Utes v Beavers...Rice Eccles Stadium 7 PM EST

[PaloAltoCougar]

if only there was some witty comeback that showed Utah was better than BYU this year ....

but sadly, I got nothing

It's kind of nice that neither fanbase has grounds to dump on the other, at this point. Perhaps a tad simplistic, but it comes down to which team had/has a quarterback. In the first three weeks, Utah had one and BYU didn't. Now BYU seems to have one, and Utah doesn't.

[Hot Lunch]

No. There is also Hawaii (the only WAC team with a winning record) and our CUSA bowl opponent.

Meanwhile, Utah doesn't have any teams with winning records left on its schedule. What? Could that be true? Records of Utah's remaining opponents:

2-5
2-5
3-4
3-4
1-7

I am glad to see those are the records of the next 5 games. Utah needs it.
The previous 6 were......

6-1
6-2
5-2
5-2
3-4
4-3

[BoylenOver]

Let's get back on topic

OSU's on a 2-game PAC win streak. They're average at best, but their confidence gives them an edge going on the road.

Also, nobody gave the '08 Utah defense as much trouble as the Beavs. Moevao had a good game, and the way they used play-action to offset Utah's speed was admirable to watch.

[Flattop]

"That's a great Idea, Tony. Let's talk about BYU.

Since Utah beat BYU, BYU has won 5 games in a row. Meanwhile, Utah has lost 3/4 of their games.

So...if Utah is unable to beat Oregon State at home, a team that BYU beat on the road, does this mean that BYU has now surpassed Utah as the best team in the state this year?

What other aspects of BYU football would you rather talk about more than your own team, Tony?"

I remember last year when Utah opened with 8 straight wins and BYU got off to its bad start. BYU fans were (rightly as it turns out) pointing to the difference is strength of schedule. BYU's schedule got easier and the wins started coming, while Utah's got more difficult and they lost two of the three best teams on their schedule.

Fast forward to this season and once again BYU's schedule is getting easier (sans TCU this week) while Utah's Pac-12 schedule was tough early on. It's like Karma or something. Only this time, as Utah's schedule should get easier, they are playing with a panic pickup at QB.

[UtahJazzFan88]

Random note unrelated to the OSU game, but it sounds like the November 5th game in Tucson will be televised on KJZZ-TV, not much of a surprise there.

[Cougarmandias]

I am glad to see those are the records of the next 5 games. Utah needs it.
The previous 6 were......

6-1
6-2
5-2
5-2
3-4
4-3

Not to worry, your back half's records will also look decent after they get to play you.

[LA Ute]

Let's get back on topic

OSU's on a 2-game PAC win streak. They're average at best, but their confidence gives them an edge going on the road.

Also, nobody gave the '08 Utah defense as much trouble as the Beavs. Moevao had a good game, and the way they used play-action to offset Utah's speed was admirable to watch.

I'm hoping this will be a good football game to watch. I'll be curious to see if the O line is doing anything different (or just better). Hays' play will be interesting (obviously). Lately he's looked like a guy who just goes out there and tries really hard, as if effort alone were enough. I'll be watching to see if he seems to be making good decisions. On defense it'll be interesting to see how the LBs do and whether our DBs are getting beaten In coverage, and whether they are helping stop the run. Oddly enough, I feel more detached from the outcome and more interested in specific aspects of the game. I'm seeing the Utes more like a biology specimen to be observed than a team I'm so doggone emotionally invested in.

[Portland Ute]

I am guessing Oregon State will be asked to wear their all white and orange uniforms. Then again for the halloween game maybe they can wear the orange jerseys.

I am probably alone in that I really like the look of OSU's orange jerseys with the white/black numbers.

[Eddie]

I remember last year when Utah opened with 8 straight wins and BYU got off to its bad start. BYU fans were (rightly as it turns out) pointing to the difference is strength of schedule. BYU's schedule got easier and the wins started coming, while Utah's got more difficult and they lost two of the three best teams on their schedule.

Fast forward to this season and once again BYU's schedule is getting easier (sans TCU this week) while Utah's Pac-12 schedule was tough early on. It's like Karma or something. Only this time, as Utah's schedule should get easier, they are playing with a panic pickup at QB.

There is definite ebb and flow during a season - as teams progress or regress over time. And some of that obviously has to do with who the teams are playing.

The the QB changes alone, BYU and Utah are not the same teams that played each other last month.

My comments weren't intended to focus on that even - just that I thought it was funny that the Utah player was asking the radio guys to talk about BYU.

And yes - I readily admit that college kids (from all teams) often say and do dumb things. This was just one of them.

[Cutty]

Sagarin has Utah at 51 and Oregon St at 103. I'll lose what little confidence I have left in this team if they find a way to lose. I realize Hays stinks to high heaven, but find a way to win. Oregon St sucks.

[Scorcho]

Sagarin has Utah at 51 and Oregon St at 103. I'll lose what little confidence I have left in this team if they find a way to lose. I realize Hays stinks to high heaven, but find a way to win. Oregon St sucks.

Utah's strength of schedule is currently at #12, that should take a big nose dive over the next month.

[Top Ute]

Utah's strength of schedule is currently at #12, that should take a big nose dive over the next month.

It'll remain in the 30s at season's end. At worst.

[LA Ute]

I'm officially nervous about this game now. OSU is on an upward trajectory, in this part of its season at least. We all know what Utah's trajectory is. Here's hoping the Utes step up and beat a weak but improving opponent.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Oregon State is like the sad kind of rival where you don't want them to do well, but after a while you start to feel bad that all they want is to be on par with you. If they beat Utah it would hopefully end a lot of the 54-10 posts that have become common in response to anything Utah that a BYU supporter posts.

So in honor of Halloween it is orange and white this weekend.

[Hsaru]

Oregon State is like the sad kind of rival where you don't want them to do well, but after a while you start to feel bad that all they want is to be on par with you. If they beat Utah it would hopefully end a lot of the 54-10 posts that have become common in response to anything Utah that a BYU supporter posts.

So in honor of Halloween it is orange and white this weekend.

I like the 54-10 posts just makes it all the more ironic that the Utes get their dream to join the pac-12 and they still try to validate their whole season by one win against BYU.