Why the 2008 Utes are better than any team Boise State has ever had

For those of you who follow this blog, or know me personally, you know that I'm not a big Boise State fan.  In fact I really don't like them at all.  It bugs me how much attention they get year after year for playing a terrible schedule.  I have never said that Boise State is bad.  They are a good team.  They just don't deserve the praise that they get.  Many people want BSU to have a chance at the national championship.  Let's take a look at what last years title winning team had to play to get the the 'ship shall we?

This guy doesn't like Boise State too much either.

Last year Auburn took home the trophy after a controversial season.  Did I like them?  No.  Do I think they cheated?  Yes.  However Boise State has had allegations against their recruiting too.  Auburn's first test of the year was Mississippi State.  This year the Bulldogs have fallen on some rough times, but last years team wen 9-4, beat Michigan in the bowl game, and finished the year in the top 25.  Next they played another team that made it to a bowl game in Clemson.  Clemson didn't have the best season, but at least made it to a bowl game.  After they had to play (then) #12 South Carolina, who ended up being the SEC East champion of last year.  That's 3 weeks in a row with high quality games.  Boise State's lucky if they get 2 quality games in a whole regular season.  Auburn had a close encounter with another bowl bound Kentucky a couple weeks later followed by another game with the #12 ranked Razorbacks.  The week after they played #6 LSU.  That's 4 top 25 teams played in 8 games.  That's not even mentioning the classic they had with Alabama in the Iron Bowl, then manhandling South Carolina in the SEC championship game, followed by the National Championship against Oregon.  Eight of the 14 games Auburn played were against top 25 teams, and 9 of 13 games in the prior to the national championship against teams that were going to a bowl game.

Last year Boise State played 4 teams who were ranked in the top 25.  Virginia Tech (who lost the next week to FCS' James Madison), Oregon State (who didn't even play in a bowl game last year), Nevada (who the Broncos choked against), and Utah (who was overrated all year and playing with a backup QB).  It's not a question of whether or not Boise State is good enough.  But whether or not they deserve it.  Last year I don't think anyone can argue that the most definitely didn't.  This year, Boise has one decent win against Georgia.  Georgia lost the next week as well against an underachieving S. Carolina team, and is currently ranked number 22 in the latest BCS standings.  Other than that, they don't play another ranked team all year, and seldom play a team with a winning record.  They don't deserve to even be in the conversation with the other 3 teams in the top 4.  If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and in college football, the best will beat the best on a constant basis.

Now let's take a look at other "great" teams Boise State has produced.  In 2009 Boise State won the Fiesta Bowl over TCU.  Who did they play before that?  Good question.  We would have to go all the way back to the first game of the year.  They played Oregon who went on to be the Pac-10 champions and would lose in the Rose Bowl to Ohio State.  So they did have 1 quality win in the regular season.  Other than that the most points they gave up were 35 against the La. Tech Bulldogs.  While the big teams are beating down top 25 competition, big bad Boise goes and picks on San Jose State and Bowling Green.  Even if they do have the same talent, they should have to earn it just like everyone else does.  In 2009 Boise didn't earn it.  (Alabama who was the national champion that year, played, and won 4 games against teams in the top 9.)

"Well what about 2006?  We beat Oklahoma that year!" argues the diehard Bronco fan.  But the question is, what did they do to earn the right to even be on the same field as Oklahoma?  I know that wins over Sacramento State, Wyoming, and on the road at bitter, bitter rival Idaho are impressive...but that doesn't cut it for me, or for anyone with a brain.  You can't do nothing the entire regular season, and expect to have the same benefits as a team who plays a death march of a schedule to get there.  This has lead me to my point.

She woulda said, "no" if they had lost.

