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Show .THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE Wednesday, November25,2009 . i— THE GREAT DEBATE —i Is BYU's championship or Utah's BCS bowl better? Cougars did what the U might never get to accomplish Utes' undefeated run is more impressive than Y's 1984 season PAIGE MATT FlELDSTED, SANCHEZ Senior, Mass Communication and Psychology Senior, Mass Communication e live in a world filled with greed and lust, love and hate, drugs and passion—and that's just our sports. In America, sports axe ultra-competitive, and everyone wants the biggest and best for thenteam. College football is built to smile at the "big boys" and scowl at the "little guy." Teams such as Texas or Southern California get all the love and, in turn, all the players. Winning the majority of games is a feat that few teams even dream about, let alone do, and going undefeated throughout an entire season is nearly impossible. That is exactly why I cannot dismiss what the 1984 Cougars or 2008 Utes were able to accomplish. They both beat the odds and did what they weren't supposed to do, and it was impressive. However, one team's achievement is far more impressive than the other. The '84 Cougars went 13-0 and were named the National Champions at the end of the season because they were the only team that had a perfect record. In '08, Utah went 13-0, was the only undefeated team in the country, won a Bowl Championship Series game and finished the season No. 2 in the final rankings. Anybody who says the '84 team is better or achieved more than the '08 team has no idea what they are talking about and should admit tbatthey,only.watch football for the halftime shows. TheFacts "dori'f lie. " w ~' - - - v ' * BYU played in an age with no BCS. At the end of the season, voters looked at the final records, and if you didn't have a loss, you were crowned the champ. In 1984, the term "strength of schedule" meant nothing, and the Cougars were allowed to play a horrible schedule and get away with it. BYU's combined opponents' record was 6384-3 (.42 winning percentage), and the best team it beat all season was an 8-4 Air Force team. The Cougars played in the Holiday Bowl that year against a 6-6 Michigan team and won 24-17 on a last-minute touchdown. Washington finished the '84 season 11-1 with its only loss coming to No. 10 USC 16-7. The Huskies then beat No. 2 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl 28-17. If the Cougars would have gone undefeated in today's college football era, they would have finished no better than No. 5 in the BCS based on their schedule. Congratulations to the Cougars for performing at the right time. The '08 Utes did everything the Cougars did and more. They played a difficult schedule, went undefeated and, because of the BCS system, could do no better than No. 2 in the final rankings. Utah's combined opponents record was 88-75 (.54 winning percentage), the team had an average margin of victory of 20 points, and it had a 31-17 victory over No. 4 Alabama in the Sugar BowL Utah won four games against ranked opponents in '08, including two teams that finished the season hi the top 10. In contrast, BYU didn't play a single ranked team. With each passing year, college football gets more competitive, so nobody can take away what the small teams from Utah did. But, when comparing the two, it's clear which year was more impressive. m.sanchez@chronicle.utah,edu Wi "ational Championship or BCS—hmm, which is better? Before I even begin my argument, I have to say that I am only writing this because no one from The Daily Universe would do it (says something when even BYU fans won't argue for them) and none of my writers wanted to. So I am biting the bullet and taking one for the team. Don't judge me. I hate to admit it, but BYU has done something that Utah might never have the chance to do—win a national championship. Even though football has come a long way since 1984, when the Cougars brought home the National Championship, a championship is a championship. Until the Utes have a championship trophy, BYU will have something to hold over their heads. BYU was the only undefeated team in 1984, which resulted in automatically winning the title. Unfortunately for the Utes, their undefeated season didn't come until 2004, well after 1998, when the Bowl Championship Series was put in place. BYU wasn't the Boise State of 1984. It didn't play a cupcake schedule in attempt to have an undefeated season. Sure, it was in the Western Athletic Conference, but the WAC then wasn't what it is now. Utah, Colorado State, Wyoming, Air Force and New Mexico—teams that have helped make the MWC a conference that deserves national respect—were conr5rqncel>ack.then. y vs. •** finished the 1983 season in the top 20, and Michigan, which was second in the nation the following year. The Cougars didn't blow all their opponents away that year either, as five of their 13 wins were determined by a touchdown or less. There is a reason BYU's stadium is named after La Veil Edwards. He built BYU into the program it is today. During his 29-year tenure, Edwards led BYU to a 257-101-3 record, including IO straight conference championships and