MWC Power Rankings: Utah Falls off the Wagon
by Staffieri on Nov 15, 2010 2:19 PM PST
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This was another interesting week in the Mountain West and things have been shaken up a little, but no too much, so this week's Power Rankings will be a short and concise report.
If you don't know why these guys belong here by now, you never will...
#9: New Mexico Lobos
#8: Wyoming Cowboys
#7: UNLV Rebels
#6: Colorado St. Rams
The Cadets struggled against the Lobos in the early part of the game and surrendered 23 points. New Mexico's 2nd highest point total of the year. Look, they won convincingly enough, but I still see signs that Air Force is beat up and will be limping into the post season. I look for them to have their next big game in a bowl game, after everyone is healed and rested.
#4: Utah Utes
Anyone else watch that massacre in Southbend? I along with Ute Fan, am bewildered at how this team could fall so far, so fast. Is this for real? Were they really that over rated? I still tend believe they weren't THAT over rated, but we won't really know until the outcome of the BYU game.
#3: BYU Cougars
Say What? This offensive production was not a fluke against UNLV, and although Colorado St. is not a much better team, they do have an average defense. Best thing about the changes post-bye, are that our recievers are actually making plays. How about Ashworth making 3 great TD catches and then adding a solid 4th? fantastic. Best thing about it, is that then Luke could act out a celebration instead of a PI call.
They are here by default. I still am not convinced that they beat BYU if they played them this week. Why? If you actually watched the game against TCU you noticed that SDSU had 3 MAJOR plays that gave them the 21 points. Two 60+ yard receptions down to the 1 and a fumble recovery in the endzone. Other than that the Aztecs were stiffled on offense until late in the 4th quarter. So while the score was close, I don't believe that it showed how good SDSU was. I am giving them #2 props only due to the fact that at the end of the day they had the best OUTCOME against TCU, although not the best game. It is nice to see Utah out of the big three and some new blood coming in.
1 Question for all. Why is it that when TCU loses a "close" game to SDSU (who only had 2 losses on the year coming in, one to Mizzou who is ranked #15) everyone on ESPN and the like are saying they aren't any good anymore when Oregon escapes a loss at Cal (thanks to a mis-step by the kicker) and that Cal team is really not good? go figure...just another BCS ploy to get a 1 loss team into the championship.
How Pathetic.
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Regarding TCU...
I was listening to ESPN Radio Saturday morning, and someone was saying the fact that TCU beat Utah so decisively, it meant Utah must have been overrated (this was before their game against Notre Dame). So they were punished for beating them down — they apparently would have gotten more respect if they didn’t beat them so bad!
It just boggles the mind at how the national media just looks for reasons to tear down both TCU and BSU. Yet, they don’t blink an eye when Oregon or Auburn struggle against a mediocre opponent. I never hear “what will that do to their ranking?” after they win a close game against someone they should blow out. And yet, they look for excuses even when TCU and BSU blow someone out.
I have an inferiority complex, but it's not a very good one.
the same old story
Then after BYU or some other “mid-tier” team beats Cal in a bowl-game handily it is “they weren’t up for the game” or some other excuse.
Fact is that the rankings are a crapshoot and our current system fosters speculation instead of letting it be decided on the field.
Wow, Utah below us. I wouldn’t say that just yet. I think they will beat SDSU this weekend and when all is said and done it will be the big 3 yet again. Well, the Big ONE with TCU and BYU/Utah right behind. SDSU/AF the middle of our conference and the bottom 4 really bringing our conference down.
This power ranking is rediculously biased.
There is no justification for BYU to be ranked above Air Force, they ar 7-4, you are 5-5 and they beat you head to head. Advantage Falcons.
You are not better than Utah either, at least there is precisely ZERO evidence that such is the case at this point in the year. That could change but as of now you’re not, nor are you the favorite in the game. A .500 team should never be the favorite over a .800 team. I know you’ve gotten a couple of good wins under your belt in the last couple weeks. My sincerest congratulations, it takes some serious intestinal fortitude to gut your way back to 5-5 after a 1-4 start. That being said, please remember that you squeeked by Wyo 25-21 who has only won 2 games ALL YEAR, then blew out UNLV 55-7 and Colorado State 49-10 two of the worst teams in the country. Utah beat those same teams 30-6, 38-10, and 59-6. Oh and we actually beat Air Force.
As for the Utah loss in South Bend, it really comes down to this: TCU 2 Utah 0. We had a serious hangover after the emotional defeat at home and we didn’t show up for Notre Dame our bodies got off the bus but that was all. It was painfully obvious that Utah was demoralized even as they ran onto the field. Notre Dame is talented enough that if you come in and walk through the game like the Utes did you’re going to get beat.
I’m not trying to tear down your team, I’ve been consoling my brothers about BYU’s season since you were 1-1. I told him then you were a 6-6, 7-5 team this year and that every program, even the best of them have those years. Your issues have been mostly due to the overall youth of the team. I grew up a BYU fan and still have some split loyalties. So I’m pulling for the cougars to get better, but if you’re objective you’ll realize that you’re not there yet despite the strides that you’ve taken in a positive direction. Just try to keep some perspective please.