Any team that doesn't play in an AQ conference, with the BCS system in tact is going to have a tough time getting where they want to go because of a weak schedule.  That wasn't the case with the 2008 Utah Utes.  Boise State usually opens the season with a game against a big team at a neutral site.  The 2008 Utes opened the season with a true road game against the winningest program in college football history, and won.  A few weeks later, a 5-0 Utah team plays against an Oregon State team that had just knocked off the number 1 team in the nation, USC.  Utah beat them too.  Oregon State finished the season 9-4 and in the top 25.  After Oregon State, Utah played TCU (who was ranked 11 or 12 depending on the poll), and beat them too.  Finally the Utes, to solidify another BCS bid, played the number 14 ranked BYU Cougars, and won again.  4 quality wins in the regular season.  That's more quality wins in 1 regular season, than Boise State has had in this regular season, '09, and '06 combined.  After a great regular season, Utah went on to play a team that thought they should be playing in the national championship in Alabama, and Utah destroyed them.  They didn't have a close game like Boise State's games against Oklahoma and TCU.

This is what people do when they win 31-17

Utah proved they had a deserved to be there and they proved it in the regular season.  Boise State has never done that and they won't do it again this year but they'll still make it to a BCS game.  The 2008 Utes proved they belonged, when Boise still hasn't had more than 1 quality wins in a regular season in a looooooooong time.  Down with Boise and all other teams who don't deserve what they get.

At least A-Town understands me.