a National Championship. I've been a Utah fan since the day I was born. It pains me to say this, but the fact of the matter is that BYU being a former national champion and perennial powerhouse has helped Utah get to where it is today. If we didn't have a team like BYU in the conference, the BCS might have never taken notice of the football being played here. We might have never gotten to BCS without BYU's past success. I'm not trying to take away from Utah's success. What we did in 2004 and 2008 were great accomplishments and paved the way for other non-BCS schools to break into BCS games. Without Utah, TCU wouldn't be making a run for the National Championship today. Our undefeated seasons and success against the BCS have fueled the argument to get rid of the BCS altogether, but there still isn't a national championship trophy in our trophy room. I hope the day the BCS is banished or at least the day non-BCS schools are allowed to compete for the national championship is just around the corner. Until then, BYU fans have bragging rights and something no Ute has—a national championship. ,,--. p.fieldsted@ chronicle.utah.edu RIVALRY continued from Page ljy$y* '•?'... r- \ -. s.*-;i "~'•''•*• f-•'>' season. The Cougars can notch a fourth straight 10-win season by beating Utah or winning their bowl game. BYU entered the polls in the last few games of the season and finished ranked hi both 2006 and 2007. The team spent all of the past two seasons in the Top 25, except for a oneweek span this season after losing to TCU. Mendenhall compared his teams' success with that of Utah's. "I think consistency. I think on a year-by-year basis (the Utes) are improving and playing good football. So from the on-thefield perspective, I think they're teams executes well, I think they play hard; I think it's very similar to what has happened down here." Despite remarkable consistency, the Cougars have come close, but have never been able to bust through the BCS bowl door. In 2006, a three-point loss to Arizona and a double-overtime loss to ranked Boston College kept the Cougars out of a big-money bowl. The following year, BYU fell hi close games at ranked UCLA and to Tulsa. Last season, road losses to TCU and Utah— which both finished in the Top io—spoiled BYU's chance of a perfect record. Two home losses this season to Florida State and TCU ensured the Cougars won't get there this season either. b.brown@chronicle.utah.edu Athletes from both * sides of the rivalry find success as pros Corbin Godfrey STAFF WRITER The Utah-BYU rivalry is great not only for college sports, but also for the pros, as many athletes from the state's beloved rivalry have taken their game to the next leveL Last year's NFL draft was big for the Utes, as four players from the U were drafted. Defensive end Paul Kruger and defensive back Sean Smith were taken in the second round. Defensive back Brice McCain and wide receiver Freddie Brown were taken in the late rounds. Kruger, Smith and McCain have all seen a good amount of playing time this season in the NFL. BYU had • two players drafted in 2009. Ail-American Austin Collie became the highest drafted Cougar since 1982, when he was drafted in ' the fourth round with the 127th pick overall. Running back Fui Vakapuna was also drafted in the seventh round. Collie seems to be blending in nicely in Indianapolis with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time—Peyton Manning. The*Utes have supplied the NFL with great players such as Alex Smith, Eric Weddle, Sean Smith, Kruger, Mike Anderson, Steve Smith, the Dyson brothers (Kevin and Andre), Luther Elliss, Steve Folsom, Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala and many more. The Cougars—mostly known for producing quarterbacks in the p a s t have supplied the NFL with names such as Collie, Aaron Francisco, Chris Hoke, Brett Keisel, Rob Morris, Brady Poppinga, Ty Detmer, Steve Young and Jim McMahon, who had no prob- lem expressing his dislike for playing "at BYU. Today, there are 16 active players in the NFL from the U and 13 from BYU. In 2005, the U became the first school to have two players drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in multiple sports. Quarterback Alex Smith was taken first overall by the San Francisco 49ers, and center Andrew Bogut was taken first in the NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. The number of.players drafted into the NFL for both schools is nearly identical. Since 1938, there have been a total of 262 players drafted from red and blue rivals, 134 from BYU and 128 from Utah. This decade, Utah holds the lead for players drafted with 23 to BYU's 21. But having athletes progress to the professional level goes beyond football. The U has had#B7 players drafted into the NBA, two of them as first overall picks—BYU has had 19. There are three active players in the NBA right now from Utah, but no active players for BYU. Utah also has two players in the WNBA, and BYU has only one. Baseball is complicated, since there are many different levels of professional baseball. But when it comes to "the bigs," 22 Cougars have made it to the major league level, compared to Utah's one. Neither team has a player in the majors right now. Between the three major sports, Utah has produced 158 pros, and BYU has produced 175. Although history leans BYU's way, Utah has the lead with active players, 21-13. c.godfrey@chronicle.utah.edu Holy War in good company Kelsey Price STAFF W R I T E R ••..,•- .