Making the Utes competitive in the Pac 12

[SeattleUte]

If they started winning they'd be more competitive

Circular reasoning.

[Babs]

Utah needs to kill BYU as a competitor. That doesn't mean beat them every year. It means stop playing them altogether. Drive a stake through BYU's heart. Kill it altogether as a viable presence in DI football. Utah shouldn't engage in any collaberation with BYU that would tend to be even symbiotic. The relationship must be treated as zero sum. Utah needs to exert all influence possible to keep BYU out of the Big 12.

Wow, that loss hit pretty hard. I didn't expect panic and desperation to set in for a few more weeks yet.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I am hearing more and more national commentators claim that Utah's abysmal performance in the PAC-12 is vindication for all those people over the years that claimed that successful mid-majors such as Utah, BSU, BYU, etc. were paper tigers due to weak schedules and would never be able to seriously compete in a real conference. Thanks a lot, Utah.

[Jarid in Cedar]

I am hearing more and more national commentators claim that Utah's abysmal performance in the PAC-12 is vindication for all those people over the years that claimed that successful mid-majors such as Utah, BSU, BYU, etc. were paper tigers due to weak schedules and would never be able to seriously compete in a real conference. Thanks a lot, Utah.

Sorry for exposing the truth. I feel a little like the masked magician right now.

[pelagius]

I am hearing more and more national commentators claim that Utah's abysmal performance in the PAC-12 is vindication for all those people over the years that claimed that successful mid-majors such as Utah, BSU, BYU, etc. were paper tigers due to weak schedules and would never be able to seriously compete in a real conference. Thanks a lot, Utah.

(I know you're mostly joking with your comment but I do want to add) that says more about the commentators than it does Utah. Utah's competing in about the way you would expect. Under Whit they are typically a 30s (not always, 2008 is an big outlier for Whit) kind of team relative to good model benchmarking. In the Pac-12 so far their performance is very consistent with that (slightly lower than before but not a statisically significant deviation). Also given their quarterback struggles I would expect a bit of a drop-off so if they fall to a 40-50s range it is mostly likely due to that and not the new conference.

[smokymountainrain]

Sorry for exposing the truth. I feel a little like the masked magician right now.

It has nothing to do with Wynn/Hays, a 25 yo OC, etc.

Bad teams get exposed regardless of the conference or absence of a conference

[Babs]

a 25 yo OC, etc.

I was SHOCKED to hear that BJ was OC.

[hostile]

I am hearing more and more national commentators claim that Utah's abysmal performance in the PAC-12 is vindication for all those people over the years that claimed that successful mid-majors such as Utah, BSU, BYU, etc. were paper tigers due to weak schedules and would never be able to seriously compete in a real conference. Thanks a lot, Utah.

Just doing our part "to exert all influence possible to keep BYU out of the Big 12."

[SeattleUte]

I am hearing more and more national commentators claim that Utah's abysmal performance in the PAC-12 is vindication for all those people over the years that claimed that successful mid-majors such as Utah, BSU, BYU, etc. were paper tigers due to weak schedules and would never be able to seriously compete in a real conference. Thanks a lot, Utah.

I am saying that Utah needs to grow. I heard Whit say that at the outset. Utah was accepted into the Pac 12 because of the trajectory, and nobody expected it to win the conference anytime soon. 2004 and 2008 were magical years in which the stars and redshirt seniors, etc. lined up. We never have gotten kids who were absolute beasts as freshmen, and we have not been deep with stars. The Pac 12 allows us to stretch to the next level.

So, I agree there is a gulf between the Pac 12, and Boise, BYU, and the other mid-majors. That is what I'm saying. It's time to put that third-world so to speak in our past.

[Babs]

Interesting comment last night from the tv announcers. They think that the only reason the Pac has as much intraconference competition as it does is because the other Pac schools are getting talented hand-me-down recruits that USC has to turn away due to sanctions. I wonder how much truth there is to that.

[Jeff Lebowski]

(I know you're mostly joking with your comment but I do want to add) that says more about the commentators than it does Utah. Utah's competing in about the way you would expect. Under Whit they are typically a 30s (not always, 2008 is an big outlier for Whit) kind of team relative to good model benchmarking. In the Pac-12 so far their performance is very consistent with that (slightly lower than before but not a statisically significant deviation). Also given their quarterback struggles I would expect a bit of a drop-off so if they fall to a 40-50s range it is mostly likely due to that and not the new conference.

Yeah, I meant it primarily as a big FU to SU.

[TripletDaddy]

Interesting comment last night from the tv announcers. They think that the only reason the Pac has as much intraconference competition as it does is because the other Pac schools are getting talented hand-me-down recruits that USC has to turn away due to sanctions. I wonder how much truth there is to that.

Kiff said the same thing during the bye week

[The_Douger]

I am saying that Utah needs to grow. I heard Whit say that at the outset. Utah was accepted into the Pac 12 because of the trajectory, and nobody expected it to win the conference anytime soon. 2004 and 2008 were magical years in which the stars and redshirt seniors, etc. lined up. We never have gotten kids who were absolute beasts as freshmen, and we have not been deep with stars. The Pac 12 allows us to stretch to the next level.

So, I agree there is a gulf between the Pac 12, and Boise, BYU, and the other mid-majors. That is what I'm saying. It's time to put that third-world so to speak in our past.

Utah was accepted in to the PAC12 because they wanted the market for TV, anyone for a CCG, and because they were the best research school in the West that wasn't in a BCS league. If they cared one iota about football, CU wouldn't have been invited.

My point being, Utah didn't get invited because their football team had a couple of really nice years.

[YOhio]

This type of thread is what really makes Babs turn her guns in Ute fans. She hates this nouveau riche attitude you guys have been copping for the past couple of years.

[pellegrino]

I love everything about this thread, especially the fact that it's happening early in year two of the Ute's new conference affiliation.