Follow me on Twitter @crackalacka22

Week 4

Wow.  What a weekend of sports!  Definitely the best sports weekend I've had in recent memory.  We've got a lot of fun stuff to cover from the past week in sports.
College football this last week was crazy!  There were some absolutely amazing games this last week! OU @ OSU, even LSU @ Arkansas was a good game.  Gotta love rivalry week!  I'll be talking about Auburn vs. Bama, BSU vs. Nevada, and of course, BYU vs. Utah.
The game that started it all was Auburn and Bama.  I set the DVR to record the game, as my family and I made our way over to All-Star bowling lanes to participate in the timeless holiday classic, The Turkey Bowl.  When I came home, I promptly sat myself down, and watched "The Iron Bowl".  I don't like that name, because in comparison, Iron is weak to other metals.  Should be called the Steel Bowl, or something like that.  Oh well, I'm not from Alabama so I really don't mind that much.  Traditionally I cheer for Auburn in this rivalry, basically because they live in the shadow of Alabama, and nobody really likes Nick Saban anyway right?  Just ask...I don't know, maybe LSU or Miami Dolphins fans after he sold out on both of them.  This year I was in a lose lose situation.  I could cheer for pompous, arrogant Nick Saban, or the pompous, arrogant Cam Newton.  Considering the fact that I don't want either BSU or TCU to go to the national championship, I rested my alliance once again with the Tigers.  Well...needless to say Alabama jumped out to an early 14-0 lead after Julio Jones took the Greg "pretty boy" McElroy's pass about a billion yards to the house.  After I saw that I quickly pulled out my black and silver samsung phone, and tweeted from the comforts of my very couch, that the game was over and promptly asked, "What time is the Nevada game?"  Little did I know.  Well, after going down increasing their deficit, on the road, I think that Jerry Sloan went in to give the halftime speech and some of the on-the-road comeback magic that the Jazz have used.  Auburn came out of the half like a different team.  AU was down 24-0, and by games end had miraculously left the fans in Tuscaloosa, and around the nation in shock as they came from behind to win 28-27.  This is the second game where after the home team goes up 14-0, I've tweeted and said something along the lines of, "game over", and the road team comes back and wins!  The first was the Utah vs. SDSU game.  Many have already crowned Cam Newton the Heisman winner of 2010, including Larry Fitzgerald who was a Heisman finalist himself in 2003.  I however, am not so quick to jump on the bandwagon.  The Heisman represents everything that is right with college football.  Cam Newton doesn't.  I listened to a special segment of him on ESPN.  I already thought the kid was a punk, but after watching that, my thoughts were solidified into feelings.  I don't like him.  I think he's a great football player, but he's not Heisman material.  With the Heisman Trophy already surrounded by controversy, this is the last thing they need.  If they give the Heisman to Cam Newton, they're just going to take it back in a year or maybe two.  Cam Newton's lucky I'm not a Heisman voter.
I took a break from my current addiction of college football, and got my NBA on.  Whoever schedules the games for the Jazz is genius.  Rivalry week is scheduled, and the Jazz scheduled to play the Lakers at home!  Gotta love it!  The Jazz game starts, and I absolutely loved it!  They got down, big, and early.  The Lakers were getting all the calls (as usual) and I remember turning to my mom and telling her, "It's going to be a long night."  The game got going, and things really started to pick up when Earl Watson got the ball on a fast break, and dished it off to his bash brother, 6'1" Ronnie Price, who in turn dunked it over the hated, 6'11" Lamar Odom.  The Jazz were down 19, and made yet another HUGE comeback!  Kobe Bryant finally decided to get his game on in the 4th quarter, and scored 11 points in 90 seconds.  Raja Bell was guarding him, then the Jazz made a defensive switch to put Andrei Kirlilenko on him.  Andrei made one mistake, and gave up a 3 pointer by going under a screen and not over, but other than that, completely shut Kobe down.  Kobe got "fouled" behind the arc, nailed his 3 free throws to put the Lakers up 96-91, and once again I'd given up hope.  The Jazz hadn't.  The Jazz scored the final 11 points of the game, including a huge turnover they got where D-will tipped the ball up to Raja Bell for the easy fastbreak points, and the Jazz win 102-96.  The Jazz really have been phenomenal so far.  They have made huge comebacks against big teams, on the road, and at home now too.  We can hang in there with anyone in the league, and I honestly do think we'll make a big run in the playoffs.  Yesterday they beat the Clippers as well, which was the 7th road victory for the Jazz this season.  Last year they got their 7th road win in JANUARY!  This team has made some strides, and they are very excited to be winning these big games, and hit their stride.  Al Jefferson said it was a playoff like atmosphere.  He hadn't beaten the Lakers since his rookie year 6 years ago.  These guys hang hang in there with the best of them.
After the intense comeback, I stayed on my couch, switched it to ESPN, and watched the Nevada Wolfpack take on the Boise State Broncos.  Those of you who know me, know that I do not like those Broncos.  I do not like them in a box, I do not like them with a fox.  I think they are the most overrated team, perhaps in the history of college football.  They put their 24 game win streak on the line in that matchup.  Their last loss came in the 2008 poinsettia bowl against a then #11 ranked TCU 17-16.  In this stretch of 24 games, they beat Oregon twice (once at home, and once on the road) by a total of 16 points from both matchups.  They beat TCU once by a touchdown in the Fiesta Bowl, and they beat Virgina Tech by 3, who had an encore the next week by losing the the college football juggern(o)t James Madison IN Blacksburgh.  Whenever Boise State does play someone big, they squeak out the victory.  In this stretch of 24 games, I'd consider all the previously mentioned games "big".  5 out of 24 doesn't exactly do it for me.  I've said it once, I'll say it a billion times.  Boise State can't squeak out victories against these big teams week in, and week out.  They can't do it.  