-i . The Crusades are long over, but in Utah, the Holy War rages on. With a history longer than the Hundred Years' War, rivalry fans seem convinced come game day that BYU-Utah is the only college rivalry in the country, except perhaps Ohio State-Michigan. What about other college rivalries? What makes BYU-Utah different? Or is it just another rivalry game, not a war? • Here's a look of similar rivalries in the country and how they compare. North Carolina-Duke Dating back to 1920, The Battle of Tobacco Road is one of the fiercest rivalries in college ball. The proximity of the two schools—eight miles—puts the 45 miles between the Utes and Cougars to shame. UNC is a public school that predates the U by more than 100 years. Meanwhile, Duke is privately owned and, like BYU, has religious roots. Unlike the Holy War, the UNC-Duke rivalry seems to be concentrated on a single sport—basketball. Both teams are national powerhouses, and fans are probably willing to cut off a limb to attend the annual matchup. "We practically sleep in tents for two months in the middle of winter just to get a spot at the game," said Duke junior and Utah native Rebecca Harbuck. "It's way more intense than I could have imagined." The factors that separate Utah-BYU from Duke are religion and diversification. Although the UNC-Duke rivalry certainly exists in other sports apart from basketball, it is not as widespread as BYU-Utah, which claims a rivalry in just about everything from football to Ultimate Frisbee. DEFENSE continued from Page 4 been strong statistically, giving up 2.3 touchdowns and 142 yards per game on average, but it has suffered losses at the hands of the two teams on its schedule whose quarterbacks had the ability to gain yards like running backs. Against the Oregon Ducks, Utah's defense allowed quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to rush for 47 yards and two touchdowns, leading to the end of Utes' 16-game winning streak in a 24-31 loss. Seven games later, Utah also had trouble containing versatile TCU quarterback Andy Dalton in Fort Worth. Dalton and three different running backs tore the Utes' defense apart on the ground, rushing for a combined 342 yards. Dalton accounted for 48 of those yards and averaged more than 5 yards per carry on the game. Hall isn't expected to give the Utes the amount of pressure on the ground that Masoli and Dalton have, as he has gained only 65 rushing yards on 55 "Religion is keeping people divided all year round at (BYU-Utah)," Harfcuolf said. "People here are just evil during basketball season." Alabama-Auburn In the good old rivalry fashion, the first Auburn-Alabama matchup, in 1893, nearly resulted in a brawl. "Things went downhill from there," said the director of Alabama's football museum, Ken Gaddy. "We used to have to play in Birmingham so the site was neutral, which is where the rivalry gets the name Iron Bowl." Since both schools are in the SEC and potentially top 25 teams, the rivalry is at the forefront of everyone's minds in Alabama. The annual matchup between the two schools determines a conference title bowl berth just about every year. The two schools are separated bypnly 40 miles, and in these small towns, the rivalry is year-round. "Football is life," said Auburn student Patrick Halladay. "It's the only thing people care about down here." Football is undeniably the largest component of the Alabama-Auburn rivalry, but unlike UNC-Duke, it carries into other sports as well. The men's basketball games are considered to be particularly vicious. The rivalry once again differs from BYU-Utah because there is no religious factor. Halladay said religion—or the lack thereof—plays a huge difference in fan interactions between the two rivalries. "Religion is a huge part of Utah-BYU," he said. "You can put religion into taunting, so it's a lot more vicious in that aspect, I suppose. But there are a lot more drunk people down here, so that makes the arguing potentially hazardous." k.price@chronicle.utah.edu attempts for the season. Without the consistent threat of Hall keeping the ball, Utah's defense should be able to put tighter coverage on BYU's running backs and receivers. "This defense is made to stop the run first of all," Sitake said. "We've got to limit the big plays... and make sure the right guys are in there and getting the job done." With several seniors on their way out after the 2009-2010 school year, Sitake said the Utes' defensive players will be looking to finish on a powerful note by delivering their most sound performance of the season. "They know it's coming down to the last game here for the seniors, and there's more urgency for (our veterans) to take over this team and make sure we do this the right way," Sitake said. "We've got to play sound football/' The Utes and Cougars will begin their battle for second place in the MWC on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Provo. l.frome@ chronicle.utah.edu O |