Reasons The Utes Are #1

"While watching the Sugar Bowl the other night, I found myself wondering what a Ute was. Now I know. A Ute is a member of the No. 1 college football team in the nation."
-David Climer • THE TENNESSEAN

"I am writing to urge you -- no, implore you -- to cast your final ballot of the season with one team and one only team ranked No. 1: the University of Utah."
-John Feinstein • WASHINGTON POST

"I can’t see myself putting anyone other than Utah at the top of my final ballot."
-Tom Keegan • LAWRENCE JOURNAL

"If I were the king of college football, I would decree Utah the national champion and declare Thursday's supposed championship Game between Florida and Oklahoma to be moot."
- Mike Bianchi • ORLANDO SENTINEL

Utah is the only undefeated team in the country


This should be reason enough. I mean come on, out of 119 teams, only 1 went undefeated. Sure there are several teams that only lost one game that are being considered, but they lost. Utah didn't.

"All are fine teams (Oklahoma, Florida, USC, Texas) that have had outstanding seasons. They have, however, one thing that Utah does not have. A loss. All of us know that in competition anyone -- whether an individual or a team -- who does not lose once is the champion. It's really pretty simple: If no one beats you, then you are the winner. You are No. 1. You go home with the first-place trophy. " -JF

"All the Utes did was line up and beat every team on their schedule, including ranked opponents TCU, BYU and Alabama." -DC

"Utah is the only undefeated team in the country. Period. Case closed. Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Southern Cal all have one loss. They have no argument." -MB

They played a quality schedule, and the MWC had a strong year

You know it's coming, the strength of schedule argument. Many will say that if a team like Utah played in a BCS conference, there is no way they go undefeated. While BCS conferences typically are superior top to bottom most years, this year has been an exception. In fact the Big (L)East and ACC were so horrid, they don't even get consideration here.

The SEC was tough at times, but definitely vulnerable. Just look what Utah did to Alabama. They were ranked #1 longer than any other team this season (5 weeks) and were half a quarter from the title game. Utah didn't just beat them, they completely overpowered them. Wyoming even beet Tennessee in Knoxville. Wyoming.

USC lost to Oregon State. Utah beat Oregon State. The Mountain West had a great out-of-conference record and had 3 teams finish in the Top 16 of the final BCS standings. Of all the BCS conferences, only the PAC-10 had a remarkably good bowl record (5-0). The Mountain West went 6-1 against the PAC-10 during the regular season.

The Big Ten went 1-6 in bowl games. We all know how Big Ten champ Penn State looked against USC in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State took Texas to the end, but that doesn't mean anything. Ohio State always loses bowl games. All that game did was validate the weakness of Texas.

Ah the Big 12. Ohio "BCS game loser extraordinaire" State took Texas to the final 16 seconds. The same Texas that beat Okla- "Championship Game" -homa had to squeak out a win over a team that finished 2nd in a 1-6 bowl conference. Texas lost to Texas Tech. But TT lost to Ole Miss...who lost to Alabama, but beat Florida. What a mess. In a season where everyone seems to beat everyone, how could one ever decide who the best team is? (See Reason #1)


"The Utes went 4-0 against teams that finished the regular season in the AP Top 25. The victories came against No. 4 Alabama, No. 11 TCU, No. 17 Brigham Young and No. 24 Oregon State." -TK

"The Utes have beaten four top 25 teams this season; Florida has beaten two." -MB

"The MWC was 25-11 in all games against non-conference opponents and 6-1 against teams from the Pac-10" -Josh Peter • YAHOO SPORTS

Common Sense

Just look at it this way. Let's say for example, TEAM ANONYMOUS, is being considered for the championship. Let's check their credentials:


a) Out of 119 teams, they were the only one that didn't lose. Everyone else lost. They didn't. Got it?

b) They beat 4 teams in the Top 25 (5 if you count rankings at the time the game was played)

c) They beat 2 Top 10 teams

d) They dominated the team which held the #1 spot longer than anyone else all season, in a location where the other team held a dominant home-field advantage.

e) Their conference, which they obviously won, was arguably the 3rd best in the country, going 25-11 in all out-of-conference games. 2-0 against the SEC. 7-2 against the Pac-10.

If TEAM ANONYMOUS' name had been revealed to be USC, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, or Florida...or even Baylor, Iowa State, or Duke (Yes, they all play in BCS conferences), this team would be the undisputed, no questions asked, absolute National Champion.

But it's not.

This team is Utah. Utah. The only team since the BCS's inception to have gone undefeated twice. Winners of the Fiesta and Sugar Bowls. Winners of 8 straight bowls for that matter. Owners of the nation's longest active winning streak. Holders of the best record against non-conference BCS opponents (17-10). No matter what any computer, coach, or media member has to offer, here's to the real 2009 National Champions: The Utah Utes.

This shouldn't be the only trophy being hoisted this year to say "2009 Champions"