The game this last week was the clincher for the WAC title, and would have sealed a BCS birth for the Broncos.  They had the ball with 9 seconds left and Kellen Moore threw a prayer up, and it was completed for a HUGE gain to the Nevada 10 yard line.  I felt sick.  I just knew that I was going to see Chris Peterson and all the BSU players go jumping around the field after another miracle of a victory.  Well, out comes Kyle Brotzman (BSU's place kicker, who had a facebook profile, and promptly deleted it after the game) to try the what appeared to be a chip-shot of a field goal.  It's up, and good.  Boise State wins...so it appeared.  I thought the game was over, and so did BSU.  The refs thought differently.  They said the kick was no good!  Wide-right!  Nevada has one more chance!  Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times insists the kick was good.  Nevada is one of maybe the 10 D.1 universities that still uses high school length goal posts.  They would come in handy.  BSU gets the ball first in OT, gets to 4th down again.  Out comes Brotzman, and this time goes wide-left!  I couldn't believe it!  The same misfortune that BSU's opponents (BYU included) had been having for years had finally turned the table against perhaps the most loved team in the nation!  I was sitting there with atownmania and gabbygayle enjoying every second of it.  Nevada gets the ball with the necessity of a field goal to win!  Out comes the kicker, and BOOM!  Straight through the uprights!  I could hear Howard Cosell yelling into his mic, "DOWN GOES BOISE!  DOWN GOES BOISE!"  I stood, jumped, and hugged all who were near me, as I saw the team I've been cheering against for year finally had something bad happen to them!  Not only did they lose and have their BCS dreams go down the drain; but the Mountain West Conference which they recently joined also took a HUGE hit today!  More on that later.
BYU made their way up north this weekend as well to play the Utes of Utah. It was quite the game.  Quite the game indeed.  I don't think I need to do a huge recap of the game, because I believe that both of you who read this blog watched the game.  There are some things that have been getting on my nerves though.
1-Robert Anae is calling the same plays that he's been calling ever since he's been at BYU.  Short passes in the flats to the running backs.  Going for it on 4th and 1 isn't just his call.  That's the head coaches call.  Bronco has the right to override any play before it's actually called.  That being said I don't agree with a play-action pass on 4th and 1.  BYU hadn't been able to run the ball at all on the 10th ranked rush defense in the nation.  But it's only a yard.
2-Don't blame this game on the refs.  BYU fans have used this photo to prove that yes in fact the receiver was down.  I agree with you.  They even circled it to prove their point.  He was down.  But who has possesion?  In no point in this replay can you show, or prove that he had posession when he was down.  You can't see his right hand in this picture.  In fact, you can see more of Kendrick Moeai's hand, than that of BYU's receiver.  This picture, and any comments about the refs are totally invalid.  There is no proof either way on this call.  BYU fans can complain all they want.  But so can San Diego State's fans after BYU stole a victory from them.  If we're going to blame everything on the refs, BYU shouldn't even have a winning season because of the refs!  They shouldn't have won that game because of the refs!  But they did win that game, and Utah won this one.  Before you point the fingers at the refs, remember that VERY questionable call of BYU's catch, which was also reviewed.  The no-call of the horsecoller which actually injured Eddie Wide and should have been a personal foul, and also the lame personal foul call on Brian Blechen for helmet to helmet, when it wasn't.  PLUS BYU went for it on 4th down instead of kicking a field goal.  Had they kicked, and made the field goal BYU would have won.  When they did kick the field goal, Mitch Payne didn't even warm up, and when he got on the field had it blocked.  Focus on your own team, and what they could have done better, not what the refs could have done better.  Blown calls on both sides of the ball.  This call however wasn't blown.  There wasn't enough evidence to prove that did, or didn't secure the ball.
3-I don't like BYU football at all.  I really don't.  However, I don't like the fact that Utah players were taunting Mitch Payne after the field goal.  I think they should have celebrated the fact that they made a great play, and not the fact that he didn't.  I also don't like the fact that Utah fans threw snow on Bronco Mendenhall.  I don't like the guy at all, but I'm not dumb enough to throw snow on him.  BYU gave the Utes all they could handle.  It was a very evenly matched game, and Utah just made the plays when the plays needed to be made.  It doesn't matter that BYU "dominated" the first 3 quarters.  Utah's 4th quarter was better than BYU's whole game!  Utah is the team that won by one, but it was very evenly matched, and no team has room to complain, or to trash-talk at all.
BYU and Utah will both be leaving the Mountain West Conference next year.  BYU made its declarations of independence, and Utah will be going to the Pac-12. The 1 thing I like about the Mountain West next year, is that BSU or TCU will have to lose a game!  They will play each other next year, and one of them has to lose! I'm very excited about that.  TCU declared today that they will be moving to the Big Eas(y) in 2012.  It was a desperate move by the Big East to keep it's BCS bid.  There will probably be a 4 loss team emerging from within its ranks to represent itself in the Orange Bowl this year.  Ridiculous.  It was a smart move by TCU.  They won't have to dominate every opponent now in hopes of maybe getting a coveted BCS bid.  Now they just have to beat out the other cupcakes in the Big East.  Smart move by TCU, and really really bad for Boise State.  The new Mountain West might as well be commissioned by Karl Benson.  Boise State, Nevada, Fresno State, and even Hawaii might be entering into the conference.  Mountain West, say hello to even more mediocricy than you already had.  Utah, BYU, and TCU fans, say goodbye to the Mountain, and those stupid remax signs on the field!
It's been fun!  I hope you've had as much fun reading this as I had writing it!  Until next week, stay classy

