U vs. Y '12

[Top Ute]

You guys were 4-5 in the PAC last year. The entire season was an embarrassment. After that kind of season, the last thing I'd be doing is bringing up a blowout win against a team QB'd by Jake Heaps.

All things considered, an 8-win seasons with a D-II QB is nothing to be embarrassed about at all. Anyone can cherry-pick individual games or stats and call it embarrassing, and I won't disagree with you. But when you say the entire season was an embarrassment, you're just on full-on garbage spewing mode.

[Jeff Lebowski]

NCAA rules to prevent poaching of missionaries that are named after active players: BYU 1, Utah 0

Whining/throwing a tantrum to the NCAA to create a rule implicitly targeted at one specific school: BYU 0, USU 1.

Seriously, anyone who supports that ridiculous rule is a big crybaby of the worst sort.

[smokymountainrain]

I'm willing to admit that Utah sucks this year and it is going to be a long season. That doesn't mean that BYU is good though and I'm not convinced at all that BYU has a good team this year.

I agree on all counts. I think BYU has a chance to be very good, but it's early and I haven't seen enough improvement from Riley that I have much confidence.

[pelagius]

I respectfully and lovingly disagree. What's that odor, anyway? Smells like steer manure....
.

LA Ute, just for future reference (this is not some sort of rhetorical trick just curious) can you define what your consider poor, good, great, etc seasons?

Something like:
Great: top 10
good: top 11-20
Succesful: 21-40
Mediocre: 41-60
Poor: 60-80
Worth firing: > 80

[Top Ute]

And the Wazzu game (though weather played a big part in that). Utah was lucky to walk away from that with a win.

No fan of any team that's 18-2 in their last 20 games decided by 7 points or less has any business calling another team lucky to win a particular game.

[PaloAltoCougar]

No fan of any team that's 18-2 in their last 20 games decided by 7 points or less has any business calling another team lucky to win a particular game.

Let me interrupt the current locker room towel fight with a serious question. How much does luck, relative to great coaching or other factors (choose your cliche', be it grit, determination, mojo), account for such a great outcome in close games? No doubt luck plays a part (certainly Crowton had very little of it), but I can't believe luck is the primary, or even a significant, element for such a record. Why is my belief unfounded?

[Katy Lied]

Let me interrupt the current locker room towel fight with a serious question. How much does luck, relative to great coaching or other factors (choose your cliche', be it grit, determination, mojo), account for such a great outcome in close games? No doubt luck plays a part (certainly Crowton had very little of it), but I can't believe luck is the primary, or even a significant, element for such a record. Why is my belief unfounded?

Luck is what Heavenly Father sends you when you're livin' right.

[Moliere]

No fan of any team that's 18-2 in their last 20 games decided by 7 points or less has any business calling another team lucky to win a particular game.

18-2 is not luck. Didn't you take a stats class in college?

[Top Ute]

Let me interrupt the current locker room towel fight with a serious question. How much does luck, relative to great coaching or other factors (choose your cliche', be it grit, determination, mojo), account for such a great outcome in close games? No doubt luck plays a part (certainly Crowton had very little of it), but I can't believe luck is the primary, or even a significant, element for such a record. Why is my belief unfounded?

It's probably attributable to standard deviation more than anything else. Either BYU had a poor 20-game run in games decided by 7 points or less, and the current run is evening things out, or BYU is ahead of the curve now but will not be as fortunate over its next 20 games.

There are so many variables -- coaches, players, quality of opponents -- but chance and probability are always there.

FWIW, Crowton was 11-10 in games decided by 7 points or less, but started out 6-0 before going 5-10.

[TripletDaddy]

I'd like to take a moment to thank those posters (hint: not Triple) who are contributing substantive insight into questions of x's, o's, personnel, and matchups.

JiC, tip of the cap - ToneLoc - you as well.

I also appreciate Jarid in Cedar's post outlining a bunch of guesses as to what will happen on Saturday with no real idea as to what will really happen, especially since he picked Utah to beat Utah State last week. Tone Loc, you as well!

[TripletDaddy]

That small parade of people insisting the honeymoon period in the Pac-12 is over? I'm leading it.

Speaking of small parade....

[Art Vandelay]

No fan of any team that's 18-2 in their last 20 games decided by 7 points or less has any business calling another team lucky to win a particular game.

I can recall a few undeserved lucky BYU victories (USU, Tulsa, UCLA), but many were games BYU dominated and honestly should have won by more.

Last year in Pullman, Utah lost because of the WSU's coaches stupidity. They had Utah on the ropes after marching down the snowy field with only a few seconds left to play. I could be wrong, but I think the Utes were out of timeouts. And instead of going for 2 and the win (it would have only been their 3rd of the season), he kicked the PAT and lost to the superior team in OT. So you are right, it wasn't really a "lucky" win as much as the good fortune of playing against a terrible coach.

[Top Ute]

I can recall a few undeserved lucky BYU victories (USU, Tulsa, UCLA), but many were games BYU dominated and honestly should have won by more.

Last year in Pullman, Utah lost because of the WSU's coaches stupidity. They had Utah on the ropes after marching down the snowy field with only a few seconds left to play. I could be wrong, but I think the Utes were out of timeouts. And instead of going for 2 and the win (it would have only been their 3rd of the season), he kicked the PAT and lost to the superior team in OT. So you are right, it wasn't really a "lucky" win as much as the good fortune of playing against a terrible coach.

WSU sent the game into OT by kicking a FG from the 1-yard-line.

Do you change your tune if WSU runs a play from scrimmage and Utah stops it and wins in regulation?

[Indy Coug]

18-2 is not luck. Didn't you take a stats class in college?

Here's some research for your enjoyment:

http://www.cougarboard.com/board/mes...tml?id=1315704
http://www.cougarboard.com/board/mes...tml?id=1315809
http://www.cougarboard.com/board/mes...tml?id=1999977
http://www.cougarboard.com/board/mes...tml?id=2000031

[Art Vandelay]

WSU sent the game into OT by kicking a FG from the 1-yard-line.

Do you change your tune if WSU runs a play from scrimmage and Utah stops it and wins in regulation?

Oh my gosh, that is right and waaaaay worse, I forgot.

In answer to your question, yes stopping them on the goal line (much at the Utes did the OT game they won against Hall or Beck) isn't lucky. I realize its semantics, I just recall thinking what an idiot Wazzu's coach was at the time.