31-17 !!!

I have all sorts of things to post from my trip to the deep south. But first, let me address the most important detail...

Utah Utes - 2009 Sugar Bowl Champions!!!

That is beautiful!

What a year it has been! It began with a thrilling victory in the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It included last minute victories at Rice-Eccles over Oregon St. and TCU. The regular season concluded with a most enjoyable drubbing of the hated rivals from the south (wait... Max Hall just threw another interception!). The perfect season was coronated with a man-handling of national powerhouse Alabama in the 75th Annual Sugar Bowl played at the Louisiana Superdome.

What can really be said about the Utes victory over Alabama? It is not so stunning that the Utes won - what is really stunning is how they won. From the opening snap Utah appeared to just outmatch Alabama in every way...
- The Crimson Tide have had great success all season running the footall with their all-american running back Glen Coffee - Utah held the Tide to only 33 yards rushing.
- The Alabama offensive line had given up only 17 sacks all season (an average of just 1.3 per game) - Utah sacked quarterback John Parker Wilson 8 times.
- In 13 games this season, Alabama had allowed only 27 points to be scored in the first quarter (an average of just over 2 points for each game) - Utah scored 21 points on the Tide defense in the 1st quarter.
- Alabama's defense yielded an average of only 257 yards of opposing offense per game - Utah cummulated 349.
- And most importantly... Alabama's average score this year 31 vs. only 13 points for oppontnents - the 2009 Sugar Bowl: Utah 31 - Alabama 17!

Utah fans were outnumbered probably three to one by 'Bama fans at the game. But what we lacked in numbers, we made up for in enthusiasm. The Ute fans were NUTS! From delerious cheering to coordinated chants - the noise was nonstop and loud. Perhaps my favorite chant was just before kickoff. The entire Ute section started doing the Florida Gator 'chomp' with our arms while we chanted in unison "Ur-ban Mey-er... Ur-ban Mey-er...". I got a good laugh from that one.

I am willing to debate anyone who claims that any team other than Utah should be National Champions this year. They are the only unbeaten team in the country. They need not make any excuses. Let us consider common opponents between the Utes and other top teams. Both Utah and USC played Oregon St. Utah won; USC lost. Both Utah and Florida played Alabama. Both won. Utah won 31-17; Florida won 31-20. Utah beat three teams who will be in the top 25 at the end of the season - Oregon St., TCU, BYU, and Alabama. Two of those - TCU and Alabama - will likely be top 10 teams in the final standings. The Utes have the best argument of any team in the country to be #1. The only reason they will not be is because of the BCS system designed to crown only a team with a recognized name. Interestingly, if this same situation occured in the pre-BCS era Utah would be, without question, the national champion this year. Although I hate the fact that the Utes are on the losing end of the failed BCS system, I am glad that they have added another argument toward changing the status quo.

A Utah Man am I... GO UTES!!!