Week 3

Sports Bucket List

Due to the fact that I saw the movie, “The Bucket List” for the first time this week, I decided to make my very own bucket list; sports style.  These are some of the things that I would like to do before I die.  I’m not going to put them in any certain order.  Keep in mind that they are things I would personally like to do, not necessarily things that I suggest everyone else do.  Enjoy!

1-Attend an Olympic men’s volleyball match

                Volleyball is a lot of fun, it’s fast, and very exciting.  Very underrated sport

2-Attend the NCAA football national championship

3-Attend the 3 games of the men’s basketball Final Four

4-Go to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field

5- Go to a Red Sox vs. Yankees game at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium, and cheer for the Red Sox

6-Go to an LSU football game in Death Valley

                Any stadium that can cause a minor earthquake when their team scores a touchdown, is definitely worth seeing.  Plus LSU is my favorite SEC team.

7-Go to a Men’s Basketball game at Cameron Indoor Stadium

                I’ve always liked Duke, and any arena that only holds 8,000 people and still scares the heck out of opponents has got to be a good time.

8-Go to a Utah vs. USC football game in the Coliseum

                I don’t like USC, but there is a lot of history there.  Utah is going to be playing there every other year now as well.

9-Get courtside tickets to a Utah Jazz playoff game

10-Get sideline passes to a University of Utah vs. BYU football game at Rice Eccles Stadium

11-Attend a Flamengo game in Rio de Janeiro in Maracana. 

                Brazilian soccer fans are NUTS, plus that stadium holds 120,000 screaming fans

12-Go to a Brazil national team soccer game at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil

                Everything you hear about Brazil during the world cup is true.  The place stops.  I’ve never seen a place as depressed and sad as when they lost against Holland this last year.  I’ve also never seen a place get as passionate for a team as the Brazilians did

13-Go to a World Series game

14- Go to a Super Bowl

15-Go to ANY Boise State game and cheer against them

                I’ve never liked them and I think it would be crazy fun to cheer against them.  I went to their game against Utah State in 2007 in E.L. Romney Stadium, but I don’t think you could really call that a game.  USU lost 59-0.

16-Go to a Michigan vs. Ohio St. football game in the Big House

17-Go to a game of the Dream team in the Olympics

                I saw them once in ’96 when Stockton and Malone were still on the team against Australia in what is formerly known as the Delta Center.  I wasn’t old enough to appreciate it though.

18-Go to every University of Utah football game 1 year, home and away

19-Go to a UCLA basketball game at Pauley Pavilion

20-Drive a Zambonie at an intermission of a hockey game.

This week has been dubbed around the country as, “Rivalry Week”.  Most of the traditional big rivals will be playing this week in college football.  There will be the Bedlam Game in Oklahoma (between OU, and OSU.  Should be interesting considering that both teams are ranked in the top 15 for the first time since who knows when.), Michigan vs. Ohio State (shouldn’t be nearly as fun, because Michigan’s defense is horrible, and they aren’t playing very good football), The Iron Bowl between Bama and Auburn (always a classic.  A lot of hate in this one.  Auburn is trying to keep it’s N.C. appearance hopes alive, and Bama is arguably the best 2 loss team in the nation), Texas vs. Texas A&M, the Battle for the Golden Boot between LSU and Arkansas as well (both teams in top 12, LSU is playing for the chance at an appearance in Atlanta for the SEC championship game); however the big game this week for me, is the “Holy War” between the Runnin’ Utes, and BYU. 

