Going Bowling!

Ever since dispatching BYU on Saturday, I can't quit thinking about what bowl game Utah will end up in, and who their opponent will be. I was planning on waiting until next week to make this post, but I just can't wait. I'll probably have to post the revised eddition after this week's games have been played. The way I see it, there are basically two options; the Fiesta Bowl, or the Sugar Bowl. Of the two, I'd much rather see the Utes go to the Fiesta. For one, it's played in Arizona so Utah will definitely have more fans there. The Sugar Bowl is in New Orleans. Also, since the Fiesta Bowl picks first this year, it is a more prestigious bowl. Here is the breakdown of both scenarios...

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The Fiesta Bowl:

How do we get there?

The Rose Bowl has a contract with the PAC-10, so their champion ALWAYS will go to the Rose Bowl. The one exception is if the PAC-10 champ is ranked # 1 or # 2 in the BCS at the end of the season, in which case they would play in the National Championship game. So, if Oregon State beats Oregon, OSU wins the PAC-10 and gets the Rose Bowl. That leaves a 1 loss USC team in the At-Large pool. Of course the Fiesta Bowl would snatch them up without the slightest hesitation, thus killing the possibility of the Utes in the Fiesta Bowl. On the other hand, if Oregon State loses, USC wins the PAC-10 and they are obligated to go to the Rose Bowl. With 4 losses, OSU wouldn’t even be in contention for a BCS game, leaving a spot open in the Fiesta Bowl for Utah. A USC loss to Notre Dame this weekend couldn’t hurt anything either.

Who would we play?

This is wide open still. While the winner of the Big-12 will likely play for the National Title, the loser of the Big-12 title game will likely play in the Fiesta Bowl. This could either be Oklahoma, Texas, or Missouri. The Fiesta Bowl could also pick Texas Tech.

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The Sugar Bowl:

How do we get there?

This one is easy. We are pretty much already slated for the Sugar Bowl, since we would be a more attractive option that either the Big East or ACC champ. If the Fiesta doesn’t take us, the Sugar is almost a guaranteed lock.

Who would we play?

The Sugar Bowl has contractual ties to the SEC. Since the SEC champ will likely play in the National Championship game, the loser of the SEC title game will be picked up by the Sugar Bowl. We would play either Florida or Alabama. While I would LOVE to see the Utes beat Urban Meyer’s team, I think a win there would be quite a long shot. We would stand a better chance against Alabama.

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So there you have it. Either way, it's a great accomplishment for the Utes. In 2004, we got stuck in the Fiesta Bowl because they had last pick, and we faced a crappy Pitt team. We didn't earn much respect, because everyone expected us to win. This year, it will be different. We will almost definitely be the underdogs in whichever BCS game we play in. A win against a quality opponent in a BCS game would be huge for the Utes.

The anticipation is KILLING ME!!