah team the rest of the season (at least from what I saw of them). I would term this "game of their life". Sure, if they played "the game of their lives", they could play with anyone. Unfortunately, by definition, that game only happens once.

[ERCougar]

The difference between us and everyone else is that all anyone can do to diminish us is point to ugly wins. Everyone else has to explain a loss.

Very true. Which is why I think you have an argument at being national champions. That's very different from saying you wouldn't get killed by either of these teams.

[Brian]

"peak" implies a general trend towards a maximum performance. The Utah team who played Alabame were completely unlike the Utah team the rest of the season (at least from what I saw of them). I would term this "game of their life". Sure, if they played "the game of their lives", they could play with anyone. Unfortunately, by definition, that game only happens once.

who's to say that game 14 or 15 or 16 wouldn't be the 'peak' ?
That offense has been close to perfect for 3 straight games, getting better each time.

[ERCougar]

who's to say that game 14 or 15 or 16 wouldn't be the 'peak' ?
That offense has been close to perfect for 3 straight games, getting better each time.

Actually, I'll agree with the part about the offense.

Even with that offense at its peak, I don't see it on the same level as either Florida or OU's offenses.

[jay santos]

I think Florida's D would rip Utah apart.

My evaluation is that Florida, Oklahoma, and USC are a step above the rest. Those three would split a lot of head to head games.

Texas is probably a step behind those three.

And then a bunch of teams are a step behind Texas: Utah, Penn State, Bama, TT, TCU, Ohio State, Georgia

It's hard to say if Utah would get blown out by the big three. The big three blew out some impressive teams during the year.

[Mormon Red Death]

I think Florida's D would rip Utah apart.

My evaluation is that Florida, Oklahoma, and USC are a step above the rest. Those three would split a lot of head to head games.

Texas is probably a step behind those three.

And then a bunch of teams are a step behind Texas: Utah, Penn State, Bama, TT, TCU, Ohio State, Georgia

It's hard to say if Utah would get blown out by the big three. The big three blew out some impressive teams during the year.

Oklahoma? As soon as they got out of the Big 12 Their O was exposed.

[UtahDan]

I think Florida's D would rip Utah apart.

My evaluation is that Florida, Oklahoma, and USC are a step above the rest. Those three would split a lot of head to head games.

Texas is probably a step behind those three.

And then a bunch of teams are a step behind Texas: Utah, Penn State, Bama, TT, TCU, Ohio State, Georgia

It's hard to say if Utah would get blown out by the big three. The big three blew out some impressive teams during the year.

Almost everyone would have put Bama in that category until we handled them.

[Babs]

Oklahoma? As soon as they got out of the Big 12 Their O was exposed.

I am reallllllllllly struggling not to say something verrrrrrrrrrry unladylike here.

You name me a team that would do better against the Florida team that showed up last night. Seriously. Name one.

It didn't help that the Sooners' leading rusher was out of the game, but I'm not one to make excuses. You don't make the plays, you don't win the game. But to say that the Sooners' O -- one of the best in CFB history -- was "exposed" is absurd.

[jay santos]

Oklahoma? As soon as they got out of the Big 12 Their O was exposed.

I wouldn't exactly say exposed.

Florida's D held opposing offenses to 15 pts below their season average, and though they ended up with 14, it was obvious OK moved the ball enough to score a lot more.

My observation from that game was that it was strength against strength. Best offense in nation against best defense in nation. It was very impressive to watch.

I think in that game against Florida's D, most teams even top 25 type teams would have been held to under 10 points and Florida's D would have scored some points and set the O up with incredible field position all game.

[Babs]

I wouldn't exactly say exposed.

Florida's D held opposing offenses to 15 pts below their season average, and though they ended up with 14, it was obvious OK moved the ball enough to score a lot more.

My observation from that game was that it was strength against strength. Best offense in nation against best defense in nation. It was very impressive to watch.

I think in that game against Florida's D, most teams even top 25 type teams would have been held to under 10 points and Florida's D would have scored some points and set the O up with incredible field position all game.

I like your analysis way better.

[myboynoah]

Almost everyone would have put Bama in that category until we handled them.

What category? All I heard was that Alabama was a paper tiger and had yet to be tested.

[Mormon Red Death]

I am reallllllllllly struggling not to say something verrrrrrrrrrry unladylike here.

You name me a team that would do better against the Florida team that showed up last night. Seriously. Name one.

Utah

[Babs]

Utah

cUte.

[UtahDan]

I'm just amazed that in this year where all of the supposed power houses have a loss to explain, and the National Champion Gators probably have the worst loss in the group to explain, and after watching Utah handle an Alabama team that most had in the top tier until we beat them, that people somehow think Utah would have no chance with those remaining teams. These are all the EXACT same folks who said we had no shot against Alabama.

Its almost like the conclusions that the evidence points to is so off kilter with some people's view of the universe that they just can't assimilate it. Interesting also that having been so wrong once that people don't stop and say, hmm, maybe I need to re-evaluate. If folks want to say, hey there are at least three teams besides Utah who are playing great at the end of the year and I'm not convinced that Utah wins against any of the, fine. But to act like the game would not be competitive you have to just completely ignore what happened in the Sugar Bowl, which again, I think is an event that some people are having a very hard time assimilating into their view of the football universe.

Maintaining belief in something in the absence of evidence, or even in spite of evidence against that thing, is only a virtue in a religious context.