How will Fiesta outcome affect Utes
I have a feeling many Utah fans watched the Fiesta Bowl with hopes of an Ohio State blowout, which could better Utah's chances of finishing higher in the rankings. The Buckeyes couldn't come through so now we have to wonder how the Longhorns' 24-21 win will be viewed by voters. Will it be seen as better or less impressive than Utah's 31-17 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl?
After the win, Texas coach Mack Brown said he was voting his team No. 1, which is the same thing that Utah coach Kyle Whittingham and USC coach Pete Carroll have said even though coaches are contractually bound to vote for the winner of the BCS game. So much for rules!
Texas is probably going to get some sympathy votes from voters who believe it deserved to be in the national title game, especially if Oklahoma beats Florida since the Longhorns beat the Sooners. However, with such a close game in the Fiesta for the Longhorns, I think you could make the case that Utah deserves to be ranked higher than Texas because it won more convincingly. Furthermore, Ohio State was an 8-point underdog, so Texas in reality only did what it was expected to do, and didn't do it as well as many thought it would.
We'll see if the voters think that too.
We do know what some voters are thinking, that Utah fans are irritating. Co-worker Michael C. Lewis had a story on Utah's chances for finishing No. 1 as well as how fans' e-mail campaign was doing more harm than good. Here is an open letter from one writer to Utah fans and another writer's sampling of e-mails to his Biloxi newspaper.
Off the subject of the Utes' season and onto coaching changes. The Capital Journal has an interview with Charlie Dickey's wife.
After the win, Texas coach Mack Brown said he was voting his team No. 1, which is the same thing that Utah coach Kyle Whittingham and USC coach Pete Carroll have said even though coaches are contractually bound to vote for the winner of the BCS game. So much for rules!
Texas is probably going to get some sympathy votes from voters who believe it deserved to be in the national title game, especially if Oklahoma beats Florida since the Longhorns beat the Sooners. However, with such a close game in the Fiesta for the Longhorns, I think you could make the case that Utah deserves to be ranked higher than Texas because it won more convincingly. Furthermore, Ohio State was an 8-point underdog, so Texas in reality only did what it was expected to do, and didn't do it as well as many thought it would.
We'll see if the voters think that too.
We do know what some voters are thinking, that Utah fans are irritating. Co-worker Michael C. Lewis had a story on Utah's chances for finishing No. 1 as well as how fans' e-mail campaign was doing more harm than good. Here is an open letter from one writer to Utah fans and another writer's sampling of e-mails to his Biloxi newspaper.
Off the subject of the Utes' season and onto coaching changes. The Capital Journal has an interview with Charlie Dickey's wife.
8:58 AM
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1 Comments:
Thanks for the links. Good stuff.
I'm curious how voters would have reacted had USC been the undefeated team with 2 top 10 wins instead of Utah. Something tells me the Trojans would have had an easier time convincing journalists and would have come away with a split championship. But at least we know that the southern journalists would have still ignored them. We can always count on SEC journalists to lack any kind of sense, and that is comforting in a topsy-turvy world.
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