1^st off I’d like to say that this game isn’t a “Holy War”.  BYU vs. TCU, SMU, or Notre Dame is a Holy War.  In my opinion, the game should just be called the “Battle for the Beehive Boot” or somewhere along those lines.  The U. isn’t a religious institution, therefore it doesn’t make sense to dub the rivalry a “holy” one.  BYU fans would definitely agree that Utah fans aren’t holy as well.  Just ask Max Hall or Austin Collie

Something that also bugs me about this rivalry, is the lack of national attention and respect that it gets.  I recently read on a respected sports website that this is the best in-state rivalry there is.  He wrote that the rivalry is huge, it just doesn’t get any respect from outside the state of Utah, which I would have to agree with.  There is a lot of passion, energy, emotion, and (sadly enough) hate in this rivalry.  People from around the nation just don’t care though for a couple of reasons.  They don’t care because (for now) both teams are playing in the cupcake Mountain West conference.  They also don’t care because Utah isn’t a traditional football state.  Utah for a long time was known for putting up great basketball teams, and mediocre football teams.  Now the tides have turned a bit, it just seems like the national tide is not recognizing it.

I’ve wrote about this game before, various times actually.  I always love when “Rivalry Week” rolls around.  This time it’s coming around on Thanksgiving weekend.  I’m very excited to be home for the big game this weekend.  My house truly becomes a house divided on Rivalry Week, and even more so this week.  There will be the heated Madden Bowl against A-Town; a turkey day tradition between my older brother and I.  Also, there is the huge BYU vs. Utah game.  The winner will get a bid to the not-so-important Las Vegas bowl this year against the 5^th place team from the Pac-10.  I’m very excited for this game this year because it seems like the fans (mostly from one side of the rivalry which I will not name) have been exceptionally obnoxious this year.  I’ve been saying for weeks now that neither team should, or even could trash talk, because they are both beating up on the same teams that have losing records.  After this weekend, let the trash talk start.

Some of my best sporting memories, great moments and traditions have come from this game.  34-31, Utah using BYU for its launching pad into the BCS two times, Kaneshiro goes off the upright, Harline breaks Utah’s heart in the endzone, overtime wins, backup quarterbacks stepping in to win the game, 4^th quarter comebacks, Max Hall throwing 5 interceptions in 1 game, and lots of trash talk.  7 of the last 10 games have been decided by a touchdown or less, and 2 of them in Overtime  This time around, there is no doubt as to who has had the better season.  BYU has just gotten hot at the right time.  An announcer for the Mtn. said that he thinks that BYU is playing as well as anyone in the conference, INCLUDING TCU.  1^st off, I agree BYU is playing a lot better than they were before, 2^nd off BYU is nowhere NEAR TCU.  Not even close!  BYU fans are now hallucinating that their team is one of the best in the nation, just as Utah fans were when they played, and smashed all these 1 or 2 win bo didilee schools.  BYU has a longer winning streak, and Utah is coming off 2 huge letdowns, and 1 emotional (and classic) come from behind victory in San Diego where Jordan Wynn finally re-hit his stride.

When I think of this game, there are a couple of huge elements that are going to play against BYU.  The crowd at Rice-Eccles stadium in my opinion is one of the best in the nation.  That place is one of the most underrated stadiums, and home-field advantages in the western half of the U.S.  That being said, home-field hasn’t mattered a whole lot in this rivalry.  BYU has won quite a bit in Salt Lake recently.  But we also have to take into consideration that BYU will be playing with Jake Heaps at quarterback.  Jake Heaps hasn’t played in, or even thought of a game of this stature in his life.  It will be interesting to see how he does with the crowd noise, and with his poise.  If he can keep his composure BYU will have a much better chance.  If.

Utah also has a couple of things going against them.  Utah’s pass defense has been horrible lately.  It’s been one of the worst in the nation.  BYU’s passing offense has been almost impeccable recently too.  Jake Heaps looked like a 10 year old Pop Warner quarterback earlier this season.  In the first 6 games of the season he had only 1 touchdown pass, and 4 picks.  In the last 3 he is yet to throw an interception. 

Both teams has a lot going for them, and have a lot going against them.  Utah was definitely overrated earlier this season, and in all honesty, I think that BYU is overrated now.  Which teams will show up this Saturday at Rice Eccles?  I can’t gurantee anything.  But my prediction is Jake Heaps getting really messed up with his communication, and the noise at R.E.S., Utah’s defense making some big plays, and  Utah pulls out the victory 34 BYU 27.

WE’LL FIGHT FOR DEAR OLE CRIMSON FOR A U-TAH MAN AM I!!!!!!!!!  GO UTES!!!!!