Holy War 2011

[cougjunkie]

I downloaded the Utes calendar today and noticed it was the 17th. Just sort of shrugged. It has no impact on our BCS hope. Obviously it is critical to yours, but that is true of every game.

True your BCS hopes will be long gone by September 17th.

[UtahDan]

True your BCS hopes will be long gone by September 17th.

Enjoy September. Seriously.

[NorthwestUteFan]

it is dumb to call it the Holy War. Never understood that.

It is a product of local media to sell advertising. It has always been dumb and always will be dumb to call it that. It may be dumber than the 'Deseret Duel'.

The only 'Holy War' conflict would be contained almost entirely within the Ute fanbase anyway, since well over 3/4 of the people (between both schools) who care about the rivalry or the game go to the same church on Sunday.

I take that back. It was somewhat cool to call it the 'Holy War' back when Ronnie Mac and Lavell Edwards were doing TV commercials somewhat related to it. But that ship sailed at least 15 years ago.

[cougjunkie]

Enjoy September. Seriously.

Interesting that if you look at Sports Illustrated CFB preview. They project both BYU and Utahs opponents to average 6.6 wins per team. The mighty Pac-12 was supposed to be so much tougher than BYUs Wac-lite schedule. Yet the experts disagree. Also Utah gets a boost since BYU is projected to win 1 more game then they are. If throw out the game against one another BYU has the superior schedule.

[Viking]

not only that, but the Utes need to make up their mind. Are they a liberal minded/academics first school or are they driven primarily by religion.

It is a stupid term for the game. I get why zoobs would use the term but there is no reason for a Ute to call it the Holy War.

None of the above.

On their recruitment material for HSers, they should say:

"Would you like a fun, exciting community college-like experience while enjoying all the comforts of your parent's basement?"

[statman]

I just realized we have Stake Conference that weekend.

Hmmm. BYU-Utah game, or evening session of Stake Conference...

[UtahDan]

Interesting that if you look at Sports Illustrated CFB preview. They project both BYU and Utahs opponents to average 6.6 wins per team. The mighty Pac-12 was supposed to be so much tougher than BYUs Wac-lite schedule. Yet the experts disagree. Also Utah gets a boost since BYU is projected to win 1 more game then they are. If throw out the game against one another BYU has the superior schedule.

Lol.

[YOUTUBE]08mif1TO_Xs[/YOUTUBE]

[Eddie]

There is some reality to the fact that this game is going on early in the season and there are other big games happening first that cause me to think less about the Utah game.

Most years, at the beginning of the season BYU and Utah are both focused on the 1-2 non-conference games they may have with a name opponent. Sure, there is some talk about who will win the conference, but it is limited. Once those games take place, fans talk about how the other team would've fared if they had traded opponents and there is all kinds of speculation about how good or bad each other will be throughout the season.

Then we move into conference. There is some banter about how Utah always manages to have a close game with a team like AFA or UNM, or how SDSU gives BYU trouble now and then. But really most weeks it is who dominated the lower level MWC team the most.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that we each play TCU, and the rival gets set on the back burner for a week - or maybe even two - as the TCU is a big enough measuring stick game that it merits attention.

And then we get into rivalry game smack full bore.

This year - as a BYU fan it is difficult to think about Utah yet when BYU is off to face an SEC team and then Texas. Both a big challenge.

For Utah - the first game is always exciting, so it doesn't matter who the opponent is. But then I would be thinking about USC (bowl eligibility or no).

I guess I'm saying that both teams have enough interest in the other opponents still in front of us, that rivalry talk hasn't heated up yet.

But don't be fooled. Come Saturday evening there will be talk of how Utah would've done against Ole Miss, and stats from each team will be compared. It will happen again a week from Saturday and folks talk about how BYU would've done against USC or how Utah would've played against Texas.

[UtahDan]

Good take Eddie.

[NorthwestUteFan]

It is less than three weeks away. Does anyone care?

Honestly I care so little about the game that I am going to the Reno Air Races instead.

[BoylenOver]

Sorry but if you haven't noticed we are not playing a 1-AA team and a team I guarantee is not bowl eligible in our first two games. We are actually playing a traditional SEC power and one of the most storied programs in college football history.

Bigger fish to fry, we will focus on Utah when the time comes. But I can understand why the Utes would want to look so far ahead.

Ole Miss as a traditional SEC power

[Art Vandelay]

There are probably half a dozen or so cuffers than can back up my claim. Though it often seems otherwise, SU and CJ are not the same bipolar person. The actual irony, is how chill both of them are in person.

[Scorcho]

.

Interesting that if you look at Sports Illustrated CFB preview. They project both BYU and Utahs opponents to average 6.6 wins per team. The mighty Pac-12 was supposed to be so much tougher than BYUs Wac-lite schedule. Yet the experts disagree. Also Utah gets a boost since BYU is projected to win 1 more game then they are. If throw out the game against one another BYU has the superior schedule.

Phil Steele shows Utah's Strength of Schedule at #33 and BYU's at #95

http://www.philsteele.com/Blogs/2011/Jul11/DBJuly18.html

but then I'm not sure Phil Steele knows about the daunting task of playing in Moscow, ID or Las Cruces, NM

[PaloAltoCougar]

Lol.

[YOUTUBE]08mif1TO_Xs[/YOUTUBE]

Hey, we've been over this. Given that Utah is something like 1-6 against the Gem State since the McBride Era, the mention of that fine state should evoke reverence and awe, not a derisive lol, from any Ute fan.

[BigFatMeanie]

It is a product of local media to sell advertising. It has always been dumb and always will be dumb to call it that. It may be dumber than the 'Deseret Duel'.

The only 'Holy War' conflict would be contained almost entirely within the Ute fanbase anyway, since well over 3/4 of the people (between both schools) who care about the rivalry or the game go to the same church on Sunday.

I take that back. It was somewhat cool to call it the 'Holy War' back when Ronnie Mac and Lavell Edwards were doing TV commercials somewhat related to it. But that ship sailed at least 15 years ago.

It is not possible for any name to be dumber than "Deseret Duel". The universe would cease to exist should such a thing occur.