Saban just can't admit that Utah was the better team...

[woot]

Emotion plays a gigantic role in college football, perhaps more so than any other sport. Utah may have been the better team in that game, but I don't think so. They had some great breaks and got a nice lead, then hung on for dear life against a team that obviously wasn't excited to be there. That's no excuse for Alabama since that's just part of the game, but Ute fans who insist it had no impact are deluding themselves.

[JohnnyLingo]

I, for one, am willing to give Utah 100% of the credit for beating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

All that matters is scoreboard. And injuries. If Alabama was missing any major pieces due to injury I may have to retract my earlier statement.

[Goatnapper'96]

Emotion plays a gigantic role in college football, perhaps more so than any other sport. Utah may have been the better team in that game, but I don't think so. They had some great breaks and got a nice lead, then hung on for dear life against a team that obviously wasn't excited to be there. That's no excuse for Alabama since that's just part of the game, but Ute fans who insist it had no impact are deluding themselves.

Utah was clearly the better team in that game. If that game is played 10 times under the same circumstances Utah wins at least 7.

As far as all the other arguments about Utah not really being a better team because of the emotion...yadda yadda. It is all pure speculation. Personally, I think the body of evidence in history indicates that Utah wouldn't have likely won double digit games if it had played in the SEC. There is an advantage to not having to play really good teams week in and week out. However, Alabama had the chance to demonstrate it and Utah was clearly the better team on that field that nite. When the final gun sounds the alligator mouth picks which team is better - and the debate stops.

[Ruby Soho]

Flip that coin. Would 'Bama have defeated TCU or Oregon State?

RichRod should take the Saban route and say "once we lost to Utah we knew we were out of the National Championship game, and were deflated. The rest of the season was meaningless."

On the road, no. At home, yes.

Utah didn't play any tough road games, and they weren't impressive in victories over OSU and TCU.

[mUUser]

Saban's like the dude in your office that gets pissed if a harder working, more talented coworker gets promoted ahead of him. Just can't admit that the other guy earned it.

[BoylenOver]

Honest question Utes, if you had Alabama's 08' schedule, how would you have finished?

My prediction:

Clemson @ (Georgia Dome): 50/50
Tulane: W
Western Kentucky: W
@Arkansas: 50/50
@Georgia: L
Kentucky: W
Ole Miss: 50/50
Arkansas State: W
@Tennessee: W
@LSU: L
Miss. State: W
Auburn: W
Florida @ (Georgia Dome): L

7 wins, 3 losses and 3 toss-ups

-Clemson was Michigan in orange and purple uniforms. Utah wins that game on a neutral site.

-Arkansas's defense was awful last year. 90th against the run, 62nd in PED, 93rd in scoring defense. Utah wins that game.

-UGA is a tough call. They flat-out didn't compete against Alabama and Florida, and didn't blow anyone out in-conference. We probably don't beat them in 2008, but it's 50/50.

-Ole Miss was sloppy in that first half against Bama until Cody went down with an injury. And they were coming off a loss to South Carolina at home. They really didn't hit their stride until after this game, so I think Utah wins.

-LSU lost five games last year, and was down 31-3 to Troy in the third quarter. Even in Death Valley, I like our chances to let Jarrett Lee dig his own grave and win field position. It's 50/50.

Assuming we get the benefit of the doubt in the polls playing an SEC schedule, I'll take 11-1 (split UGA/LSU) heading into the SEC title game against Florida. If we lose that game by 14 or less, we're still in the top 10 with a trip to the Sugar Bowl.

[Ruby Soho]

-Clemson was Michigan in orange and purple uniforms. Utah wins that game on a neutral site.

-Arkansas's defense was awful last year. 90th against the run, 62nd in PED, 93rd in scoring defense. Utah wins that game.

-UGA is a tough call. They flat-out didn't compete against Alabama and Florida, and didn't blow anyone out in-conference. We probably don't beat them in 2008, but it's 50/50.

-Ole Miss was sloppy in that first half against Bama until Cody went down with an injury. And they were coming off a loss to South Carolina at home. They really didn't hit their stride until after this game, so I think Utah wins.

-LSU lost five games last year, and was down 31-3 to Troy in the third quarter. Even in Death Valley, I like our chances to let Jarrett Lee dig his own grave and win field position. It's 50/50.