Perspective is this
1. Utah has not beat a quality opponent all year, and neither has BYU, and neither has Air Force, and neither has SDSU. I think I am facing the truth here…these 4 teams are average college football teams. So you have to ask yourself who is playing better RIGHT NOW. Well last weekend (the last measuring point we had) SDSU played the best of the 4 teams. BYU was next best in beating up on CSU. A win in which I find myself repeating back to my Ute friends what they told me about Utah’s blowouts…“We did what we were supposed to do against a bad team.”
2. I am not sure what you are trying to get at with your score comparison…if you look at the points for and against in those three games Utah scored 127 and gave up 26. BYU scored 129 and gave up 37. Pretty even once again, so that doesn’t prove much.
3. Of course I am biased. Just as you are biased in putting so much stock in your record against terrible teams. BYU may have more losses, and we also played better teams. Right now it is looking like neither BYU, SDSU, Air Force or Utah can beat a Top 25 team. As it has yet to happen. So in the case of a tie, of course I am going to give the nod to my team.
4. Don’t let it bother you too much, we will know more after this weekend, and it will all be settled in 11 days
Very True
I also disagree with BYU being ranked higher than Utah, especially with their win/loss against comparable teams being weighed in favor of Utah. A little too much weight being given to 2 games, especially since Utah performed comparably to Wyoming, CSU, and UNLV as BYU. BYU lost to the hard teams. Utah lost to the hard teams. BYU lost to a few more than the hard teams as well (i.e. Air Force, USU – And SDSU – If you talk to an SDSU fan ;) ). Hence my disagreement.
HOWEVER.
Like you said, it doesn’t really matter, and it all comes down to the Utah-BYU game anyway. It is definitely looking like it will be an exciting one.
Where is Utah's Credible Win?
So Utah has won 7 games. They have only beaten two teams with a winning record. Air Force and Pitt. Pitt is 5-4…wow, big win! Air Force is Utah’s biggest win as they are 7-4 but BYU beat SDSU (who is 7-4) who beat Air Force, so what does that say? Probably nothing, right?
Since we are comparing wins against horrible teams, which came out a wash if you read my last comment, let’s look at comparable losses. Well both teams have only lost to 1 similar team. That was TCU. BYU lost 31-3. Utah lost 47-7.
So if you look at the common wins and common losses it is all a wash. The Ute Blog will say Utah is better and this blog will say BYU is better.
Neither team has proven they are worth a darn. The winning % of teams Utah has beaten is .323. The winning % of BYU conquers is .333…once again, pretty much a wash. The winning % of teams Utah has lost to? .736. The winning % of teams BYU has lost to? .720…another wash.
You can’t argue records, similar opponents or really anything other statistic because they all come out pretty darn even.
Where is BYUs credible win?
SDSU? Really you’re going to stick with a ref gift as your quality win? Your own argument defeats you, you have no quality win and you have MORE losses. Yes our last two losses were ugly, no argument there. But when there is 30% difference in winning percentage I’m sorry, you have no legs to stand on.
My point with the scores is there is essentially no difference between the way you beat them and the way we beat them. Being as such, you have to consider the overall record as well as ‘who is playing best right now.’ There is a huge disparity between the teams being played at this point. I’d probably buy the ‘hot right now’ line of logic if it was a 7-3 team vs a 8-2 team. But NOT when it’s a 5-5 team vs a 8-2 team and the 5-5 team only just got to .500 by beating the worst teams in the country. The same terrible teams that we waxed earlier in the season and got no credit for.
As for ’we’ve played better teams’ I call BS. The difference between a craptastic FSU team and a craptastic Pitt team are pretty minor. And let’s not forget that Nevada is playing WAC teams. Bingham High would have as good a record as Nevada playing their schedule. Since I feel your pain I’ll forbear in talking about the most humiliating defeat that either team has experienced in recent memory. Or would you rather talk about Utah State too?
And yes you CAN argue records. 5-5 vs 8-2 it’s pretty clear who hold the advantage at least at this point. Like I said, you shouldn’t even be ranked above Air Force, they have a better record and beat you head to head. Case closed. If you beat us at the end of the year I’ll give you props, but until then you really don’t have an argument.
You're not even reading what I am writing
So why waste my time.
Utah has not beat a quality opponent all year, and neither has BYU – Staffieri
Where is BYUs credible win? – NC Ute
Neither team has proven they are worth a darn
Look I'll make this incredibly simple.
Lacking evidence to the contrary, the team with the better record would and should be regarded as the higher ranked team.
Even if the wins are equal...
Look at the losses. I think Utah wins out there. (Exhibit A: Utah St., Air Force) – At least for now.
But again. Doesn’t matter. Utah plays BYU. So we can decide this in 1 1/2 weeks, irrespective of the outcome of the SDSU game.
Yeah, I am not sure though
The Utah State loss was a bad loss, but so was Notre Dame for Utah. They are a terrible team this year.
Air Force is the pivotal game. But one thing NC Ute is failing to see is that it is not about how good teams were three, four, five weeks ago. It is about how good teams are THIS week. BYU has a new defensive coordinator that has turned things around BIG TIME! With his scheme against Air Force – because I know it, having played it for four years with knock-out success – we win that game. But that is something that nobody will understand unless they know what was supposed to happen in the scheme that didn’t under Hill.
Even still, BYU is gaining momentum, Utah is losing momentum…at least for another few days.
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