Assuming we get the benefit of the doubt in the polls playing an SEC schedule, I'll take 11-1 (split UGA/LSU) heading into the SEC title game against Florida. If we lose that game by 14 or less, we're still in the top 10 with a trip to the Sugar Bowl.

11-1 with Alabama's schedule last year. Ouch, my respect for your opinion has taken a hit. Ute fans seem to think they played at the Sugar Bowl level throughout the entire season. Utah would have gotten their doors blown off by UGA and LSU. Utah was not that great of a team last year, especially on the road, the Utes had a favorable schedule and played superbly in the Sugar Bowl.

[BoylenOver]

11-1 with Alabama's schedule last year. Ouch, my respect for your opinion has taken a hit. Ute fans seem to think they played at the Sugar Bowl level throughout the entire season. Utah would have gotten their doors blown off by UGA and LSU. Utah was not that great of a team last year, especially on the road, the Utes had a favorable schedule and played superbly in the Sugar Bowl.

The SEC wasn't that great last year, either.

You mean to tell me LSU would've blown out Utah when they gave up 24 points to Miss St, whose scoring offense was 115th in the nation? Or the aforementioned Troy game, when they gave up 31?

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

2. BYU lost interest in their bowl game

I hope we get it back on during "The Drive for 5! (Vegas Bowls)" season!

[Ruby Soho]

The SEC wasn't that great last year, either.

You mean to tell me LSU would've blown out Utah when they gave up 24 points to Miss St, whose scoring offense was 115th in the nation? Or the aforementioned Troy game, when they gave up 31?

Utah barely beat Michigan in the big house, and they were HORRIBLE last year. Death Valley and Between the Hedges are completely different environments than that Sacrament Meeting Michigan calls gameday atmosphere.

Just my opinion, but Utah goes 9-3 at best.

This is how Utah looked on the road last year:

8/30 at Michigan W 25-23
9/13 at Utah State W 58-10
9/20 at Air Force W 30-23
10/11 at Wyoming W 40-7
11/1 at New Mexico W 13-10
11/15 at San Diego St W 63-14

3 very close games against opponents that can be considered average at best.

[Medfordcoug]

Bottom line is scoreboard. Utes won and to be honest, I love seeing any Mountain West team beat an SEC team. Who cares what Saban says, his team lost. The same goes for Wyoming and Tennessee.

[Ruby Soho]

Bottom line is scoreboard. Utes won and to be honest, I love seeing any Mountain West team beat an SEC team. Who cares what Saban says, his team lost. The same goes for Wyoming and Tennessee.

And that's exactly what I said in my original post.

"...Utah had a great season, extremely favorable schedule, and played great in the Sugar Bowl. Who cares what Saban thinks, let it go already."

[New Mexican Disaster]

Honest question Utes, if you had Alabama's 08' schedule, how would you have finished?

My prediction:

Clemson @ (Georgia Dome): 50/50
Tulane: W
Western Kentucky: W
@Arkansas: 50/50
@Georgia: L
Kentucky: W
Ole Miss: 50/50
Arkansas State: W
@Tennessee: W
@LSU: L
Miss. State: W
Auburn: W
Florida @ (Georgia Dome): L

7 wins, 3 losses and 3 toss-ups

Utah had a great season, extremely favorable schedule, and played great in the Sugar Bowl. Who cares what Saban thinks, let it go already.

You can toss out that L to LSU from last year and forget your 50/50 with Arkansas and make Georgia 50/50.

Clemson as a 50/50? Did you see them play last year? They were a mess from the get go.

LSU was not itself last year and it was not just the Qb position, the D-line did not dominate for the first time since Saban came to town.

Arkansas was way down early in the year and had to come back to a 1-aa team and a Sun Belt team in consecutive weeks. They were absolutely terrible at the time Bama played them which I watched.

Georgia had a lot of skill position talent but they do not have the same talent level on defense that they have had in recent years, especially defensively.

Bottom line? I think Utah would have gone 10-2 with Bama's schedule at worst. Especially if they use their offense, which is still seen as innovative in the SEC where football minds go to die.

[U-Ute]

Since we have Ute and BYU fans here, just so we're clear on both counts:

1. Bama didn't lose interest in their bowl

2. BYU lost interest in their bowl game

Finally, someone who gets it.